same $100k income, fresh start from Santa Maria

change
Lafayette, LA cityscape

instead of santa maria

Lafayette

la · metro 414k

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.

metro414k

01 · the verdict

the verdict

$2,545

cheaper each month than Santa Maria

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

60% cheaper than Santa Maria(vs $3,352/mo)

02state income tax

3%

$525/mo less in state tax than Santa Maria

vs 9.3% in Santa Maria

03after rent

$6,751/mo

$2,545 more than Santa Maria

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

04a house here

$200k

81% cheaper than Santa Maria

vs $1059k in Santa Maria

05metro size

414k

vs 441k in Santa Maria

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

211

pleasant days a year, in lafayette.

Santa Maria actually gets more: 337 pleasant days a year.

·outdoorscore

43/100

27% lower than Santa Maria

vs 59/100 in Santa Maria

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

·walk score®

85/100

2% lower than Santa Maria

vs 87/100 in Santa Maria

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

3

50% more than Santa Maria

vs 2 nonstops in Santa Maria

04 · see also

cities that play in lafayette's register:

compare lafayette with: