City comparison

Shreveport, LA vs Youngstown, OH

What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.

Key findings

  • Prices in Youngstown, OH are 3.1% higher than in Shreveport, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Shreveport, LA would need about $103,100 in Youngstown, OH to live the same way.
  • Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $982 a month in Shreveport, LA versus $771 in Youngstown, OH. On $100,000, that's 15% of take-home pay in Shreveport, LA and 12% in Youngstown, OH.
  • On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $646 a year higher in Shreveport, LA than in Youngstown, OH.
  • For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from Shreveport, LA to Youngstown, OH ($106,437 → $111,138), while prices change by +3.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.3% in real buying power.
ShreveportYoungstown
Price level (U.S. = 100):Under 9292–9898–102102–108Over 108
  • Shreveport, LA: price level 84.8 (much cheaper)
  • Youngstown, OH: price level 87.4 (much cheaper)

Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.

Side by side

Shreveport, LAYoungstown, OH
Price level (U.S. = 100)284.887.4
$100,000 is worth, in the other city2$103,100 in Youngstown$96,993 in Shreveport
Typical 1-bedroom rent3$982/mo$771/mo
Take-home on $100,00014,15,8$76,566$77,212
State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8$2,614 (LA)$1,968 (OH)
Rent burden on $100,00015%12%
Median pay, all jobs4$44,820$43,800
Federal locality pay area7Rest of U.S.Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA

Rent areas: Shreveport-Bossier City, LA MSA and Youngstown-Warren, OH MSA. Metro areas: Shreveport-Bossier City, LA and Youngstown-Warren, OH.

What costs more or less

Shreveport, LAYoungstown, OH
Price level (U.S. = 100)ShreveportYoungstown
Housing (rent)52.353.4
Goods93.793.6
Utilities72.696.3
Other services95.798.9
Overall84.887.4
BEA Regional Price Parities2. Housing covers rents.

Moving with the same $100,000 salary

Shreveport, LA → Youngstown, OH

Same pay buys less

Buying power −3.0%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax −$646/yr.

59 Fair offer

Youngstown, OH → Shreveport, LA

Same pay goes further

Buying power +3.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$646/yr.

78 Strong offer

On the GS pay scale?

Shreveport, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Youngstown, OH is in Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Shreveport, LA to Youngstown, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.

Grade5,2Shreveport, LAYoungstown, OHReal change, Shreveport → Youngstown
GS-9 step 1$61,722$64,448+1.3%
GS-11 step 1$74,678$77,977+1.3%
GS-12 step 1$89,508$93,461+1.3%
GS-13 step 1$106,437$111,138+1.3%
GS-14 step 1$125,776$131,331+1.3%

Pay for common jobs

Median annual pay4Shreveport, LAYoungstown, OHYoungstown pay in Shreveport dollars
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$61,850$72,560$70,378 (+13.8%)
Software Developers$96,680$107,990$104,743 (+8.3%)
Accountants and Auditors$70,420$73,080$70,882 (+0.7%)
Registered Nurses$80,080$78,680$76,314 (−4.7%)

"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.

Check your own offer

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Taxes are estimates for a single filer taking the standard deduction; city and county income taxes are not included. See the methodology.

Notes & Sources

  1. U.S. Census Bureau, Metropolitan Statistical Area population estimates (Vintage 2025) (2025). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by MSA (MARPP), all items (2024). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  3. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents, 1-bedroom (2026). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  4. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, metropolitan areas (2025). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  5. U.S. Office of Personnel Management, General Schedule (GS) pay rates with locality pay, 2026 (2026). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  6. U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Locality codes used in the 2026 GS pay spreadsheet (2026). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  7. U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 2026 Locality Pay Area Definitions (counties in each pay area) (2026). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  8. Tax Foundation, State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets, 2026 (2026). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  9. U.S. Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file: states, 1:20,000,000 (2024) (2024). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  10. U.S. Census Bureau, Gazetteer file: core based statistical areas (2025) (2025). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  11. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, table C24010 (occupation of employed residents) by ZIP code area (2024). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  12. U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Tabulation Area relationship files (2020; Connecticut 2022) and Gazetteer locations (2025) (2025). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  13. U.S. Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary files (ZIP code areas 2020; counties and states 2024) and TIGER/Line primary roads (2024) (2024). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  14. Internal Revenue Service, Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (2026 tax brackets and standard deduction) (2026). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  15. Internal Revenue Service, Publication 15 (Circular E), Employer's Tax Guide for 2026 (Social Security and Medicare) (2026). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  16. U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, O*NET 31.0 Database: Job Titles (used under CC BY 4.0; O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA) (2026). Retrieved 2026-10-14.