City comparison
Lafayette, LA is about 200 miles (300 km) from Shreveport, LA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 225 miles, or about 4 h 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 Shreveport, LA takes about 23 min, covering roughly 200 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.
Shreveport has a population of 186,183, vs 121,706 in Lafayette — about 1.5× larger by population. By land area, Shreveport covers about 110 sq mi vs 56 sq mi for Lafayette.
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 | Shreveport | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,022/mo | $945/mo | 8.1% higher in Lafayette |
| Median home value | $234,900 | $168,900 | 39.1% higher in Lafayette |
| Median household income | $58,850 | $45,967 | 28.0% higher in Lafayette |
| Groceries index | 94.1 | 94.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 73.3 | 74.6 | 1.7% higher in Shreveport |
| 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 $96,635 in Shreveport to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Shreveport, LA is about 3.4% cheaper overall than Lafayette, LA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 12% higher in Lafayette than in Shreveport. If you earn $80,000 in Lafayette, you'd need about $77,308 in Shreveport to keep the same standard of living.