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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $100K salary, 4 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices. We ran the numbers on 4 cities in Louisiana using 2026 census, rent, and salary data. Shre…
#1 Ranked: Shreveport — cost index 85, rent $1,170/mo, income $48,465
4 of 4 cities keep rent under 30% of $100K
4 of 4 cities keep rent under 30% of $100K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $100K salary, 4 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices. We ran the numbers on 4 cities in Louisiana using 2026 census, rent, and salary data. Shreveport comes out on top — here's the full ranking and analysis.
Dive into Shreveport's numbers: cost index 85 (27 points below national average), rent $1,170/month, income $48,465, and a home price of $134,461. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 62, while Healthcare runs 87. With 177,959 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs (though the trend is moving in the right direction).
We ran the numbers three times. The result held every time: 4 of 4 cities keep rent under 30% of $100K. The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $100K salary, 4 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices. That's not nothing.
Bottom line: Shreveport leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. That alone makes it worth considering. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
| Rank | City | Median Rent | Rent % of Gross | Cost Index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shreveport | $1,170 | 14% | 85 | Details |
| 2 | Lafayette | $1,279 | 15% | 90 | Details |
| 3 | Baton Rouge | $1,312 | 16% | 91 | Details |
| 4 | New Orleans | $1,625 | 20% | 97 | Details |
177,959 residents · Louisiana
The #1 spot goes to Shreveport, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,170/month — saving renters $8,700 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 62, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 87. A 29% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone.
121,467 residents · Louisiana
In plain English: the #2 spot goes to Lafayette, and the breakdown explains why. And more often than not, that tracks. Renters here pay $1,279/month — saving renters $7,392 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 76, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 93. A 25% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone. One to watch.
219,573 residents · Louisiana
A closer look at Baton Rouge: the cost index of 91 breaks down to a Housing index of 78 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 94 (weakest). And most of the time, median rent is $1,312/month — 31% below the national median — while household income sits at $49,944, meaning locals spend about 32% of income on rent. That's about what we'd expect given the state context. That exceeds the recommended 30% threshold — affordability here depends on earning above the median.
364,136 residents · Louisiana
Real talk: a closer look at New Orleans: the cost index of 97 breaks down to a Utilities index of 89 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 100 (weakest). Median rent is $1,625/month — 14% below the national median — while household income sits at $55,339, meaning locals spend about 35% of income on rent. That exceeds the recommended 30% threshold — affordability here depends on earning above the median.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Shreveport | 4.25% | 9.55% | 0.51% | $71,047 |
2Lafayette | 4.25% | 9.55% | 0.51% | $71,047 |
3Baton Rouge | 4.25% | 9.55% | 0.51% | $71,047 |
4New Orleans | 4.25% | 9.55% | 0.51% | $71,047 |
Shreveport ranks #1 in Louisiana for this analysis with a cost index of 85 and median income of $48,465.
Yes. On a $100K salary in Shreveport, rent would consume about 14% of your gross monthly income. Financial experts recommend keeping rent under 30%. You're well within that guideline.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Shreveport (ranked #1) has a cost index of 85 and rent of $1,170/mo, while New Orleans (ranked #4) has a cost index of 97 and rent of $1,625/mo — a 12-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Shreveport is $1,170/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $725 below the national median of $1,895/month.
After federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and 4.25% state income tax, estimated take-home on $100K in Shreveport is approximately $71,047/year ($5,921/month). After median rent of $1,170/month, you'd have roughly $57,007/year for all other expenses.
The median home price in Shreveport is $134,461, which is 2.8× the local median income. That's within the standard 3.5× affordability rule for most local earners. The national median home price is $467,370.
Louisiana has a 4.25% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 9.55%, and the effective property tax rate is 0.51%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.