City comparison
Metairie, LA is about 20 miles (20 km) from New Orleans, LA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 19 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 Metairie, LA to New Orleans, LA takes about 2 min, covering roughly 20 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.
New Orleans has a population of 380,408, vs 140,046 in Metairie — about 2.7× larger by population. By land area, New Orleans covers about 170 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 | Metairie | New Orleans | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,120/mo | $1,162/mo | 3.8% higher in New Orleans |
| Median home value | $289,800 | $281,500 | 2.9% higher in Metairie |
| Median household income | $72,070 | $51,116 | 41.0% higher in Metairie |
| Groceries index | 94.1 | 94.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 73.3 | 73.3 | ≈ equal |
| 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 Metairie, you'd need $100,145 in New Orleans to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Metairie and New Orleans have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Metairie, you'd need about $80,116 in New Orleans to keep the same standard of living.