City comparison
Shreveport, LA vs Springfield, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Springfield, MA are 13.3% higher than in Shreveport, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Shreveport, LA would need about $113,300 in Springfield, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,382 a month in Springfield, MA versus $982 in Shreveport, LA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Springfield, MA and 15% in Shreveport, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,166 a year higher in Springfield, MA than in Shreveport, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.8% moving from Shreveport, LA to Springfield, MA ($106,437 → $120,094), while prices change by +13.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.4% in real buying power.
- Shreveport, LA: price level 84.8 (much cheaper)
- Springfield, MA: price level 96.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Shreveport, LA | Springfield, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 84.8 | 96.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,325 in Springfield | $88,242 in Shreveport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $982/mo | $1,382/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,820 | $51,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Shreveport-Bossier City, LA MSA and Springfield, MA MSA. Metro areas: Shreveport-Bossier City, LA and Springfield, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Shreveport | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 52.3 | 75.8 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 72.6 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 84.8 | 96.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Shreveport, LA → Springfield, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.8%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$2,166/yr.
38 Weak offer
Springfield, MA → Shreveport, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$2,166/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Shreveport, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Springfield, MA is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Shreveport, LA to Springfield, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Shreveport, LA | Springfield, MA | Real change, Shreveport → Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,642 | −0.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $84,260 | −0.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,992 | −0.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $120,094 | −0.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,915 | −0.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Shreveport, LA | Springfield, MA | Springfield pay in Shreveport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,850 | $79,640 | $70,276 (+13.6%) |
| Software Developers | $96,680 | $127,740 | $112,720 (+16.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,420 | $92,010 | $81,191 (+15.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,080 | $98,410 | $86,839 (+8.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.