Louisiana households earn a median $60,756 a year and pay a median $1,064 in rent, according to the Census Bureau. Before borrowing, confirm the lender's state license, compare written offers on APR, fees and total cost, and walk away from any upfront fee.
On this page
- Louisiana by the numbers
- What the numbers mean for Louisiana borrowers
- Largest places in Louisiana
- Mid-size Louisiana communities
- Parishes with the most residents
- How Louisiana earns a living
- More context for Louisiana budgets
- Checking a lender in Louisiana
- Can Louisiana residents use the questionnaire?
- Local guides in Louisiana
- Frequently asked questions
Louisiana by the numbers
How does Louisiana stack up? Each row below gives the state figure, the national figure and where Louisiana lands among 51 jurisdictions, using Census survey data collected from 2020 through 2024.
| What we measured | Louisiana | Nation | Place among 51 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $60,756 | $80,734 | 49th |
| Working from home | 8% | 15% | 50th |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 27% | 36% | 48th |
| Age, median | 38.0 | 38.9 | 39th |
| Gini index (inequality) | 0.495 | 0.483 | 4th |
| Households earning under $35,000 | 31% | 21% | 2nd |
| Households earning $100,000 or more | 30% | 41% | 48th |
| Poverty rate | 18.9% | 12.5% | 1st |
| Unemployment rate (ACS) | 6.3% | 5.2% | 6th |
| Rent, median gross (monthly) | $1,064 | $1,413 | 37th |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 55% | 51% | 5th |
| Home value, median | $216,500 | $332,700 | 43rd |
| Homes owner-occupied | 67% | 65% | 25th |
| Cost-burdened owners with a mortgage | 28% | 28% | 18th |
| Home value to income ratio | 3.6x | 4.1x | 33rd |
| Commutes of 45 minutes or longer | 15% | 17% | 20th |
What the numbers mean for Louisiana borrowers
The bottom and top of the Louisiana income ladder: 31% of households under $35,000, 30% at $100,000 or more. U.S. comparison: 21% and 41%. A wide spread like this is why one-size borrowing advice fails; size the loan to your own pay, not to the state's.
The median household in Louisiana earns $60,756 a year, 25% below the national median of $80,734, which ranks 49th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Use it as a yardstick: if your income sits well below the median, keep the loan smaller and the term shorter.
The Census Bureau's five-year unemployment estimate for Louisiana is 6.3% (U.S.: 5.2%), and 18.9% of residents live below the poverty line. When work is uncertain, a smaller loan and an emergency cushion beat a larger loan with a longer term.
Commutes shape budgets too: 15% of Louisiana workers travel 45 minutes or more each way (U.S.: 17%), and 8% work from home. A long drive also means more wear, so a repair fund of even a few hundred dollars can keep a breakdown from becoming a loan.
Largest places in Louisiana
The 12 most populous places in Louisiana, with Census income, rent and home value for each. Linked names have their own local guide on this site.
| Place | Parish | People | Median income | Rent (median) | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans | Orleans Parish | 371,853 | $56,631 | $1,251 | $315,700 |
| Baton Rouge | East Baton Rouge Parish | 222,771 | $49,994 | $1,067 | $234,700 |
| Shreveport | Caddo Parish, Bossier Parish | 180,982 | $48,699 | $987 | $178,900 |
| Metairie | Jefferson Parish | 139,729 | $73,042 | $1,175 | $327,500 |
| Lafayette | Lafayette Parish | 121,715 | $61,915 | $1,100 | $257,000 |
| Lake Charles | Calcasieu Parish | 81,143 | $59,235 | $1,109 | $214,300 |
| Kenner | Jefferson Parish | 64,904 | $64,020 | $1,179 | $246,300 |
| Bossier City | Bossier Parish | 62,901 | $55,819 | $1,107 | $202,100 |
| Monroe | Ouachita Parish | 47,004 | $40,505 | $886 | $198,900 |
| Alexandria | Rapides Parish | 44,060 | $47,113 | $931 | $183,700 |
| Prairieville | Ascension Parish | 35,238 | $104,923 | $1,324 | $317,400 |
| Marrero | Jefferson Parish | 32,540 | $41,402 | $1,042 | $169,800 |
Louisiana has 8 places with 50,000 or more residents and 56 with at least 10,000. Among places of 20,000 or more, median household income runs from $31,120 in Ruston to $104,923 in Prairieville. Slidell renters pay the most ($1,375 at the median) and Ruston renters the least ($816).
Mid-size Louisiana communities
20 more Louisiana places, largest first.
| City or town | Residents | Median household income | Rent (median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houma | 32,392 | $58,194 | $1,058 |
| Central | 29,783 | $89,554 | $1,309 |
| Slidell | 28,561 | $70,497 | $1,375 |
| Laplace | 28,343 | $69,030 | $1,351 |
| New Iberia | 27,571 | $47,087 | $894 |
| Terrytown | 24,726 | $51,718 | $1,135 |
| Chalmette | 22,616 | $54,904 | $1,110 |
| Ruston | 22,284 | $31,120 | $816 |
| Hammond | 21,539 | $48,166 | $1,061 |
| Bayou Cane | 21,253 | $74,350 | $1,101 |
| Harvey | 20,915 | $48,774 | $1,190 |
| Sulphur | 20,775 | $61,760 | $994 |
| Zachary | 19,952 | $84,480 | $1,527 |
| Shenandoah | 17,998 | $107,021 | $1,201 |
| Natchitoches | 17,577 | $37,133 | $802 |
| Youngsville | 17,427 | $105,876 | $1,278 |
| Gretna | 17,389 | $43,110 | $1,060 |
| Estelle | 16,341 | $78,869 | $1,442 |
| Thibodaux | 15,732 | $52,072 | $960 |
| Opelousas | 15,495 | $32,964 | $717 |
Measured as a year of median rent against median household income, housing weighs most in Ruston (31%) and least in Shenandoah (13%) among these 20 places.
Parishes with the most residents
Population and housing costs for the 16 biggest of 64 parishes in Louisiana.
| Parish | Residents | Median income | Median gross rent | Typical home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Baton Rouge Parish | 452,938 | $63,071 | $1,147 | $248,800 |
| Jefferson Parish | 430,920 | $65,252 | $1,190 | $251,400 |
| Orleans Parish | 371,853 | $56,631 | $1,251 | $315,700 |
| St. Tammany Parish | 272,421 | $81,202 | $1,332 | $284,000 |
| Lafayette Parish | 247,997 | $67,451 | $1,057 | $242,900 |
| Caddo Parish | 230,004 | $50,705 | $974 | $175,700 |
| Calcasieu Parish | 207,088 | $67,564 | $1,109 | $217,000 |
| Ouachita Parish | 158,480 | $54,688 | $959 | $194,400 |
| Livingston Parish | 148,115 | $80,122 | $1,151 | $230,600 |
| Tangipahoa Parish | 136,738 | $56,760 | $1,003 | $212,900 |
| Ascension Parish | 130,314 | $91,549 | $1,318 | $279,600 |
| Bossier Parish | 129,789 | $69,617 | $1,174 | $227,200 |
| Rapides Parish | 127,527 | $54,967 | $950 | $181,100 |
| Terrebonne Parish | 106,186 | $64,836 | $1,065 | $187,200 |
| Lafourche Parish | 96,252 | $63,135 | $928 | $193,900 |
| St. Landry Parish | 81,670 | $44,462 | $748 | $142,500 |
Median income by parish stretches from $32,831 (Claiborne Parish) up to $91,549 (Ascension Parish). That spread is a reminder to size a payment to your own budget, not to a state average.
How Louisiana earns a living
Top four employers of Louisiana residents by industry, with the gap to the U.S. mix.
| Industry | Share of Louisiana workers | National share | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education, health care and social assistance | 26% | 24% | +2.0 pts |
| Retail trade | 11% | 11% | +0.3 pts |
| Professional, scientific and administrative services | 10% | 13% | -2.8 pts |
| Arts, entertainment, lodging and food service | 9% | 9% | +0.6 pts |
Relative to the nation, education, health care and social assistance is overrepresented in Louisiana (26% vs 24%). Lenders verify your own income history, so steady deposits matter more than which sector you work in.
More context for Louisiana budgets
A Louisiana renter pays $1,064 a month at the median, and 55% of renters carry a rent burden of 30 percent or more, above the 51% U.S. rate. When rent rises at renewal, a fixed loan payment can collide with it, so leave room for the next increase.
Owners make up 67% of Louisiana households. With a median home value of $216,500, 43rd of 51, a house costs about 3.6 years of median household income. The owner cost burden rate, for households with a mortgage, is 28%. Before using equity, read how a HELOC compares with a personal loan: the line is secured by the home, the loan usually is not.
With a median age of 38.0 and 27% of adults holding a four-year degree, Louisiana has a Gini inequality index of 0.495, ranking 4th from most to least unequal.
Checking a lender in Louisiana
License checks come first. Louisiana's banking agency, per the Conference of State Bank Supervisors, is the Louisiana Office of Financial Institutions, and many consumer lenders also show their state licenses on NMLS Consumer Access.
- Ask for the lender's license number and look it up on NMLS Consumer Access.
- Report fee-first offers at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
- If a lender stops answering, the CFPB complaint form usually gets a response within weeks.
Can Louisiana residents use the questionnaire?
Availability of lending partners varies by state. When Louisiana is not yet covered, the form tells you on the second step and lets you join an email list, with no calls and nothing else collected.
Local guides in Louisiana
We publish 3 local guides for Louisiana, each built on Census data for that place.
Frequently asked questions
Which agency licenses lenders in Louisiana?
Start with the Louisiana Office of Financial Institutions, Louisiana's banking agency in the CSBS directory. Many lenders' state licenses also appear on NMLS Consumer Access, and the CFPB takes complaints nationwide.
What do households in Louisiana earn?
$60,756 a year in the 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey, 49th among the 50 states and DC; the national median is $80,734.
What is the median rent in Louisiana?
The typical renter pays $1,064; the U.S. median is $1,413. In Louisiana, 55% of renting households spend 30 percent or more of income on housing.
What share of Louisiana households earn $100,000 or more?
30% of households, according to the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 estimates, while 31% earn under $35,000. Lenders look at your own documented income, not these shares.