Moving to Louisiana from Alabama

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Alabama to Louisiana — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Alabama to Louisiana, you would find that Louisiana is 2.5% more expensive than Alabama. A $75,000 salary in Alabama would need to be roughly $80,922 in Louisiana to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Alabama to Louisiana.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $80,922

To maintain the same standard of living in Louisiana

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 2.4% more

Groceries

pay 1.6% more

Transportation

pay 3.0% less

Housing

pay 9.0% more

Childcare

pay 2.8% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 6.3% more

See full cost of living breakdown

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Alabama to Louisiana.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

AL
397
LA
543
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

AL
1671
LA
2605

Alabama performs better than Louisiana across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

AL
9.0%
LA
7.9%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

AL
39.6%
LA
40.6%

Alabama generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Louisiana leads in uninsured rate.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

AL
$195,100
LA
$208,700
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

AL
$963
LA
$1,038

Alabama performs better than Louisiana across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

AL
85.9%
LA
84.9%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

AL
25 min
LA
26 min

Alabama performs better than Louisiana across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

AL
2.3%
LA
3.9%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

AL
$49,225
LA
$55,662

Alabama generally does better on employment & economy, though Louisiana leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

AL
73.2 yrs
LA
73.1 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

AL
18%
LA
18%

Alabama performs better than Louisiana across all family life metrics.

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Montgomery Rain: 53.1 in/yr (1348 mm)
76° / 54°F

Avg. annual high / low

Baton Rouge Rain: 60.6 in/yr (1540 mm)
79° / 58°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Montgomery Baton Rouge
Jan–Mar 63°/40°F (17°/4°C) 67°/45°F (19°/7°C)
Apr–Jun 84°/60°F (29°/16°C) 85°/64°F (30°/18°C)
Jul–Sep 90°/69°F (32°/21°C) 91°/72°F (33°/22°C)
Oct–Dec 69°/45°F (21°/7°C) 72°/50°F (22°/10°C)
View all months
Month Montgomery Baton Rouge
Jan 57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C) 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C)
Feb 62°/39°F (16.6°/4.0°C) 66°/44°F (18.7°/6.9°C)
Mar 70°/45°F (20.9°/7.4°C) 73°/50°F (22.6°/10.2°C)
Apr 77°/52°F (24.8°/10.9°C) 79°/57°F (26.3°/13.8°C)
May 84°/61°F (28.9°/15.9°C) 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.4°C)
Jun 90°/68°F (32.1°/20.1°C) 91°/71°F (32.7°/21.9°C)
Jul 92°/71°F (33.4°/21.9°C) 92°/74°F (33.4°/23.2°C)
Aug 92°/71°F (33.3°/21.7°C) 92°/73°F (33.6°/23.0°C)
Sep 87°/65°F (30.7°/18.4°C) 89°/69°F (31.5°/20.3°C)
Oct 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) 81°/58°F (27.1°/14.4°C)
Nov 69°/44°F (20.6°/6.6°C) 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C)
Dec 60°/37°F (15.3°/3.0°C) 64°/43°F (17.8°/5.9°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Louisiana than Alabama?

No — Louisiana is on average about 8% more expensive than Alabama. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Louisiana?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $20,230 in Louisiana on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Louisiana safe?

Alabama performs better than Louisiana across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Louisiana compared to Alabama?

Alabama generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Louisiana leads in uninsured rate.

What's the weather like in Louisiana compared to Alabama?

The average high temperature in Baton Rouge is 79°F, compared to 76°F in Montgomery. Baton Rouge receives around 60.6 in of rainfall per year, while Montgomery gets 53.1 in.

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