Orleans County · Louisiana · South · 372k residents
New Orleans, LA: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on New Orleans: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, 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.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,357/wk. Louisiana's corporate income tax rate is 5.5%. Commercial electricity averages 10.5¢/kWh.
Compare New Orleans side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,357/wk
Corporate income tax
5.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher
42.4%
Commercial electricity
10.5¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast New Orleans's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
46/100
Steady
Ranks New Orleans's residential building-permit and jobs 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. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| 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% |
| Corporate income tax | 5.5% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,357/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 42.4% |
| Commercial electricity | 10.5¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 48.3/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $106,950 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $81,850 |
| Wage: General manager | $105,110 |
| Wage: Customer service | $39,300 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $34,830 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $51,540 |
| Wage: Electrician | $62,490 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $30,400 |
| 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% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | -0.4% |
| Building permits YoY | +24.2% |
| 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
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is New Orleans a good place to run a business?
- Louisiana's corporate income tax rate is 5.5%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,357/wk; commercial electricity averages 10.5¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- 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 (compiled estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in New Orleans?
- A two-bedroom in New Orleans rents for about $1,550/mo.