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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Look, Louisiana is a genuine bargain: 4 of the 4 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. Shreveport leads at an index of 85 with rent at just $1,170/month — 38% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026.
#1 Ranked: Shreveport — cost index 85, rent $1,170/mo, income $48,465
Shreveport rent up 3% over the past year
4 of 4 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Look, Louisiana is a genuine bargain: 4 of the 4 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. Shreveport leads at an index of 85 with rent at just $1,170/month — 38% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026.
There's a pattern hiding in these numbers — and it matters: Shreveport rent up 3% over the past year. Rent in #1-ranked Shreveport has increased from $1,138 to $1,170/mo over the past 12 months — a 3% increase. Rising costs may erode its top ranking over time. There's real money on the table here (we double-checked this one).
What does daily life actually cost in Shreveport? Start with the 29% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. Moving on. On the category level, Housing (index 62) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 87) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $48,465 and homes at $134,461 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
The healthcare sub-index is derived from overall cost of living with regional BLS price adjustments. A score of 94 (the top-10 average here) means healthcare costs are about 6% below the national median. Shreveport leads at 87, followed by Lafayette (93) and Baton Rouge (94). Note: a low healthcare index doesn't guarantee a low overall cost — check the full cost breakdown table below (which, to be fair, is a metric that favors smaller cities). Not even close to the national average.
Below the radar, but not for long.
Look, Against the national baseline, though: Across Louisiana, the average cost of living index is 91 — 21 points below the national median. Known for Cajun culture and below-average costs, the state offers 4 tracked cities with median rents averaging $1,347/month. That's $548 less than the national average of $1,895. That kind of value just doesn't show up in expensive metros (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
Real talk: What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. And generally speaking, the difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers.
| Rank | City | Healthcare Index | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shreveport | 87 | 85 | $1,170 | Details |
| 2 | Lafayette | 93 | 90 | $1,279 | Details |
| 3 | Baton Rouge | 94 | 91 | $1,312 | Details |
| 4 | New Orleans | 100 | 97 | $1,625 | Details |
177,959 residents · Louisiana
The #1 spot goes to Shreveport, and the breakdown explains why. And broadly, renters here pay $1,170/month — we had to double-check this one — — 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
At $1,279/month for rent and a cost index of 90, Lafayette is pretty much what you'd expect from a mid-size city in this part of the country. And as far as the data shows, income is $61,454. Take it or leave it — the data is what it is. That alone makes it worth considering.
219,573 residents · Louisiana
Why Baton Rouge ranks #3: the numbers tell a clear story. At 91 on the cost index, residents save roughly 21% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,312/month while the median household pulls in $49,944/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 78, though Healthcare (94) lags behind. Home prices average $224,899 — $242,471 below the national median.
364,136 residents · Louisiana
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). About what you'd guess. 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.
Cities are ranked by their healthcare cost sub-index within Louisiana. Each sub-index is derived from the overall cost of living with regional adjustment factors. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Shreveport ranks #1 in Louisiana for this analysis with a cost index of 85 and median income of $48,465.
Shreveport, LA has the lowest healthcare index at 87, compared to the national average of 100.
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.
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.