Before you decide to relocate to Louisiana, it’s important to research the exact cost of living around the state. And that’s what we’re going to help you do.
These are the places in Louisiana that cost a pretty penny — the most expensive cities in the state.
We used Saturday Night Science to compare the 2020-2024 American Community Survey on cost of living for the 59 places in Louisiana with more than 5,000 people.
After we saved up for months and could finally afford it, we landed on this list of the ten most expensive cities in Louisiana for 2026.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In Louisiana For 2026
What’s the most expensive place to live in Louisiana? Well, HomeSnacks crunched the numbers and discovered that Mandeville is the most expensive place to live in Louisiana.
Ville Platte (the cheapest place to live in Louisiana) can show these guys how to live on a budget in the coming years. Read on for how these places had costs rise faster than inflation.
And if you already knew these places were expensive, check out some more reading about Louisiana and the most expensive cities in the country:
The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In Louisiana For 2026
/10
Population: 12,946
Cost Of Living Index: 114
Median Income: $94,405
Average Home Price: $355,608
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.8x
More on Mandeville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Mandeville is 114. The median income in Mandeville comes in at $94,405 and the average home value is $355,608 for 2026.
/10
Population: 371,853
Cost Of Living Index: 108
Median Income: $56,631
Average Home Price: $242,492
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.3x
More on New Orleans: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in New Orleans is 108. The median income in New Orleans comes in at $56,631 and the average home value is $242,492 for 2026.
/10
Population: 19,952
Cost Of Living Index: 108
Median Income: $84,480
Average Home Price: $267,773
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.2x
More on Zachary: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Zachary is 108. The median income in Zachary comes in at $84,480 and the average home value is $267,773 for 2026.
/10
Population: 8,904
Cost Of Living Index: 106
Median Income: $79,516
Average Home Price: $315,750
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.0x
More on Harahan: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Harahan is 106. The median income in Harahan comes in at $79,516 and the average home value is $315,750 for 2026.
/10
Population: 29,783
Cost Of Living Index: 105
Median Income: $89,554
Average Home Price: $282,212
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.2x
More on Central: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Central is 105. The median income in Central comes in at $89,554 and the average home value is $282,212 for 2026.
/10
Population: 17,427
Cost Of Living Index: 105
Median Income: $105,876
Average Home Price: $276,689
Home Price To Income Ratio: 2.6x
More on Youngsville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Youngsville is 105. The median income in Youngsville comes in at $105,876 and the average home value is $276,689 for 2026.
/10
Population: 7,252
Cost Of Living Index: 105
Median Income: $108,041
Average Home Price: $244,631
Home Price To Income Ratio: 2.3x
More on Addis: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Addis is 105. The median income in Addis comes in at $108,041 and the average home value is $244,631 for 2026.
/10
Population: 14,322
Cost Of Living Index: 104
Median Income: $116,179
Average Home Price: $282,910
Home Price To Income Ratio: 2.4x
More on Broussard: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Broussard is 104. The median income in Broussard comes in at $116,179 and the average home value is $282,910 for 2026.
/10
Population: 11,658
Cost Of Living Index: 103
Median Income: $75,851
Average Home Price: $317,481
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.2x
More on Covington: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Covington is 103. The median income in Covington comes in at $75,851 and the average home value is $317,481 for 2026.
/10
Population: 64,904
Cost Of Living Index: 101
Median Income: $64,020
Average Home Price: $268,195
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.2x
More on Kenner: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Kenner is 101. The median income in Kenner comes in at $64,020 and the average home value is $268,195 for 2026.
Methodology: How We Determined The Most Expensive Places To Live In The Pelican State For 2026
The two most important things to think about when it comes to being able to afford a city in Louisiana are:
- How much money do I make?
- How much do I have to spend to live there?
You need to understand your costs in the context of how much money you make.
For example, if the median household earns $100,000 and spends $40,000 on housing, it’s actually cheaper to live there than a place with a median income of $50,000 and housing costs of $21,000. You might spend more on housing, but you have more money overall to play with.
With that example in mind, we derived several statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2020-2024 around incomes and costs. They are:
- Overall Cost Of Living Index
- Median Home Price / Median Income (lower is better)
- Median Income / Median Rent (Higher is better)
- Median Home Price
You can then compare these metrics in each of the places in Louisiana to figure out which is the most expensive.
You are left with a “Cost of Living Index” by taking the average rank of each of these metrics for each city.
So we used that cost of living index to rank all of the 59 places in Louisiana that have more than 5,000 people.
The place with the highest cost of living in Louisiana according to the data is Mandeville. We updated this article for 2026. This article is our eleventh time ranking the most expensive places to live in Louisiana.
Summary: Taking A Chunk Out Of Your Paycheck In Louisiana For 2026
Well, there you have it, the places in Louisiana that have the highest cost of living, with Mandeville ranking as the most expensive city in the Pelican State.
The most expensive cities in Louisiana are Mandeville, New Orleans, Zachary, Harahan, Central, Youngsville, Addis, Broussard, Covington, and Kenner.
Here’s a look at the most affordable cities in Louisiana according to the data:
- Ville Platte
- Tallulah
- Bastrop
For more Louisiana reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Louisiana
- Cheapest Places To Live In Louisiana
- Most Dangerous Places In Louisiana
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Louisiana
- Safest Places In Louisiana
- Worst Places To Live In Louisiana
Most Expensive Cities In Louisiana
| Rank | City | Cost Of Living | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price | Home/Income Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mandeville | 114 | 12,946 | $94,405 | $355,608 | 3.8x |
| 2 | New Orleans | 108 | 371,853 | $56,631 | $242,492 | 4.3x |
| 3 | Zachary | 108 | 19,952 | $84,480 | $267,773 | 3.2x |
| 4 | Harahan | 106 | 8,904 | $79,516 | $315,750 | 4.0x |
| 5 | Central | 105 | 29,783 | $89,554 | $282,212 | 3.2x |
| 6 | Youngsville | 105 | 17,427 | $105,876 | $276,689 | 2.6x |
| 7 | Addis | 105 | 7,252 | $108,041 | $244,631 | 2.3x |
| 8 | Broussard | 104 | 14,322 | $116,179 | $282,910 | 2.4x |
| 9 | Covington | 103 | 11,658 | $75,851 | $317,481 | 4.2x |
| 10 | Kenner | 101 | 64,904 | $64,020 | $268,195 | 4.2x |
| 11 | Slidell | 101 | 28,561 | $70,497 | $218,142 | 3.1x |
| 12 | Baton Rouge | 100 | 222,771 | $49,994 | $228,414 | 4.6x |
| 13 | Lafayette | 100 | 121,715 | $61,915 | $224,253 | 3.6x |
| 14 | Gonzales | 99 | 13,108 | $75,451 | $288,155 | 3.8x |
| 15 | Carencro | 99 | 11,619 | $63,401 | $218,909 | 3.5x |
| 16 | Walker | 99 | 6,390 | $80,707 | $253,184 | 3.1x |
| 17 | Denham Springs | 98 | 9,323 | $71,569 | $255,930 | 3.6x |
| 18 | Hammond | 96 | 21,539 | $48,166 | $222,618 | 4.6x |
| 19 | Lake Charles | 95 | 81,143 | $59,235 | $199,011 | 3.4x |
| 20 | Bossier City | 95 | 62,901 | $55,819 | $228,172 | 4.1x |
| 21 | Alexandria | 95 | 44,060 | $47,113 | $144,328 | 3.1x |
| 22 | Gretna | 95 | 17,389 | $43,110 | $238,820 | 5.5x |
| 23 | Ponchatoula | 95 | 7,808 | $51,161 | $247,933 | 4.8x |
| 24 | St. Gabriel | 95 | 6,639 | $74,688 | $263,881 | 3.5x |
| 25 | Plaquemine | 95 | 6,075 | $69,366 | $159,906 | 2.3x |
| 26 | Shreveport | 94 | 180,982 | $48,699 | $135,091 | 2.8x |
| 27 | Ruston | 94 | 22,284 | $31,120 | $225,351 | 7.2x |
| 28 | Grambling | 94 | 5,287 | $0 | $151,061 | nanx |
| 29 | Sulphur | 93 | 20,775 | $61,760 | $195,533 | 3.2x |
| 30 | Natchitoches | 93 | 17,577 | $37,133 | $181,713 | 4.9x |
| 31 | Thibodaux | 93 | 15,732 | $52,072 | $226,920 | 4.4x |
| 32 | Pineville | 93 | 14,160 | $49,774 | $193,576 | 3.9x |
| 33 | DeRidder | 93 | 9,763 | $59,801 | $153,080 | 2.6x |
| 34 | Breaux Bridge | 93 | 7,501 | $47,806 | $182,775 | 3.8x |
| 35 | Houma | 92 | 32,392 | $58,194 | $184,222 | 3.2x |
| 36 | Crowley | 92 | 11,422 | $28,642 | $123,650 | 4.3x |
| 37 | Scott | 92 | 8,609 | $56,299 | $218,990 | 3.9x |
| 38 | Westwego | 92 | 8,335 | $46,261 | $179,562 | 3.9x |
| 39 | Donaldsonville | 92 | 6,831 | $23,618 | $164,851 | 7.0x |
| 40 | Baker | 91 | 12,253 | $54,750 | $180,738 | 3.3x |
| 41 | Morgan City | 91 | 11,064 | $56,474 | $122,451 | 2.2x |
| 42 | Monroe | 90 | 47,004 | $40,505 | $149,717 | 3.7x |
| 43 | New Iberia | 90 | 27,571 | $47,087 | $145,864 | 3.1x |
| 44 | West Monroe | 90 | 12,729 | $49,386 | $194,938 | 3.9x |
| 45 | Rayne | 90 | 7,105 | $42,151 | $173,349 | 4.1x |
| 46 | Minden | 89 | 11,455 | $34,294 | $140,974 | 4.1x |
| 47 | St. Martinville | 89 | 5,297 | $36,130 | $150,321 | 4.2x |
| 48 | Eunice | 88 | 9,239 | $35,436 | $109,304 | 3.1x |
| 49 | Bogalusa | 87 | 10,468 | $30,749 | $85,577 | 2.8x |
| 50 | Patterson | 87 | 5,744 | $49,886 | $136,405 | 2.7x |
| 51 | Opelousas | 86 | 15,495 | $32,964 | $123,098 | 3.7x |
| 52 | Leesville | 86 | 5,495 | $37,500 | $153,498 | 4.1x |
| 53 | Oakdale | 84 | 6,546 | $42,540 | $84,730 | 2.0x |
| 54 | Abbeville | 83 | 11,003 | $33,015 | $138,932 | 4.2x |
| 55 | Jennings | 83 | 9,553 | $48,558 | $134,099 | 2.8x |
| 56 | Franklin | 83 | 6,461 | $39,518 | $89,150 | 2.3x |
| 57 | Bastrop | 82 | 9,232 | $32,605 | $89,353 | 2.7x |
| 58 | Tallulah | 82 | 5,969 | $33,419 | $77,517 | 2.3x |
| 59 | Ville Platte | 79 | 6,253 | $28,361 | $98,290 | 3.5x |