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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Dollar for dollar, few states match Louisiana's value. It's fine. Not great, not bad. 4 out of 4 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: Shreveport at index 68, where median rent of $1,170/month saves renters $8,700/year versus the national median.
#1 Ranked: Shreveport — cost index 68, 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 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Dollar for dollar, few states match Louisiana's value. It's fine. Not great, not bad. 4 out of 4 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: Shreveport at index 68, where median rent of $1,170/month saves renters $8,700/year versus the national median.
Shreveport is one of the cheaper options here. Rent is $1,170/month, which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 68. Income sits at $48,465. That alone makes it worth considering (that's pre-tax, of course).
Bottom line: Shreveport leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. 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 (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
| Rank | City | Transportation Index | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shreveport | 92 | 68 | $1,170 | Details |
| 2 | Baton Rouge | 94 | 77 | $1,312 | Details |
| 3 | Lafayette | 94 | 75 | $1,279 | Details |
| 4 | New Orleans | 99 | 95 | $1,625 | Details |
177,959 residents · Louisiana
So, Shreveport. Cost index of 68 — and that's before you even look at taxes — , rent at $1,170/month. It's lower than the national average. Median income is $48,465, which is below the national median. That's about what we'd expect given the state context.
219,573 residents · Louisiana
What does daily life actually cost in Baton Rouge? Start with the 32% rent-to-income ratio — stretched, especially for single earners. And as far as the data shows, on the category level, Housing (index 77) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 95) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $49,944 and homes at $224,899 round out a profile that ranks #2 for clear reasons (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
121,467 residents · Louisiana
Look, What does daily life actually cost in Lafayette? Start with the 25% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. On the category level, Housing (index 75) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 95) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $61,454 and homes at $219,057 round out a profile that ranks #3 for clear reasons (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
364,136 residents · Louisiana
Dive into New Orleans's numbers: cost index 95 (16 points below national average), rent $1,625/month, income $55,339, and a home price of $239,751. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 95, while Healthcare runs 99. With 364,136 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
Cities are ranked by their transportation 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 68 and median income of $48,465.
Shreveport, LA has the lowest transportation index at 92, 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 68 and rent of $1,170/mo, while New Orleans (ranked #4) has a cost index of 95 and rent of $1,625/mo — a 27-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.