City comparison
New Orleans, LA vs Pensacola, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Pensacola, FL are 5.5% higher than in New Orleans, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in New Orleans, LA would need about $105,500 in Pensacola, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,257 a month in Pensacola, FL versus $1,113 in New Orleans, LA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Pensacola, FL and 17% in New Orleans, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,614 a year higher in New Orleans, LA than in Pensacola, FL.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from New Orleans, LA to Pensacola, FL changes real buying power by −5.2%, purely from prices.
- New Orleans, LA: price level 92.6 (cheaper)
- Pensacola, FL: price level 97.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| New Orleans, LA | Pensacola, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.6 | 97.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,529 in Pensacola | $94,760 in New Orleans |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,257/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,290 | $46,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL MSA. Metro areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA and Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Orleans | Pensacola |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.0 | 98.8 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 92.6 | 97.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Orleans, LA → Pensacola, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$2,614/yr.
52 Fair offer
Pensacola, FL → New Orleans, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$2,614/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from New Orleans, LA to Pensacola, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Orleans, LA | Pensacola, FL | Real change, New Orleans → Pensacola |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −5.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −5.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −5.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −5.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −5.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Orleans, LA | Pensacola, FL | Pensacola pay in New Orleans dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,350 | $50,360 | $47,721 (−20.9%) |
| Software Developers | $106,950 | $108,430 | $102,749 (−3.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,940 | $76,410 | $72,406 (−7.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,850 | $77,890 | $73,809 (−9.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.