Housing decision brief
Orleans Parish, LA Housing Market
Orleans Parish screens as a higher purchase price, rent that needs comparison, a higher tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
64th lowest home value out of 64 Louisiana counties with data | 60th lowest rent out of 63
Median home value
$296,400
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$1,211/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$1,404/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
5.4x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
35.0%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$193/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
No signal
No strong positive housing signal was available in the current dataset.
What to Check
Tax rate needs attention
0.82% effective property-tax rate is No Louisiana county median comparison available
Health context
Health score is 42.5 out of 100, so affordability should be weighed against local health indicators.
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Best Fit For
- No strong fit signal was available in the current dataset.
Poor Fit For
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Orleans Parish is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $296,400 | $150,850 | $281,900 | 96% pressure96% above Louisiana county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,211 | $806 | $1,163 | 50% pressure50% above Louisiana county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,404 | $595 | $1,672 | 136% pressure136% above Louisiana county median |
Median household income | $55,339 | $53,177 | $74,755 | Near state median4% above Louisiana county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.82% | 0.00% | 1.02% | Needs dataNo Louisiana county median comparison available |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 35.00% | 30.00% | N/A | 17% pressure35.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$6,899
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
-$4,832
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Orleans Parish offers moderately affordable rental housing at a median of $1,211/month , about 26.3% of the typical household income here.
Rent vs own
At $1,211/month rent versus $1,404/month in owner costs, renting is roughly $193/month cheaper , a 14% difference.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $48,440/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $60,171/year. With a median household income of $55,339, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 35.0% of renter households in Orleans Parish are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Orleans Parish sits 6% more expensive than St. Charles Parish ($1,144/month) in terms of median gross rent.
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson Parish, LA | $243,500 | $1,162/mo | Same-state comparison near $243,500 home value and $1,162/mo rent. |
| East Baton Rouge Parish, LA | $241,800 | $1,121/mo | Same-state comparison near $241,800 home value and $1,121/mo rent. |
| Brazos County, TX | $279,700 | $1,160/mo | Out-of-state peer near $279,700 home value and $1,160/mo rent. |
| St. Tammany Parish, LA | $272,200 | $1,305/mo | Same-state comparison near $272,200 home value and $1,305/mo rent. |
| Clarke County, GA | $271,900 | $1,162/mo | Out-of-state peer near $271,900 home value and $1,162/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Orleans Parish
Is Orleans Parish affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Orleans Parish?
How much income do you need for housing in Orleans Parish?
What should I double-check before moving to Orleans Parish?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.