LAFAYETTE, La. (The Advertiser)- Lafayette’s cost of living for 2019 is lower than the state’s other population centers, according to an analysis of cost of living data, largely because of low housing, utilities and health care costs.

The data — compiled by the Lafayette Economic Development Authority — uses scores from The Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER), a nonprofit specializing in community and economic development research. C2ER scores cities on a scale for categories such as the cost of groceries, utilities costs, and housing cost.

For each category, 100 is the national average. Each municipality also has a composite score, determined by a formula using the other categories.

Lafayette’s composite score for 2019 is 89.1 — about 11 points lower than the national average. Baton Rouge and New Orleans are at 99.8 and 103.2, respectively, for the year. 

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