Cost of living in Lafayette research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Lafayette is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Louisiana, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Lafayette is 95, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Lafayette is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Lafayette ranks as the #75 cheapest in Louisiana out of 109.
Lafayette ranks as the #2,449 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Lafayette is $209,100.
The median income in Lafayette is $55,329.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Lafayette has an overall cost of living index of 95, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Louisiana, Lafayette has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than Louisiana's index of 92.
The standard of living in Lafayette ranks as #75 most affordable out of the 109 places we measured in Louisiana. By definition, that implies Lafayette ranks as the #34 most expensive place in the Pelican State.
For more reading on life in Lafayette, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Lafayette. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Lafayette is 98.
The Groceries index in Lafayette is 101.
The Health index in Lafayette is 94.
The Housing index in Lafayette is 92.
The Transportation index in Lafayette is 98.
The Utilities index in Lafayette is 91.
Living Expense | Lafayette | Louisiana | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 95 | 92 | 100 | |
Services | 98 | 96 | 100 | |
Groceries | 101 | 96 | 100 | |
Health | 94 | 99 | 100 | |
Housing | 92 | 83 | 100 | |
Transportation | 98 | 96 | 100 | |
Utilities | 91 | 86 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Louisiana, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Lafayette is $209,100.
The Median Rent in Lafayette is $948.
The Median Income in Lafayette is $55,329.
The Home Value To Income in Lafayette is 3.8x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Lafayette is 0.21x.
Statistic | Lafayette | Louisiana | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $209,100 | $174,000 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $948 | $923 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $55,329 | $53,571 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 3.8x | 3.2x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.21x | 0.21x | 0.2x |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Lafayette. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
New Iberia, LA has a cost of living index of 87, 0.9x Lafayette.
Youngsville, LA has a cost of living index of 105, 1.1x Lafayette.
Broussard, LA has a cost of living index of 96, 1.0x Lafayette.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Lafayette |
---|---|---|---|
New Iberia, LA | 28,844 | 87 | 0.9x |
Youngsville, LA | 15,167 | 105 | 1.1x |
Broussard, LA | 12,960 | 96 | 1.0x |
Abbeville, LA | 11,313 | 81 | 0.9x |
Carencro, LA | 9,531 | 92 | 1.0x |
Scott, LA | 8,200 | 92 | 1.0x |
Breaux Bridge, LA | 7,711 | 96 | 1.0x |
Rayne, LA | 7,332 | 83 | 0.9x |
St. Martinville, LA | 5,602 | 79 | 0.8x |