(SHREVEPORT -BOSSIER, La) The latest Cost of Living Index for the second quarter of 2017 continues to rank Shreveport as one of the most affordable places to live in Louisiana. The Shreveport-Bossier City Metro has a cost of living of 91.6 percent of the national average- one of the lowest in the state.
 
“Our low cost of living allows families to enjoy a higher standard of living, which makes Shreveport-Bossier an attractive place to live and work,” said Scott Martinez, CEcD, President of North Louisiana Economic Partnership (NLEP). “The low cost of living enhances companies’ ability to recruit the skilled workforce needed to remain competitive.”

The Cost of Living Index, published by the Council for Community and Economic Research, estimates the amount of money needed to sustain a certain level of living, including basic expenses such as housing, food, health care, etc. It is based on more than 90,000 prices collected from 253 participating communities in the second quarter of 2017. The Cost of Living Index measures regional cost differences in consumer goods and services. It's often used when comparing how expensive it is to live in one city versus another.
 
NLEP, an Accredited Economic Development Organization serving 14 parishes in North Louisiana, gathers the pricing information for the Shreveport-Bossier City MSA. The information is compiled into a composite index, which is based on six weighted categories – grocery items (13.61%), housing (27.59%), utilities (10.06%), transportation (9.59%), health care (4.00%) and miscellaneous goods and services (35.15%).

The Shreveport-Bossier City MSA includes all of Caddo, Bossier, De Soto and Webster Parishes. For the Shreveport-Bossier City MSA, the two lowest cost categories are utilities at 75.6 percent of the national average and housing at 84.0 percent of the national average.  
 
To see how Shreveport’s cost of living compares with other communities around the nation, NLEP offers a Cost of Living calculator on our website, nlep.org/COLIcalculator.  Go to the Regional Data Center, and click Cost of Living. 
 
The calculator allows you to determine the level of income you would need to move to Shreveport and maintain your current standard of living based on the Cost of Living Index.  For example, if you earned $50,000 in Dallas-Fort Worth you would only need to earn $43,829 in Shreveport to enjoy a comparable standard of living. The following chart shows how Shreveport-Bossier compares with competing communities.



About North Louisiana Economic Partnership
North Louisiana Economic Partnership, an Accredited Economic Development Organization, provides professional economic development services to the 14 parish region of North Louisiana, including lead generation and prospect management. The organization also represents the interests of North Louisiana with a unified voice and as a single point of contact. It acts as a catalyst, a convener, and a connector in the region to ensure that North Louisiana’s economic development potential is realized. Its vision is for North Louisiana to be a thriving region-a destination for high quality talent, innovative companies, and global investment.