County housing intelligence
Louisiana Housing Market by County
Louisiana is not one housing market. Across 64 counties, the median county home value is $158,850 and the median county rent is $848/mo. The useful question is not whether Louisiana is cheap. It is which county fits your income, tax tolerance, and buy-versus-rent plan.
County median home value
$158,850
Median of county medians, less distorted by the largest metros.
County median rent
$848/mo
Gross rent includes rent plus utilities where Census reports it.
Counties compared
64
Every county with available ACS housing data in this state.
Fast answers
Start with the housing question.
Market brief
The state-level housing signal
These benchmarks use the median county in the state, not one metro-weighted average. That makes the brief better for county comparison and rural-to-urban screening.
Purchase price
State county median vs national benchmark
Rent
State county median vs national benchmark
Owner cost
State county median vs national benchmark
Income base
State county median vs national benchmark
Tax rate
State county median vs national benchmark
The Louisiana Pattern
These are the signals a statewide average hides. Start here before choosing counties to compare.
Price geography
Orleans Parish, St. Tammany Parish, Plaquemines Parish sit at the top of the purchase market, while St. Helena Parish, Claiborne Parish, Tensas Parish anchor the lower-cost end.
Rent reality
Cameron Parish, Plaquemines Parish, St. John the Baptist Parish lead on rent, while Tensas Parish, Bienville Parish, Madison Parish show where monthly lease costs are lowest.
Decision lens
LaSalle Parish, St. Helena Parish, West Carroll Parish screen best for purchase affordability when home values are measured against local household income.
Best Counties by Housing Goal
Different households need different rankings. Price alone is not enough, so these groups compare rent, income, owner costs, and tax exposure.
Cheapest to buy
Lowest median home values. Useful for purchase-price screening.
- 1. St. Helena Parish
$77,300
- 2. Claiborne Parish
$82,100
- 3. Tensas Parish
$86,300
- 4. Caldwell Parish
$93,300
- 5. West Carroll Parish
$94,400
Best buy affordability
Lowest home-value-to-income ratios. Better than price alone.
- 1. LaSalle Parish
1.7x home-value-to-income
- 2. St. Helena Parish
1.8x home-value-to-income
- 3. West Carroll Parish
1.9x home-value-to-income
- 4. Caldwell Parish
2.0x home-value-to-income
- 5. Catahoula Parish
2.0x home-value-to-income
Cheapest to rent
Lowest median gross rent among counties with ACS rent data.
- 1. Tensas Parish
$601/mo
- 2. Bienville Parish
$606/mo
- 3. Madison Parish
$649/mo
- 4. East Carroll Parish
$652/mo
- 5. LaSalle Parish
$657/mo
Lowest rent burden
Where typical renters spend the smallest share of income on rent.
- 1. West Carroll Parish
22.8% rent burden
- 2. Cameron Parish
23.3% rent burden
- 3. Terrebonne Parish
25.0% rent burden
- 4. West Baton Rouge Parish
25.1% rent burden
- 5. LaSalle Parish
25.5% rent burden
Lowest tax-rate signal
Lowest effective property-tax rates in the state data.
- 1. East Feliciana Parish
0.15% effective tax rate
- 2. Avoyelles Parish
0.20% effective tax rate
- 3. West Carroll Parish
0.21% effective tax rate
- 4. Allen Parish
0.26% effective tax rate
- 5. Tensas Parish
0.26% effective tax rate
Owner-cost advantage
Counties where median owner costs are furthest below median rent.
- 1. Cameron Parish
$973/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 2. Plaquemines Parish
$499/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 3. Vernon Parish
$471/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 4. St. Helena Parish
$436/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 5. Beauregard Parish
$347/mo cheaper to own than rent
Income-backed value
Higher-income counties that still hold a reasonable value-to-income profile.
- 1. LaSalle Parish
$68,497 income, 1.7x value-to-income
- 2. West Baton Rouge Parish
$87,299 income, 2.6x value-to-income
- 3. Ascension Parish
$91,549 income, 3.1x value-to-income
- 4. Grant Parish
$64,016 income, 2.2x value-to-income
- 5. Cameron Parish
$75,278 income, 2.7x value-to-income
Tradeoffs to Check
The best page is not the one that crowns a winner. It is the one that shows where a county can surprise you after the headline price looks attractive.
| Signal | County | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Cheap price, weaker income base | St. Helena Parish $77,300 home value, $41,934 income | Low purchase prices can still feel tight when local wages are also low. |
| Affordable homes, higher tax rate | St. Helena Parish $77,300 home value, 0.61% tax rate | A low home price can be offset by the annual property-tax bill. |
| Renter pressure | West Feliciana Parish $1,049/mo rent, 51.00% rent burden | Monthly rent alone does not show whether renters can comfortably absorb the cost. |
| Expensive, but income-supported | Orleans Parish $315,700 home value, $56,631 income | Some high-price counties also have stronger incomes, so affordability depends on both sides of the equation. |
Lowest home values
Best value-to-income
Lowest rents
Compare Every Louisiana County
Sorted by home-value-to-income ratio so the first rows are not just cheap counties, but counties where purchase prices look smaller relative to local income.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Income | Value/Income | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LaSalle Parish | $119,500 | $657/mo | $68,497 | 1.7x | 0.45% |
| St. Helena Parish | $77,300 | $870/mo | $41,934 | 1.8x | 0.61% |
| West Carroll Parish | $94,400 | $740/mo | $49,134 | 1.9x | 0.21% |
| Caldwell Parish | $93,300 | $830/mo | $47,028 | 2.0x | 0.44% |
| Catahoula Parish | $101,800 | $821/mo | $50,275 | 2.0x | 0.32% |
| Allen Parish | $104,500 | $775/mo | $46,469 | 2.2x | 0.26% |
| Grant Parish | $143,300 | $904/mo | $64,016 | 2.2x | 0.60% |
| Winn Parish | $108,500 | $774/mo | $48,871 | 2.2x | 0.30% |
| Franklin Parish | $113,000 | $721/mo | $47,020 | 2.4x | 0.31% |
| Red River Parish | $119,700 | $729/mo | $49,167 | 2.4x | 0.42% |
| Sabine Parish | $123,100 | $701/mo | $50,329 | 2.4x | 0.39% |
| Tensas Parish | $86,300 | $601/mo | $36,615 | 2.4x | 0.26% |
| Beauregard Parish | $161,700 | $898/mo | $65,944 | 2.5x | 0.36% |
| Claiborne Parish | $82,100 | $674/mo | $32,831 | 2.5x | 0.43% |
| Concordia Parish | $103,800 | $771/mo | $39,943 | 2.6x | 0.37% |
| Jackson Parish | $115,600 | $736/mo | $44,925 | 2.6x | 0.30% |
| Jefferson Davis Parish | $150,800 | $848/mo | $57,341 | 2.6x | 0.29% |
| St. Mary Parish | $138,900 | $848/mo | $52,576 | 2.6x | 0.39% |
| Union Parish | $112,500 | $778/mo | $42,885 | 2.6x | 0.46% |
| West Baton Rouge Parish | $229,900 | $973/mo | $87,299 | 2.6x | 0.54% |
| Cameron Parish | $202,500 | $1,688/mo | $75,278 | 2.7x | 0.46% |
| Madison Parish | $96,200 | $649/mo | $35,456 | 2.7x | 0.33% |
| Pointe Coupee Parish | $179,300 | $817/mo | $65,961 | 2.7x | 0.32% |
| Richland Parish | $141,900 | $903/mo | $53,544 | 2.7x | 0.28% |
| Vernon Parish | $156,000 | $1,068/mo | $57,270 | 2.7x | 0.53% |
| Bienville Parish | $99,500 | $606/mo | $35,011 | 2.8x | 0.30% |
| Webster Parish | $114,500 | $795/mo | $41,182 | 2.8x | 0.36% |
| Assumption Parish | $150,300 | $810/mo | $51,423 | 2.9x | 0.37% |
| Iberia Parish | $164,500 | $897/mo | $56,961 | 2.9x | 0.36% |
| Livingston Parish | $230,600 | $1,151/mo | $80,122 | 2.9x | 0.46% |
| St. John the Baptist Parish | $193,200 | $1,334/mo | $66,630 | 2.9x | 0.45% |
| St. Martin Parish | $164,200 | $870/mo | $55,960 | 2.9x | 0.44% |
| Terrebonne Parish | $187,200 | $1,065/mo | $64,836 | 2.9x | 0.45% |
| Vermilion Parish | $163,300 | $848/mo | $55,707 | 2.9x | 0.36% |
| East Carroll Parish | $100,500 | $652/mo | $33,341 | 3.0x | 0.28% |
| Evangeline Parish | $124,600 | $681/mo | $41,915 | 3.0x | 0.29% |
| Morehouse Parish | $118,800 | $839/mo | $39,454 | 3.0x | 0.45% |
| Ascension Parish | $279,600 | $1,318/mo | $91,549 | 3.1x | 0.54% |
| Avoyelles Parish | $122,400 | $757/mo | $39,325 | 3.1x | 0.20% |
| East Feliciana Parish | $228,100 | $911/mo | $73,085 | 3.1x | 0.15% |
| Lafourche Parish | $193,900 | $928/mo | $63,135 | 3.1x | 0.54% |
| Calcasieu Parish | $217,000 | $1,109/mo | $67,564 | 3.2x | 0.45% |
| De Soto Parish | $154,900 | $687/mo | $48,578 | 3.2x | 0.35% |
| Iberville Parish | $172,800 | $827/mo | $54,000 | 3.2x | 0.32% |
| St. James Parish | $211,800 | $903/mo | $65,531 | 3.2x | 0.53% |
| St. Landry Parish | $142,500 | $748/mo | $44,462 | 3.2x | 0.29% |
| West Feliciana Parish | $245,700 | $1,049/mo | $77,452 | 3.2x | 0.63% |
| Bossier Parish | $227,200 | $1,174/mo | $69,617 | 3.3x | 0.64% |
| Plaquemines Parish | $282,900 | $1,573/mo | $86,315 | 3.3x | 0.50% |
| Rapides Parish | $181,100 | $950/mo | $54,967 | 3.3x | 0.55% |
| St. Charles Parish | $263,700 | $1,210/mo | $80,897 | 3.3x | 0.59% |
| Acadia Parish | $155,500 | $681/mo | $45,562 | 3.4x | 0.31% |
| Washington Parish | $155,700 | $774/mo | $45,380 | 3.4x | 0.33% |
| Caddo Parish | $175,700 | $974/mo | $50,705 | 3.5x | 0.62% |
| St. Bernard Parish | $202,500 | $1,082/mo | $58,651 | 3.5x | 0.47% |
| St. Tammany Parish | $284,000 | $1,332/mo | $81,202 | 3.5x | 0.71% |
| Lafayette Parish | $242,900 | $1,057/mo | $67,451 | 3.6x | 0.57% |
| Ouachita Parish | $194,400 | $959/mo | $54,688 | 3.6x | 0.54% |
| Natchitoches Parish | $171,300 | $786/mo | $46,292 | 3.7x | 0.44% |
| Tangipahoa Parish | $212,900 | $1,003/mo | $56,760 | 3.8x | 0.41% |
| East Baton Rouge Parish | $248,800 | $1,147/mo | $63,071 | 3.9x | 0.67% |
| Jefferson Parish | $251,400 | $1,190/mo | $65,252 | 3.9x | 0.52% |
| Lincoln Parish | $210,100 | $825/mo | $39,172 | 5.4x | 0.46% |
| Orleans Parish | $315,700 | $1,251/mo | $56,631 | 5.6x | 0.83% |
Questions This Page Answers
Each answer is generated from the current county dataset, so it changes when the underlying ACS data changes.
What is the typical home value in Louisiana by county?
What is the typical rent in Louisiana by county?
Which Louisiana counties are most affordable to buy in?
Why do cheap counties still need a closer look?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.