City comparison
Lafayette, LA is about 100 miles (175 km) from Metairie, LA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 150 miles, or about 2 h 15 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Lafayette, LA to Metairie, LA takes about 13 min, covering roughly 100 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Metairie has a population of 140,046, vs 121,706 in Lafayette — about 1.2× larger by population. By land area, Lafayette covers about 56 sq mi vs 23 sq mi for Metairie.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Lafayette | Metairie | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,022/mo | $1,120/mo | 9.6% higher in Metairie |
| Median home value | $234,900 | $289,800 | 23.4% higher in Metairie |
| Median household income | $58,850 | $72,070 | 22.5% higher in Metairie |
| Groceries index | 94.1 | 94.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 73.3 | 73.3 | ≈ equal (Metairie slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 96.1 | 96.1 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 95.6 | 95.6 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Lafayette, you'd need $113,649 in Metairie to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Lafayette, LA is about 12% cheaper overall than Metairie, LA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 42% higher in Metairie than in Lafayette. If you earn $80,000 in Lafayette, you'd need about $90,919 in Metairie to keep the same standard of living.