Lafayette-West Lafayette → Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Lafayette-West Lafayette to Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 93.4 to 85.1 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $140/mo.
- -$7,871
- BLS median salary lower in Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux
- 308 to 410
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 15.9:1 to 16.8:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
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
- + 8% lower cost of living
- + $140/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
Cons of Moving
- - $8K lower median salary
- - Higher violent crime rate
- - More environmental violations
Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP falls from 93.4 to 85.1, so each dollar covers more in Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux (ratio 0.91). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $140/mo ($1,680/yr) from $1,242 in Lafayette-West Lafayette to $1,102 in Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (2 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux sits #247 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Lafayette-West Lafayette is #225/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $7,871 lower ($63,985 → $56,114). Labor-market size: 90,750 tracked jobs at origin vs 76,690 at destination.
State retirement friendliness is near-even: Indiana 62 (C, #24/51) vs Louisiana 67 (C, #15/51). 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
- 72
- Property tax
- 69
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 32
- 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-West Lafayette to see what you'd need to earn in Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux to maintain the same purchasing power.
Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux 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