Orleans County · Louisiana · South · 372k residents
New Orleans, LA: cost of living, taxes & quality of life
Residential facts for New Orleans: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the Louisiana median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: Curated city row; coverage varies by fact.
The median home value in New Orleans is $250,000, 15% above the Louisiana median. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,550/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 96 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $51,000 a year.
What the numbers show
Source-confirmed findingsLimited coverage: This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.
What makes this place distinctive
A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.
A river city where music, food, and neighborhood traditions turn celebration into a civic language.
Known for: Jazz, Creole and Cajun food, Mardi Gras, historic neighborhoods, and the Mississippi.
Calendar note: Mardi Gras and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival define the annual rhythm.
Story source: New Orleans & Company
- Scale: A large city with a quarter-million or more residents in the profile data.
- Setting: The profile places New Orleans about 17 miles from the nearest tracked lake.
- Climate signal: The profile records 216 sunny days and 0 inches of annual snow.
- Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 58 and an average commute of 25 minutes.
WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.
Compare New Orleans side by side
Cost of living index
96
Median home value
$250,000
2-bedroom rent
$1,550/mo
Median household income
$51,000
Housing momentum
How fast New Orleans's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
29/100
Cooling
Ranks New Orleans's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.
Adjusted by New Orleans's cost-of-living index versus the US average.
| Median home value | $250,000 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $175 |
| Property tax rate | 0.85% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,300/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,550/mo |
| State & local income tax | 3.01% |
| Sales tax | 9.45% |
| Cost of living index | 96 |
| Groceries index | 100 |
| Utilities | $175/mo |
| Transit pass | $45/mo |
| Gas price | $2.95/gal |
| Healthcare index | 98 |
| Childcare (per child) | $950/mo |
| Median household income | $51,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% |
| Population | 372k |
| Crime index | 65/100 |
| School rating | 4.5/10 |
| Walkability | 58/100 |
| Disaster risk | 98/100 |
| Avg. commute | 25 min |
| Sunny days / year | 216 days |
| July high | 92°F |
| January low | 45°F |
| Annual snowfall | 0 in |
| Home price YoY | -2.3% |
| Home price MoM | 0.0% |
| Rent YoY | +0.9% |
| Rent MoM | +0.5% |
| Ocean coast | 28 mi |
| Big lake | 17 mi |
| Mountains | 350 mi |
| Major airport | 11 mi |
| Ski resort | 549 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Gretna, LA · 17k
- Terrytown, LA · 25k
- Metairie, LA · 140k
- Harvey, LA · 21k
- Chalmette, LA · 23k
Similar size
- Baton Rouge, LA · 223k
- Shreveport, LA · 181k
- Lafayette, LA · 122k
- Lake Charles, LA · 81k
- Kenner, LA · 65k
Real listings in New Orleans
Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- What is the cost of living in New Orleans, LA?
- New Orleans indexes at 96 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,550/mo and a median home value of $250,000.
- How much does a house cost in New Orleans?
- The median home value in New Orleans is $250,000, 15% above the Louisiana median (compiled estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in New Orleans?
- A two-bedroom in New Orleans rents for about $1,550/mo.