City comparison
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 | Lake Charles | St. Joseph | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,007/mo | $854/mo | 17.9% higher in A |
| Median home value | $191,200 | $138,100 | 38.5% higher in A |
| Median household income | $54,761 | $54,515 | 0.5% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 95.2 | 94.8 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 78.7 | 89.3 | 11.9% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.2 | 94.2 | 3.1% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 95.4 | 94.9 | 0.6% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Lake Charles, you'd need $99,672 in St. Joseph to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Lake Charles and St. Joseph have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Lake Charles, you'd need about $79,738 in St. Joseph to keep the same standard of living.