Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Cape Coral, FL
VS
New Orleans, LA
🏆 It's a dead heat — 10 categories each
Cape Coral
Florida
10
wins
Cost of Living Index
104.9⚠ High
Median Household Income
$72,474 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
—
Population
198,912
New Orleans
Louisiana
10
wins
Cost of Living Index
91.1 ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$51,116
Violent Crime Index
380⚠ High
Population
380,408 ✓ Larger
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Cape Coral, FL
Pros
Households earn $21,358 more per year on average
Stronger job market — unemployment is 4.0 pts lower (4.4%)
Milder winters — January highs near 75°F vs 61°F
Cons
Higher rents — median is $1,630/mo
Cost of living runs 14% higher than New Orleans
Longer commutes — 28.6 min average each way
New Orleans, LA
Pros
Rent averages $468/mo less ($1,162 vs $1,630)
14% cheaper overall cost of living than Cape Coral
More college-educated — 40.7% hold a bachelor's or higher
Commutes run 5 min shorter each way
Living costs sit below the national average (index 91.1)
Homes cost $21k less ($281,500 vs $302,400)
Cons
Median income trails Cape Coral by $21,358/yr
Violent crime (1444.1/100k) is above the U.S. average of 380
Property crime (4640.8/100k) runs high vs the U.S. average
Higher unemployment (8.4% vs 4.4%)
Key Differences at a Glance
Cape Coral
Median Income
$21,358
$72,474 vs $51,116/yr
Cape Coral
Unemployment
4.0 pp lower
4.4% vs 8.4% unemployment
New Orleans
Cost of Living
14% cheaper
COL index 91.1 vs 104.9 (100 = US avg)
New Orleans
Median Home Value
$21k less
$281,500 vs $302,400
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Cape Coral, FL | New Orleans, LA |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 104.9⚠ High | 91.1 ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $302,400 | $281,500 ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,630⚠ High | $1,162 ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $72,474 ✓ Higher | $51,116 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.4%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 8.4%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 28.6 min⚠ High | 23.4 min ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 11.1% | 11.3% ✓ Higher |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | — | 316⚠ High |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | — | 380⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | — | 221⚠ High |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | C+ (87) | A- (112) ✓ Better |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 20.5:1 | 14.8:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 24.6% | 40.7% ✓ Higher |
| High School or Higher | 92.8% ✓ Higher | 88.7% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | LEE | Einstein Charter Middle Sch at Sarah Towles Reed |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 75.0°F ✓ Warmer | 61.0°F |
| Avg High — July | 91.6°F ✓ Warmer | 90.6°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 57.4" ✓ Drier | 60.1" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" ✓ Less | 0.1" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 198,912 | 380,408 ✓ Larger |
| Median Age | 48.2 ✓ Older | 37.9 |
| Homeownership Rate | 77.4% ✓ Higher | 49.3% |
| Under 18 | 17.5% | 19.6% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 24.7% ✓ More | 15.9% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Cape Coral's cost of living index is 104.9 vs New Orleans's 91.1 (US average = 100).
New Orleans is 14% less expensive overall.
Based on the 20 decided categories above, It's a dead heat — 10 categories each. Cape Coral wins 10 and New Orleans wins 10. The right choice depends on your priorities — use the Pros & Cons and full table above to weigh what matters to you.
Whether you're moving from Cape Coral to New Orleans or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($302,400 vs $281,500 median home), income ($72,474 vs $51,116), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Cape Coral, FL and New Orleans, LA are about 537 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.