Meraux, LA Cost Of Living

Meraux cost of living index

In the event that the cost of living data was unavailable for this city, estimates based upon nearby cities were used. Each cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. If the amount is below 100, it is lower than the national average. If the amount is above 100, it is higher than the national average.
Index	Meraux	Louisiana	National
Cost of living index	95	92	100
Index	Meraux	Louisiana	National
Goods & Services index	99	97	100
Groceries index	98	98	100
Health care index	96	97	100
Housing index	88	81	100
Transportation index	106	97	100
Utilities index	85	94	100

An overview of the general cost of living index for Meraux, LA is displayed above for your reference. Residents in Meraux, LA enjoy a cost of living index of 95. This index is 3% higher than the Louisiana average, and 5% lower than the national average. The following categories are used when determining the cost of living index for any given city: health care (5%), transportation (9%), utilities (10%), groceries (13%), housing (30%), and goods/services (33%). Clearly, housing and goods/services make up the majority of the formula for calculating the cost of living index. Because of this, the general cost of living for any given area can be estimated by looking at the cost of everyday goods in that area. For those living in Meraux, LA, the average cost of goods and services is 2% higher than it is in Louisiana, and it is 2% lower than the national average.

Did you know?

The cost of living in Meraux is 3% higher than the Louisiana average.
The cost of living in Meraux is 5% lower than the national average.
The cost of housing in Meraux is 12% lower than the national average.
Louisiana general sales tax is 2% lower than the national average.
Louisiana state income tax is 10% lower than the national average.

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Price difference in compared to

Cost of living index
Goods & Services index
Groceries index
Health care index
Housing index
Transportation index
Utilities index

Using the salary calculator lets you compare the salary you earn in Meraux, LA to what it is in other cities. It will let you know what your earnings would have to be in another city to have the same standard of living, as determined by the cost of living in each city. For example, if the cost of living in the area you want to move to is higher than the cost of living in Meraux, LA, you have to earn a higher income in order to still have the same standard of living. To operate the Meraux, LA salary calculator, put in the name of the other city, then move the slider to the point that represents the current income. The salary calculator will take care of the rest and tell you how much more or less you must earn in the new city. A Total breakdown of the cost of living is also provided.

Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

Median Income	Per Year	Per Month	Max Budget (28% DTI)	Max Budget (36% DTI)
Owners	$73,651	$6,138	$1,718	$2,210
Renters	$38,462	$3,205	$897	$1,154

One can approximate the cost of living and the housing affordability in Meraux, LA by the percentage of a person’s income that he or she spends on the monthly housing, otherwise known as the debt-to-income ratio (DTI). To stay on the safe side and keep one’s head above the water, a consumer should never spend more than 28 percent of his or her gross income on housing-related expenses and costs and not more than 36 percent of income on all expenses and debts. Homeowners in Meraux, LA have a median income of $73,651. Therefore, the amount that a consumer should spend on housing costs should be no more than $1,718 per month to avoid calamity and poverty. The renters in the city have an income of about $38,462, which would make their monthly maximum allowable rental costs $897.

Louisiana Sales Tax

State	General Sales Tax	With Max Surtax
Louisiana	5%	12%

Louisiana Income Tax

State	Income Tax (Low)	Income Tax (High)
Louisiana	2%	6%

The Louisiana sales tax and Louisiana income tax rates should definitely be considered when determining the overall cost of living in Meraux, LA. Sales taxes are taxes that are imposed onto goods and services sold. Sales taxes do vary by state and can range from no tax at all to upwards of 7%. The Louisiana sales tax is 5% and the maximum surtax is 12%. Income tax is the tax imposed on income by the government. The income tax rates will vary by state and will also increase or decrease depending on the corresponding tax bracket. State income tax rates can range from anywhere from no tax at all to more than 9%. The Louisiana income tax rates range from 2% to 6%.

Goods & Services

Item	Meraux	National avg.	Difference
Haircut	$16.45	$16.09	2.2%
Beauty Salon	$41.22	$37.33	10.4%
Toothpaste	$2.19	$2.45	10.7%
Shampoo	$1.02	$1.00	1.6%
Movie	$10.64	$10.28	3.5%
Bowling	$12.34	$4.93	150.3%

Groceries

Item	Meraux	National avg.	Difference
Ground Beef	$3.82	$3.80	0.5%
Fried Chicken	$0.95	$1.40	32.0%
Milk	$2.37	$2.01	17.9%
Potatoes	$3.12	$3.01	3.5%
Pizza	$7.49	$9.89	24.2%
Beer	$8.77	$8.90	1.4%

Health Care

Item	Meraux	National avg.	Difference
Optometrist	$85.86	$102.16	16.0%
Doctor	$98.33	$108.36	9.3%
Dentist	$88.25	$92.53	4.6%
Ibuprofen	$9.85	$9.28	6.2%
Lipitor	$441.86	$425.82	3.8%

Housing

Item	Meraux	National avg.	Difference
Home Price	$156,500.00	$184,700.00	15.3%
Avg. Mortgage Payment	$1,271.91	$1,202.44	5.8%
Apartment Rent	$913.00	$949.00	3.8%

Transportation

Item	Meraux	National avg.	Difference
Gasoline	$2.10	$2.24	6.4%
Tire Balancing	$60.77	$46.29	31.3%

Utilities

Item	Meraux	National avg.	Difference
All Electricity	$116.95	$165.96	29.5%
Phone	$29.67	$28.68	3.4%

Although the cost of living data is updated regularly, this cost of living information is to be used as estimates only as prices can change on an ongoing basis.

Nearby cities with low cost of living

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Pleasure Bend, LA	319	84	-16%
Barataria, LA	1,008	86	-14%
Bridge City, LA	6,663	87	-13%
Poydras, LA	2,394	88	-12%
Violet, LA	5,621	90	-10%
Meraux, LA	6,787	95	-5%

Cities with similar population

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Nyack, NY	6,788	146	46%
Aspen, CO	6,788	140	40%
Portage Lakes, OH	6,785	87	-13%
Hamilton, AL	6,784	75	-25%
Dade City, FL	6,782	88	-12%
Meraux, LA	6,787	95	-5%

Source: The Meraux, LA cost of living data displayed above is derived from the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) for 2017.

Meraux, LA Cost of Living