on $100k a year, leaving Oxnard

change
Lafayette, LA cityscape

swapping out of oxnard

Lafayette

la · metro 414k

photo: Gage LaVergne / pexels

a dispatch from

lafayette

LA

30.22°N

92.02°W

Lafayette is the unofficial capital of Cajun country, with zydeco music spilling out of dance halls, crawfish boils that count as social events, and gumbo so dark and rich it should be served with a nap. Mardi Gras here is huge but more family-friendly than New Orleans. The food (boudin, etouffee, cracklins) is the main reason to be here. Friendly in a way that's hard to fake.

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$2,188

below Oxnard's monthly cost

Lafayette is the kind of cheap that changes the math. Same salary, a different life on the other side.
landable, recorded on the lafayette entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,332/mo

56% cheaper than Oxnard(vs $2,995/mo)

02state income tax

3%

$525/mo less in state tax than Oxnard

vs 9.3% in Oxnard

03after rent

$6,751/mo

$2,188 more than Oxnard

gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.

04a house here

$200k

78% cheaper than Oxnard

vs $923k in Oxnard

05metro size

414k

vs 830k in Oxnard

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

211

pleasant days a year, in lafayette.

Oxnard has the edge here, logging 342 pleasant days a year.

But the calendar thins out: Oxnard stays 4.8× busier.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

43/100

42% lower than Oxnard

vs 74/100 in Oxnard

Closest outdoor draw: Chicot State Park District II, 42.7 mi.

·walk score®

85/100

11% lower than Oxnard

vs 96/100 in Oxnard

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

3

0% fewer than Oxnard

vs 0 nonstops in Oxnard

04 · see also

if lafayette appeals, also worth a look:

see also

fayetteville

better park access

turn the page

see also

augusta

better park access

turn the page

see also

baton rouge

better park access

turn the page

compare lafayette with:

FayettevilleAugustaBaton Rouge