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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Look, the 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $75K 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.…
#1 Ranked: Shreveport — cost index 68, rent $1,170/mo, income $48,465
4 of 4 cities keep rent under 30% of $75K
4 of 4 cities keep rent under 30% of $75K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Look, the 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $75K 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.
Here's Shreveport by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 68. Rent: $1,170/month. Income: $48,465/year. Home price: $134,461. Population: 177,959. The strongest category is Housing at 68; the most expensive is Healthcare at 94. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $8,700 per year vs. the national median. This stands out as genuinely impressive.
On a $75K salary, the key number is $1,875/month — that's 30% of gross, the standard affordability line. Shreveport ($1,170/mo, 19%), Lafayette ($1,279/mo, 20%), Baton Rouge ($1,312/mo, 21%) all clear that bar. After federal tax, FICA (7.65%), and state income tax, estimated take-home ranges from $54,522 to $54,522/year across these top picks.
The obvious answer isn't always the right one. Exhibit A: 4 of 4 cities keep rent under 30% of $75K. The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $75K salary, 4 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices. Financially, that's significant.
The other side of the coin: State context matters: Louisiana's 4 cities average a 79 cost index with $1,347/month median rent and $53,801 household income. Cajun culture and below-average costs. But it's not #1 for the reason you might think.
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.
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $75K salary, 4 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices.
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.
| Rank | City | Median Rent | Rent % of Gross | Cost Index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shreveport | $1,170 | 19% | 68 | Details |
| 2 | Lafayette | $1,279 | 20% | 75 | Details |
| 3 | Baton Rouge | $1,312 | 21% | 77 | Details |
| 4 | New Orleans | $1,625 | 26% | 95 | Details |
177,959 residents · Louisiana
At $1,170/month for rent and a cost index of 68, Shreveport is pretty much what you'd expect from a mid-size city in this part of the country. And in most cases, income is $48,465. Fairly typical for a city this size (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
121,467 residents · Louisiana
Why Lafayette ranks #2: the numbers tell a clear story. At 75 on the cost index, residents save roughly 36% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,279/month while the median household pulls in $61,454/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 75, though Healthcare (95) lags behind. Home prices average $219,057 — $248,313 below the national median. Worth a deeper look.
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. 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 #3 for clear reasons.
364,136 residents · Louisiana
The #4 spot goes to New Orleans, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,625/month — saving renters $3,240 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 95, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Healthcare at 99. The 35% rent-to-income ratio is a pressure point — for median earners, housing takes more than recommended. Surprising? Maybe. But the data's clear.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Shreveport | 4.25% | 9.55% | 0.51% | $54,522 |
2Lafayette | 4.25% | 9.55% | 0.51% | $54,522 |
3Baton Rouge | 4.25% | 9.55% | 0.51% | $54,522 |
4New Orleans | 4.25% | 9.55% | 0.51% | $54,522 |
We model what a $75K salary looks like after taxes in each city: federal income tax (marginal brackets), FICA (7.65%), and state income tax. Then we compare take-home against local rent and costs to determine where the salary stretches furthest. 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.
Yes. On a $75K salary in Shreveport, rent would consume about 19% 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 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.
After federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and 4.25% state income tax, estimated take-home on $75K in Shreveport is approximately $54,522/year ($4,544/month). After median rent of $1,170/month, you'd have roughly $40,482/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.