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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. 4 out of 4 cities undercut the national cost index of 112 — this is the part where it gets real — . That alone makes it worth considering. Leading the pack: Shreveport at index 85, where median rent of $1,170/month saves renters $8,700/year vers…
#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
Dollar for dollar, few states match Louisiana's value. 4 out of 4 cities undercut the national cost index of 112 — this is the part where it gets real — . That alone makes it worth considering. Leading the pack: Shreveport at index 85, where median rent of $1,170/month saves renters $8,700/year versus the national median (your mileage may vary — literally).
Look, 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 85. Income sits at $48,465. That's about what we'd expect given the state context.
The utilities sub-index is derived from overall cost of living with regional BLS price adjustments. A score of 84 (the top-10 average here) means utilities costs are about 16% below the national median. Shreveport leads at 78, followed by Lafayette (83) and Baton Rouge (84). Note: a low utilities index doesn't guarantee a low overall cost — check the full cost breakdown table below.
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. Not the most exciting stat, but it matters.
Worth noting: Louisiana — Cajun culture and below-average costs. The 4 cities we track here average a cost index of 91 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — and median income of $53,801. It's a clear buyer's market compared to national norms. The typical rent runs $1,347/month, which is $548 less than the national median.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. 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. Solidly above average.
| Rank | City | Utilities Index | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shreveport | 78 | 85 | $1,170 | Details |
| 2 | Lafayette | 83 | 90 | $1,279 | Details |
| 3 | Baton Rouge | 84 | 91 | $1,312 | Details |
| 4 | New Orleans | 89 | 97 | $1,625 | Details |
177,959 residents · Louisiana
So, Shreveport. Cost index of 85 — we had to double-check this one — , rent at $1,170/month. It's lower than the national average. Median income is $48,465, which is below the national median. Fairly typical for a city this size.
121,467 residents · Louisiana
Lafayette is one of the cheaper options here. That tracks. Rent is $1,279/month, which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 90. Income sits at $61,454. It's fine. Not great, not bad. Worth a deeper look.
219,573 residents · Louisiana
The #3 spot goes to Baton Rouge, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,312/month — saving renters $6,996 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 78, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 94. The 32% rent-to-income ratio is a pressure point — for median earners, housing takes more than recommended. Not flashy. Just effective.
364,136 residents · Louisiana
New Orleans earns its position at #4 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 97 cost index sits 15 points below the national baseline, and the $55,339 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $239,751 — $227,619 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Utilities leads the way at 89, while Healthcare trails at 100. Quietly competitive.
Cities are ranked by their utilities 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 utilities index at 78, 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.