Lafayette Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Lafayette to Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 87.2 to 85.1 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $222/mo.

-$1,051
BLS median salary lower in Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux
410 to 410
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
16.8:1 to 16.8:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$0
DOL infant care higher / yr in Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux

BEA Regional Price Parity, HUD Fair Market Rent, BLS OEWS, FBI UCR, NCES, and DOL. The table below lets you override the composite with your own priorities.

Verdict
Less Favorable
Cost Index: 87.2 → 85.1
Rent Delta: +$222/mo

Cons of Moving

  • - $222/mo more expensive rent (2BR)

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 87.2 to 85.1 (ratio 0.98), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $222/mo ($2,664/yr) from $880 in Lafayette to $1,102 in Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (1 destination wins · 2 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux sits #247 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Lafayette is #250/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $1,051 lower ($57,165 → $56,114). Labor-market size: 163,850 tracked jobs at origin vs 76,690 at destination.

Both metros sit in Louisiana: state retirement score 67 (C, #15/51) - tax posture does not change with this move. Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Lafayette
Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 87.2
RPP 85.1
Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux
Rent (2BR)
$880/mo
$1,102/mo
Lafayette
Wages
$57,165
$56,114
Lafayette
Crime
410 per 100K
410 per 100K
Tie
Schools
16.8:1
16.8:1
Tie
Childcare
$7,396/yr
$7,396/yr
Tie
Environment
14536 violations
14536 violations
Tie

State retirement friendliness

Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.

Origin state · Louisiana
67 C #15/51
Income tax
78
Property tax
79
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
8

Full retirement ranking · Source composite documented on methodology (Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides + federal healthcare/climate inputs).

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Lafayette to see what you'd need to earn in Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux
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Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA; retirement desk: Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides June 2026