How Much You Need to Earn in 2025 to Get By in South Louisiana

Highlights

• A living wage is what a full-time worker needs to earn to meet basic expenses without government assistance.
• In Lafayette Parish, a single adult needs $16.82/hour; in New Orleans, it’s $18.67/hour.
• Families with two working parents and two kids need to make over $23/hour each in most areas.
• MIT’s Living Wage Calculator reveals significant cost differences across South Louisiana.
• Even in more affordable regions, many common jobs don’t pay enough to meet these thresholds.

LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) — How much do you really need to earn to get by in South Louisiana? Not to live large—but to pay the bills, put food on the table, and maybe cover a doctor visit without panicking?

Thanks to a detailed breakdown from the MIT Living Wage Calculator, we’ve got real numbers—and they’re a wake-up call for a lot of working families.

Here’s a look at what it takes to meet the living wage across Acadiana and beyond. For reference, a “living wage” is the hourly rate a full-time worker needs to earn to cover basic expenses like housing, food, transportation, and healthcare, without relying on public assistance or credit cards.

It's not about luxury. It's about survival with dignity.

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What’s the Living Wage in Your Part of Louisiana?

City of Lafayette (Metro Area)

• Single Adult: $16.80/hour
• Two Adults, Two Kids: $23.24/hour per adult

Acadiana Region (Parish-Level Data)

• Lafayette Parish:
  • Single Adult, No Children: $16.82/hour
  • Two Working Adults, Two Children: $23.28/hour each
• Acadia Parish:
  • Single Adult, No Children: $16.50/hour
  • Two Working Adults, Two Children: $22.90/hour each
• Evangeline Parish:
  • Single Adult, No Children: $16.30/hour
  • Two Working Adults, Two Children: $22.70/hour each
• Iberia Parish:
  • Single Adult, No Children: $16.60/hour
  • Two Working Adults, Two Children: $23.00/hour each
• St. Landry Parish:
  • Single Adult, No Children: $16.40/hour
  • Two Working Adults, Two Children: $22.80/hour each
• St. Martin Parish:
  • Single Adult, No Children: $16.55/hour
  • Two Working Adults, Two Children: $22.95/hour each
• Vermilion Parish:
  • Single Adult, No Children: $16.45/hour
  • Two Working Adults, Two Children: $22.85/hour each

Major Louisiana Cities

Lake Charles: In Lake Charles, a single adult needs to earn approximately $16.26 per hour to meet basic living expenses. For a family of four with two working adults, each would need to earn about $22.55 per hour.

Baton Rouge: Residents of Baton Rouge face a slightly higher cost of living, with a single adult requiring around $17.36 per hour. For two working adults supporting two children, each should earn approximately $23.80 per hour.

New Orleans: The cost of living in New Orleans is among the highest in the state. A single adult needs to make about $18.67 per hour, while two working adults with two children need to earn $25.40 per hour each to cover basic expenses.

Alexandria: In Alexandria, the living wage for a single adult is approximately $16.31 per hour. For a family of four with two working adults, each would need to earn about $22.40 per hour.

Shreveport: Shreveport's living wage for a single adult stands at around $16.45 per hour. Two working adults with two children would each need to earn approximately $22.76 per hour to meet their family's basic needs.

What These Numbers Actually Mean

In plain terms: If you’re a single adult living in Lafayette, you need to make just under $17/hour—or about $35,000 a year—to meet your basic needs without financial strain. If you’ve got kids, the number climbs fast.

A family of four with two working parents in New Orleans needs each adult to earn $25.40/hour—or more than $100,000 combined annually—just to hit the baseline.

These numbers do not include savings for emergencies or retirement. They do not account for paying off debt. This is the bare minimum to stay afloat.

Why It Varies Across Cities

Living wages differ by region mostly due to housing, food, and childcare costs. In New Orleans, rent and daily expenses are higher, which pushes up the required income. In Alexandria or Lake Charles, lower costs of living keep the wage need a bit lower—but not by much.

SEE ALSO: Louisiana Ranks 10th Among States with Declining Credit Scores

Even in places considered “affordable,” wages haven’t kept pace. Many jobs in food service, retail, hospitality, and care work still offer under $15/hour—a rate that doesn’t cover basic costs in any major Louisiana city.

So... Are You Making Enough?

It’s worth asking. Pull up your last pay stub, and do the math. Multiply your hourly wage by 2,080 (full-time hours per year). Then compare it to the number for your region.

If you fall short—and many of us do—you’re not alone.

This data doesn’t solve the problem, but it gives us a clearer picture of where we are. It can help workers advocate for better pay, help communities make smarter policy decisions, and help voters understand what’s truly at stake when we talk about the “cost of living.”

Final Takeaway

A living wage isn’t a luxury. It’s a baseline. And for most of South Louisiana, that baseline is rising faster than many people realize. Whether you’re in Lafayette, Lake Charles, or New Orleans, the numbers are clear: the gap between what people earn and what they need is growing.

And when wages fall short, families don’t just fall behind. They fall through the cracks.

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FAQ

Q: What is a living wage?
A living wage is the hourly income a person needs to earn working full-time to cover basic expenses like housing, food, healthcare, and transportation—without relying on public assistance or incurring debt.

Q: What’s the living wage in Lafayette Parish?
For a single adult with no children, it’s $16.82/hour. For two working adults with two kids, each would need to earn $23.28/hour.

Q: Which Louisiana city has the highest living wage requirement?
New Orleans, where a single adult needs $18.67/hour to meet basic needs.

Q: Do these numbers include savings or retirement?
No. The living wage only covers essential expenses and assumes no savings, debt repayment, or discretionary spending.

Q: What are these numbers based on?
They come from the MIT Living Wage Calculator, which uses region-specific data to estimate realistic cost-of-living needs for different household sizes.