01 · the cities
Lafayette
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.
full dispatch→Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge is LSU football, the Mississippi River bending past downtown, and the kind of food (gumbo, jambalaya, boudin, po'boys) that makes you want to lie down after lunch. The Louisiana state capitol is the tallest in the country, a 34-story Art Deco tower that looks more like a Manhattan office building. Cajun warmth runs through everything, with a slightly more buttoned-up daily pace than New Orleans.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,332/mo
$1,361/mo
Median home price
Median home price
$200k
$250k
$50k more than Lafayette
State income tax
State income tax
3.0%
3.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,751/mo
$6,722/mo
Gross left after rent reflects state income tax but not federal, based on $100k salary. Enter your salary to find your ideal city.
03 · the weather
Pleasant days/yr
Pleasant days/yr
211 days
187 days
24 fewer than Lafayette
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
7 days
25 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
1 days
days below 20°F per year
Baton Rouge has 18 more days above 95°F each year than Lafayette.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
43 / 100
50 / 100
7.0 pts ahead of Lafayette
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
4 routes
Metro size
Metro size
414k metro
874k metro
Lafayette has 3.0x fewer events per month than Baton Rouge.
the verdict
4
Lafayette
categories won
1
Baton Rouge
categories won
Lafayette wins this comparison, leading on money and weather.
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