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Louisiana home affordability calculator

The median Louisiana household earns about $60,000 a year, and the median home costs about $220,000 — 3.7 times income. With 10% down, no other debts, and the current 7.32% average 30-year rate (Freddie Mac, week of October 22, 2026), standard lending ratios support a home of about $160,296 , roughly $59,704 short of the median. The calculator is pre-filled with those figures — replace them with yours.

$160,296 max home price

Max loan amount
$138,296
Housing payment budget
$1,400
P&I budget
$950
Bound by
front-end ratio

Uses the 28% front-end / 36% back-end DTI guidelines. Lenders vary.

How it works

Lenders cap the full housing payment — principal, interest, property tax, insurance — near 28% of gross monthly income, and all debt payments near 36%. In Louisiana, property tax at about 0.56% of value plus roughly $4,300 a year of homeowners insurance come to about $461 a month on the median home, and that comes out of the 28% budget before anything goes to the loan. On the median income the housing budget is about $1,400 a month, leaving $950 for principal and interest.

Homes in Louisiana spend about 60 days on the market on average. Louisiana has a low property tax rate and a generous homestead exemption, but hurricane and flood exposure has made homeowners insurance among the most expensive and hardest to obtain in the country.

Frequently asked questions

How much house can I afford in Louisiana on the median income?
On Louisiana's median household income of about $60,000, with no other debts, 10% down, and a 7.32% 30-year rate, the 28% housing guideline supports a home of roughly $160,296. That's about $59,704 below the $220,000 median home price.
What income do I need to buy a median-priced home in Louisiana?
Louisiana's median home costs about $220,000 — 3.7 times the median household income. Lenders' 28% front-end rule means the full payment, including about $461 a month in property tax and insurance, needs to fit inside 28% of gross monthly income. Try the calculator with your own income and down payment.
How much do property tax and insurance add in Louisiana?
On the median home, Louisiana's 0.56% effective property tax rate and about $4,300 a year in homeowners insurance come to roughly $461 a month — money that comes out of the housing budget before any goes to principal and interest.
Does Louisiana's income tax affect how much house I can afford?
Not in the lender's math, which uses gross income. It does affect what's comfortable: Louisiana's income tax tops out at 3.00%, so take-home pay is smaller than gross by more than federal tax alone.

Learn more: How much house can I afford?

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