CostIndexUSA

New Orleans, LA vs Springfield, IL Cost of Living

Data: BEA Regional Price Parities · Census ACS · 2024

≈ Equal CostLA
New Orleans
92.6
overall index
$1,575/mo rent
IL
Springfield
92.7
overall index
$1,150/mo rent

New Orleans and Springfield have nearly identical costs of living.

Category Breakdown

Index values: 100 = U.S. national average. Higher = more expensive.

🏠 Housing−16.7%
New Orleans
86
Springfield
71.6
🛒 Groceries≈ Equal
New Orleans
93.7
Springfield
93.6
🚗 Transportation+4.1%
New Orleans
100.5
Springfield
104.6
🏥 Healthcare+4.1%
New Orleans
90.9
Springfield
94.6
⚡ Utilities+27.0%
New Orleans
71.2
Springfield
90.4

Salary Equivalency Calculator

Enter your current salary in New Orleans to see what you'd need to earn in Springfield to maintain the same purchasing power.

$
→
Equivalent salary in Springfield, IL
$80,100
$100 more needed in Springfield

Formula: salary × (92.7 ÷ 92.6) = salary × 1.0011. Based on BEA Regional Price Parities.

Housing Market

New Orleans, LA

Median Home Price
$253,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,575
Housing Index
86
Price-to-Rent Ratio
13.4×

Springfield, IL

Median Home Price
$188,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,150
Housing Index
71.6
Price-to-Rent Ratio
13.6×

New Orleans has 16.7% lower housing costs compared to Springfield.

Income & Job Market

New Orleans, LA

Median Household Income
$61,000
Per Capita Income
$34,800
Unemployment Rate
5%
Population
383,997
Top Industries
TourismEnergyHealthcareShippingEntertainment

Springfield, IL

Median Household Income
$72,200
Per Capita Income
$41,200
Unemployment Rate
4.4%
Population
114,230
Top Industries
GovernmentHealthcareEducationFinanceRetail

Affordability at a Glance

Income-to-rent ratio: higher is better (more income relative to housing costs).

New Orleans, LA
3.2×income-to-rent ratio

69% of income left after rent (median)

Springfield, IL
5.2×income-to-rent ratio

81% of income left after rent (median)

New Orleans vs other cities

New Orleans, LA
vs
Baton Rouge, LA
Index: 92.6Index: 90.8
New Orleans, LA
vs
Lafayette, LA
Index: 92.6Index: 87.2
New Orleans, LA
vs
Lake Charles, LA
Index: 92.6Index: 85.9
New Orleans, LA
vs
Bakersfield, CA
Index: 92.6Index: 100.9
New Orleans, LA
vs
Arlington, TX
Index: 92.6Index: 103.1

Springfield vs other cities

Springfield, IL
vs
Aurora, IL
Index: 92.7Index: 103.6
Springfield, IL
vs
Bloomington, IL
Index: 92.7Index: 93.5
Springfield, IL
vs
Champaign, IL
Index: 92.7Index: 92.7
Springfield, IL
vs
Waterbury, CT
Index: 92.7Index: 99.8
Springfield, IL
vs
Wilmington, NC
Index: 92.7Index: 96.4

Data Sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities 2024; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Zillow Research.

Cost indices use 100 as the U.S. national average. Values above 100 indicate costs above the national average. Data is updated annually.

This data is for informational purposes only and should not be used as the sole basis for relocation or financial decisions.