Louisiana
Ranked #16 of 51 for housing affordability
Median Home Price
🏠$216K
3.7x income
Median Rent
🔑$1,020
31.5% rent-burdened
Median Income
💰$58K
Population: 4,590,241
Homeownership
🏡68.0%
3,900 experiencing homelessness
Housing Shortage
📉50,000
units needed
Building Permits (2024)
🔨14,310
Price-to-Income
📊3.7x
Severe Rent Burden
⚠️15.5%
paying >50% of income
Rent Burden Breakdown
vs. National Average
House Price Index (2000–2025)
FHFA All-Transactions HPI · Base = 100 (1980s)
HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2026)
Maximum rent HUD considers fair for Section 8 voucher holders
FMR ($1127) is above the state median rent ($1020) — vouchers cover typical rents.
Metros in Louisiana
| Metro | Score | Home Price | Rent | Income | Rent Burden |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans | 42 | $264K | $1,159 | $61K | 37.0% |
| Baton Rouge | 62 | $240K | $1,100 | $65K | 31.0% |
| Lafayette | 82 | $220K | $946 | $57K | 25.2% |
| Shreveport-Bossier City | 87 | $182K | $1,029 | $55K | 26.5% |
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington | 83 | $287K | $1,259 | $76K | 34.0% |
| Lake Charles | 87 | $216K | $1,057 | $65K | 25.2% |
| Monroe | 85 | $176K | $936 | $50K | 33.1% |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux | 89 | $190K | $1,062 | $60K | 22.6% |
| Alexandria | 88 | $167K | $915 | $52K | 22.6% |
| Hammond | 80 | $218K | $987 | $54K | 29.2% |
Market Trends
Homeownership Rate
68.0%
Rent-to-Income Ratio
21.0%
of gross income spent on rent
Total Households
1,833,915
Owner-Occupied
1,248,223
Renter-Occupied
585,692
Homelessness
Latest Count (2024)
3,469
1-Year Change
+9.5%
10-Year Trend (2015–2024)
-15.0%
4,081 → 3,469
Housing Policies
Construction Activity
Total Permits (2024)
14,310
1.0% of national total
Single-Family
12,120
85% of state permits
Multi-Family
2,190
15% of state permits
Mortgage Access
National HMDA data — mortgage denial rates by race/ethnicity
Denial Rates by Race
Top Denial Reasons
Housing Shortage
State Shortage
50,000
units needed
National Shortage
7,300,000
0.7% of national total
Affordable Units per 100 ELI Renters
35
nationally (NLIHC)
National Shortage by Unit Type
45%
Single-Family
18%
Small Multi (2-4)
22%
Medium Multi (5-49)
15%
Large Multi (50+)
Rent Burden Detail
Louisiana burden rates with national demographic breakdown
Cost-Burdened Renters
31.5%
paying >30% of income
Severely Burdened
15.5%
paying >50% of income
Households >30% Burden
160,067
Households >35% Burden
73,448