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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 111. Leading the pack: New Orleans at index 95, where median rent of $1,625/month saves renters $3,240/year versus the national median.
#1 Ranked: New Orleans — cost index 95, rent $1,625/mo, income $55,339
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
| Rank | City | Population | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Orleans | 364,136 | 95 | $1,625 | Details |
| 2 | Baton Rouge | 219,573 | 77 | $1,312 | Details |
| 3 | Shreveport | 177,959 | 68 | $1,170 | Details |
| 4 | Lafayette | 121,467 | 75 | $1,279 | Details |
Dollar for dollar, few states match Louisiana's value. 4 out of 4 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: New Orleans at index 95, where median rent of $1,625/month saves renters $3,240/year versus the national median.
At $1,625/month for rent and a cost index of 95, New Orleans is pretty much what you'd expect from a mid-size city in this part of the country. Income is $55,339. It's fine. Not great, not bad.
Bottom line: New Orleans 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. One to watch.
364,136 residents · Louisiana
A closer look at New Orleans: the cost index of 95 breaks down to a Housing index of 95 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 99 (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 (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
219,573 residents · Louisiana
The numbers for Baton Rouge are straightforward: 77 on the cost index, $1,312/month rent, $49,944 income. Not the most exciting entry in the list, but solid. You get the picture (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
177,959 residents · Louisiana
A closer look at Shreveport: the cost index of 68 breaks down to a Housing index of 68 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 94 (weakest). And depending on your situation, median rent is $1,170/month — 38% below the national median — while household income sits at $48,465, meaning locals spend about 29% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
121,467 residents · Louisiana
A closer look at Lafayette: the cost index of 75 breaks down to a Housing index of 75 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 95 (weakest). And for many people, median rent is $1,279/month — 33% below the national median — while household income sits at $61,454, meaning locals spend about 25% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
Cities are ranked by total population from the latest Census estimates. Growing populations typically signal economic opportunity — but also rising costs. We pair population data with affordability metrics for context. 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.
New Orleans ranks #1 in Louisiana for this analysis with a cost index of 95 and median income of $55,339.
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.
New Orleans (ranked #1) has a cost index of 95 and rent of $1,625/mo, while Lafayette (ranked #4) has a cost index of 75 and rent of $1,279/mo — a 20-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 New Orleans is $1,625/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $270 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in New Orleans is $239,751, which is 4.3× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. 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.