The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In Louisiana For 2024


The most expensive cities in Louisiana are Mandeville and Youngsville for 2024 based on Saturday Night Science.

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 2018-2022 American Community Survey on cost of living for the 60 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 2024.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In Louisiana For 2024

  1. Mandeville
  2. Youngsville
  3. Zachary
  4. New Orleans
  5. Covington
  6. Harahan
  7. Kenner
  8. Central
  9. Bossier City
  10. Slidell

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.

Tallulah (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 2024

Mandeville, LA

Source: Wikipedia User Infrogmation of New Orleans | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 13,194
Cost Of Living Index: 108
Median Income: $84,886
Average Home Price: $349,833
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.1x
More on Mandeville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Mandeville is 108. The median income in Mandeville comes in at $84,886 and the average home value is $349,833 for 2024.

Youngsville, LA

Source: Flickr User Cajun Byrd | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 15,990
Cost Of Living Index: 104
Median Income: $111,619
Average Home Price: $268,782
Home Price To Income Ratio: 2.4x
More on Youngsville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Youngsville is 104. The median income in Youngsville comes in at $111,619 and the average home value is $268,782 for 2024.

Zachary, LA

Source: Wikipedia User Jim Plylar | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 19,401
Cost Of Living Index: 103
Median Income: $88,811
Average Home Price: $261,425
Home Price To Income Ratio: 2.9x
More on Zachary: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Zachary is 103. The median income in Zachary comes in at $88,811 and the average home value is $261,425 for 2024.

New Orleans, LA

Source: Flickr User szeke | CC BY-SA 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 380,408
Cost Of Living Index: 101
Median Income: $51,116
Average Home Price: $253,741
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.0x
More on New Orleans: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in New Orleans is 101. The median income in New Orleans comes in at $51,116 and the average home value is $253,741 for 2024.

Covington, LA

Source: Wikipedia User Frankbp | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 11,444
Cost Of Living Index: 101
Median Income: $71,719
Average Home Price: $308,256
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.3x
More on Covington: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Covington is 101. The median income in Covington comes in at $71,719 and the average home value is $308,256 for 2024.

Harahan, LA

Source: Wikipedia User Infrogmation of New Orleans | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 9,043
Cost Of Living Index: 101
Median Income: $75,099
Average Home Price: $284,984
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.8x
More on Harahan: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Harahan is 101. The median income in Harahan comes in at $75,099 and the average home value is $284,984 for 2024.

Kenner, LA

Source: Wikipedia User Infrogmation of New Orleans | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 65,785
Cost Of Living Index: 98
Median Income: $60,557
Average Home Price: $228,773
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.8x
More on Kenner: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Kenner is 98. The median income in Kenner comes in at $60,557 and the average home value is $228,773 for 2024.

Central, LA

Source: Flickr User [email protected] | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 29,518
Cost Of Living Index: 98
Median Income: $82,714
Average Home Price: $266,955
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.2x
More on Central: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Central is 98. The median income in Central comes in at $82,714 and the average home value is $266,955 for 2024.

Bossier City, LA

Source: Wikipedia User Billy Hathorn at en.wikipedia | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 62,971
Cost Of Living Index: 97
Median Income: $54,100
Average Home Price: $210,237
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.9x
More on Bossier City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Bossier City is 97. The median income in Bossier City comes in at $54,100 and the average home value is $210,237 for 2024.

Slidell, LA

Source: Wikipedia User jahebert 7 | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 28,690
Cost Of Living Index: 97
Median Income: $63,004
Average Home Price: $224,573
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.6x
More on Slidell: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Slidell is 97. The median income in Slidell comes in at $63,004 and the average home value is $224,573 for 2024.

Methodology: How We Determined The Most Expensive Places To Live In The Pelican State For 2024

Map Of The Cheapest Places To Live In Louisiana
The two most important things to think about when it comes to being able to afford a city in Louisiana are:

  1. How much money do I make?
  2. 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 2018-2022 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 60 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 2024. This article is our tenth time ranking the most expensive places to live in Louisiana.

Summary: Taking A Chunk Out Of Your Paycheck In Louisiana For 2024

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, Youngsville, Zachary, New Orleans, Covington, Harahan, Kenner, Central, Bossier City, and Slidell.

Here’s a look at the most affordable cities in Louisiana according to the data:

  1. Tallulah
  2. Oakdale
  3. Bastrop

For more Louisiana reading, check out:

Most Expensive Cities In Louisiana

Rank City Cost Of Living Population Median Income Average Home Price Home/Income Ratio
1 Mandeville 108 13,194 $84,886 $349,833 4.1x
2 Youngsville 104 15,990 $111,619 $268,782 2.4x
3 Zachary 103 19,401 $88,811 $261,425 2.9x
4 New Orleans 101 380,408 $51,116 $253,741 5.0x
5 Covington 101 11,444 $71,719 $308,256 4.3x
6 Harahan 101 9,043 $75,099 $284,984 3.8x
7 Kenner 98 65,785 $60,557 $228,773 3.8x
8 Central 98 29,518 $82,714 $266,955 3.2x
9 Bossier City 97 62,971 $54,100 $210,237 3.9x
10 Slidell 97 28,690 $63,004 $224,573 3.6x
11 Broussard 97 13,322 $94,912 $270,303 2.8x
12 Baton Rouge 96 225,500 $50,155 $214,487 4.3x
13 Addis 96 6,779 $101,450 $258,024 2.5x
14 Houma 95 33,094 $56,823 $183,681 3.2x
15 Walker 95 6,359 $86,446 $236,329 2.7x
16 Lafayette 94 121,706 $58,850 $215,488 3.7x
17 Hammond 94 20,239 $42,049 $207,291 4.9x
18 Gretna 94 17,640 $47,010 $205,631 4.4x
19 Gonzales 94 12,356 $66,310 $268,157 4.0x
20 Denham Springs 94 9,393 $85,625 $240,723 2.8x
21 Shreveport 92 186,183 $45,967 $129,604 2.8x
22 Westwego 92 8,466 $43,981 $139,788 3.2x
23 Breaux Bridge 92 7,544 $45,619 $170,678 3.7x
24 Scott 91 8,271 $55,057 $193,674 3.5x
25 Ponchatoula 91 7,805 $38,249 $234,997 6.1x
26 Baker 90 12,463 $60,555 $173,779 2.9x
27 Plaquemine 90 6,218 $69,183 $157,817 2.3x
28 Ruston 89 22,282 $32,877 $210,628 6.4x
29 Morgan City 89 11,373 $48,857 $124,983 2.6x
30 Patterson 89 5,868 $46,189 $141,190 3.1x
31 Thibodaux 88 15,738 $51,704 $218,065 4.2x
32 Minden 88 11,789 $28,233 $137,686 4.9x
33 Carencro 88 10,194 $56,352 $211,544 3.8x
34 St. Gabriel 88 6,526 $55,735 $258,502 4.6x
35 Alexandria 87 45,133 $49,049 $127,872 2.6x
36 Natchitoches 87 17,908 $34,020 $179,286 5.3x
37 DeRidder 87 9,850 $56,607 $142,925 2.5x
38 Sulphur 86 21,286 $53,606 $191,566 3.6x
39 Pineville 86 14,357 $51,752 $185,246 3.6x
40 Donaldsonville 86 6,799 $22,110 $156,759 7.1x
41 Lake Charles 85 82,430 $54,761 $188,679 3.4x
42 Monroe 85 47,631 $36,550 $135,375 3.7x
43 New Iberia 84 28,363 $47,108 $159,856 3.4x
44 Opelousas 83 15,810 $34,271 $122,748 3.6x
45 West Monroe 83 12,987 $47,129 $184,419 3.9x
46 Abbeville 83 11,213 $39,566 $150,812 3.8x
47 Leesville 83 5,681 $35,652 $153,245 4.3x
48 Eunice 82 9,440 $37,828 $115,673 3.1x
49 Ville Platte 82 6,364 $24,341 $116,096 4.8x
50 Marksville 82 5,034 $33,635 $125,081 3.7x
51 Crowley 81 11,726 $28,827 $109,244 3.8x
52 Jennings 81 9,819 $39,888 $94,670 2.4x
53 Bogalusa 80 10,689 $39,213 $82,743 2.1x
54 Franklin 80 6,666 $39,068 $97,289 2.5x
55 Grambling 80 5,315 $25,050 $126,622 5.1x
56 Rayne 79 7,223 $34,725 $156,551 4.5x
57 St. Martinville 78 5,447 $32,781 $134,241 4.1x
58 Bastrop 76 9,623 $29,286 $74,979 2.6x
59 Oakdale 76 6,701 $46,250 $85,581 1.9x
60 Tallulah 73 6,290 $31,070 $81,815 2.6x
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.