Cost of Living Index

Cost of living information was obtained from The Council for Community and Economic Research, a non-profit organization promoting excellence in research for community and economic development. The Cost of Living Index measures relative price levels for consumer goods and services in participating metro areas.

The Index does not measure inflation (for inflation-based Cost of Living Increases like those used to calculate pay increases, visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index Website)

Because each quarterly report is a separate comparison of prices at a single point in time, and because both the number and mix of participants changes from one quarter to the next, Index data from different quarters cannot be compared. The cost of living index is calculated for the following categories:

• 13% Grocery Items
• 29% Housing
• 10% Utilities
• 9% Transportation
• 4% Healthcare
• 35% Miscellaneous Goods & Services
• 100% Index

The national average for all areas is 100 and each city's index is interpreted as a percentage of the average for all places. A score below 100 means that that area's cost of living is less than the national average and a score above 100 means that it is above the national average. Click here to find out more about using the index.

This report compares the cost of goods and services surveyed in Lafayette, Louisiana with the cost of goods and services surveyed in following cities: Atlanta, GA; Houston, TX; Dallas, TX; Hattiesburg, MS; and Baton Rouge, LA. The cost of living in Lafayette, LA is below the national average and very competitive among the comparable cities.