Housing decision brief
Tensas Parish, LA Housing Market
Tensas Parish screens as a below-state purchase price, below-state rent, 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.
3rd lowest home value out of 64 Louisiana counties with data | 1st lowest rent out of 64
Median home value
$86,300
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$601/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$583/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
2.4x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
35.8%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$18/mo
Median owner cost screens below median rent.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$86,300 median home value is 46% below Louisiana county median
Lower rent
$601/mo is 29% below Louisiana county median
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $18/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 85.5 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$36,615 median income is 33% below Louisiana county median
Tax rate needs attention
0.26% effective property-tax rate is No Louisiana county median comparison available
Water quality cross-check
Water quality grade is F. Review water data before treating housing cost as the full story.
Health context
Health score is 21.7 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
- Buyers comparing homes to local incomes
- Households weighing ownership against renting
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
- Remote earners or cash buyers looking below the state price line
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Buyers who will not investigate local water systems before moving
- 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 Tensas 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. | $86,300 | $158,850 | $281,900 | 46% favorable46% below Louisiana county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $601 | $848 | $1,163 | 29% favorable29% below Louisiana county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $583 | $629 | $1,672 | 7% favorable7% below Louisiana county median |
Median household income | $36,615 | $54,344 | $74,755 | 33% pressure33% below Louisiana county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.26% | 0.00% | 1.02% | Needs dataNo Louisiana county median comparison available |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 35.80% | 32.00% | N/A | 12% pressure35.80% 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
+$12,575
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$11,629
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Housing in Tensas Parish is affordable. The median rent is $613/month against a median household income of $36,074, putting rent at 20.4% of income.
Rent vs own
The median rent in Tensas Parish is $613/month, while owner costs run $546/month. Owning saves approximately $67/month.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $24,520/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $23,400/year. With a median household income of $36,074, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 29.0% of renter households in Tensas Parish are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Louisiana, Tensas Parish is less affordable than Sabine Parish by roughly 8% ($613/mo vs $664/mo).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bienville Parish, LA | $99,500 | $606/mo | Same-state comparison near $99,500 home value and $606/mo rent. |
| Madison Parish, LA | $96,200 | $649/mo | Same-state comparison near $96,200 home value and $649/mo rent. |
| Claiborne Parish, LA | $82,100 | $674/mo | Same-state comparison near $82,100 home value and $674/mo rent. |
| East Carroll Parish, LA | $100,500 | $652/mo | Same-state comparison near $100,500 home value and $652/mo rent. |
| Perry County, AL | $86,400 | $592/mo | Out-of-state peer near $86,400 home value and $592/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Tensas Parish
Is Tensas Parish affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Tensas Parish?
How much income do you need for housing in Tensas Parish?
What should I double-check before moving to Tensas Parish?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.