Lafayette → Jacksonville
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Lafayette to Jacksonville is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 87.2 to 92.1 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $293/mo.
- +$265
- BLS median salary higher in Jacksonville
- 410 to 365
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 16.8:1 to 15.8:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $2,091
- DOL infant care higher / yr in Jacksonville
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.
Pros of Moving
- + Fewer environmental violations
Cons of Moving
- - 5% higher cost of living
- - $293/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - More expensive childcare
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 87.2 to 92.1, so the same paycheck buys less in Jacksonville (ratio 1.06). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $293/mo ($3,516/yr) from $880 in Lafayette to $1,173 in Jacksonville.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Jacksonville sits #160 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 $265 higher ($57,165 → $57,430). Labor-market size: 163,850 tracked jobs at origin vs 46,520 at destination.
State retirement friendliness is near-even: Louisiana 67 (C, #15/51) vs North Carolina 68 (C, #13/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.
State retirement friendliness
Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.
- Income tax
- 78
- Property tax
- 79
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 8
- Income tax
- 68
- Property tax
- 66
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 30
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 Jacksonville to maintain the same purchasing power.
Jacksonville metro profile · Livability rankings · Methodology
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