In short
The median value of owner-occupied homes is $223,200 in Louisiana and $305,100 in the city of New Orleans, against $360,600 nationwide, according to the Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey. The FHFA House Price Index shows Louisiana prices up 1.6% and New Orleans–Metairie prices down 0.5% between the second quarters of 2025 and 2026.
What the median home value is
The Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) asks owners: “About how much do you think this house and lot, apartment, or mobile home (and lot, if owned) would sell for if it were for sale?” The median value in table B25077 is the middle answer among all owner-occupied homes in an area.
This is the owner’s own estimate. It is not a sale price, not an appraisal and not a list price. It covers every home that owners occupy, including homes bought decades ago, so it describes the existing stock rather than what buyers paid this year.
The latest one-year ACS estimates cover 2024. The Census Bureau plans to release the 2025 one-year estimates on October 29, 2026, so the figures below will change at that point.
What it costs: median value in 2024
| Area | Median value, 2024 | Margin of error (90%) |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $360,600 | ±$618 |
| Louisiana | $223,200 | ±$2,575 |
| New Orleans–Metairie metro area | $267,900 | ±$5,382 |
| Orleans Parish | $305,100 | ±$17,943 |
| City of New Orleans | $305,100 | ±$17,943 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-Year Estimates 2024, table B25077, universe: owner-occupied housing units.
Four points stand out:
- The Louisiana median is $137,400 below the national median.
- The city of New Orleans sits $81,900 above the Louisiana median, $37,200 above the metro median and $55,500 below the national median. The suburbs pull the metro figure down, not up.
- Orleans Parish and the city of New Orleans show identical results because the Census Bureau reports the same value for both.
- The margin of error for the city (±$17,943) is much wider than for the state, because the sample is smaller. The true city median is very likely between about $287,000 and $323,000.
How prices have moved: the FHFA index
The ACS gives a level. To see the trend, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) publishes a House Price Index built on repeat sales: it compares the prices of the same single-family homes each time they sell. FHFA’s flagship index uses seasonally adjusted, purchase-only data from mortgages bought or guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
The latest quarterly release, published August 25, 2026, covers the second quarter of 2026.
| Area | 1-year change (Q2 2025 to Q2 2026) | 5-year change (Q2 2021 to Q2 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| United States | +2.1% | +33.4% |
| Louisiana | +1.6% | +16.3% |
| New Orleans–Metairie metro area | −0.5% | +7.9% |
Source: FHFA House Price Index, purchase-only, seasonally adjusted, quarterly files for states, metro areas and the U.S. Changes calculated by Payotte from the published index values.
Louisiana prices rose a little less than the nation’s over the past year, and the New Orleans area slipped slightly. Over five years, the gap is wide: the national index gained 33.4%, Louisiana 16.3% and the New Orleans–Metairie area 7.9%.
A worked example
Take a New Orleans-area home worth $250,000 in the second quarter of 2021. If it had followed the New Orleans–Metairie index exactly, it would have been worth about $269,700 in the second quarter of 2026 (+7.9%). Over the last year alone, it would have lost about $1,400 (−0.5%). A single home can move very differently from the index: location, condition and renovations matter more than the average.
How to use these figures when buying
- Use the ACS median for budgets and comparisons between places. It is the only measure here that gives a dollar level for the state, the parish and the city with the same method.
- Use the FHFA index for the direction of prices. It tells you whether prices in the area are rising or falling, not what a given home is worth.
- For a specific home, look at recent sales and the appraisal. Your lender orders an appraisal before it approves the loan; see our guide to home appraisal costs.
Closing costs come on top of the price. Our Louisiana closing costs guide explains who pays what, and our page on buying a home in New Orleans applies these numbers to the city. First-time buyers can also check the Louisiana first-time buyer programs.
Method and dataset
ACS median value. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 1-Year Estimates, vintage 2024 (released in 2025), table B25077 “Median Value (Dollars)”, variable B25077_001E with margin of error B25077_001M. Universe: owner-occupied housing units. Geographies: United States (0100000US), Louisiana (0400000US22), New Orleans–Metairie, LA metro area (310M700US35380), Orleans Parish (0500000US22071), New Orleans city (1600000US2255000). Values were read through the data.census.gov access API on October 13, 2026. The 2025 one-year estimates are scheduled for October 29, 2026.
FHFA index. FHFA House Price Index, quarterly purchase-only, seasonally adjusted series, files hpi_po_state.txt (Louisiana), hpi_po_metro.txt (New Orleans–Metairie, LA, CBSA 35380) and hpi_po_us_and_census.txt (USA), release of August 25, 2026, data through the second quarter of 2026. Index values used: Louisiana 361.51 (Q2 2025), 315.83 (Q2 2021) and 367.42 (Q2 2026); New Orleans–Metairie 429.44, 396.00 and 427.14; United States 426.58, 326.58 and 435.69. Changes are the ratio of the Q2 2026 value to the earlier value, minus one. The U.S. one-year result (+2.1%) matches the figure in FHFA’s release. FHFA plans its next quarterly release, with third-quarter 2026 data, on November 24, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median home value in Louisiana?
The Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey puts the median value of owner-occupied homes in Louisiana at $223,200, with a margin of error of ±$2,575. The national median is $360,600. These are owners’ own estimates, not sale prices.
What is the median home value in New Orleans?
For the city of New Orleans, the 2024 ACS median value is $305,100 (±$17,943). The New Orleans–Metairie metro area is at $267,900. The Census Bureau reports the same figure for Orleans Parish.
Is the ACS median value the same as the median sale price?
No. The ACS asks owners what they think their home would sell for, and it includes every owner-occupied home, not only the ones sold this year. Sale prices of recent transactions can be higher or lower.
Are Louisiana home prices going up or down?
According to the FHFA purchase-only index, Louisiana prices rose 1.6% between the second quarter of 2025 and the second quarter of 2026, and the New Orleans–Metairie area fell 0.5%. Over five years, they rose 16.3% and 7.9%.
When will these figures be updated?
The Census Bureau plans to release the 2025 one-year ACS estimates on October 29, 2026. FHFA’s next quarterly index, with third-quarter 2026 data, is scheduled for November 24, 2026.
Compare with the other states: Median home price by state.
More Louisiana guides
- Closing costs in Louisiana: what buyers and sellers pay
- Real estate transfer tax in Louisiana and New Orleans
- Louisiana property tax: 10% assessment and homestead exemption
- Seller disclosure requirements in Louisiana
- Do you need an attorney or notary to close in Louisiana?
- Foreclosure process in Louisiana: executory process explained
- First-time home buyer programs in Louisiana: LHC and New Orleans
- How to verify a real estate license in Louisiana
- Louisiana community property and buying a home as a couple
- Hurricanes, flood and home insurance in Louisiana
Sources
- Table B25077, Median Value (Dollars), ACS 1-Year Estimates 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau) (consulted October 13, 2026)
- 2025 ACS Data Release Schedule (U.S. Census Bureau) (consulted October 13, 2026)
- U.S. House Prices Rise 2.1 Percent Year over Year, Up 0.3 Percent Quarter over Quarter (FHFA, August 25, 2026) (consulted October 13, 2026)
- FHFA House Price Index datasets, quarterly purchase-only indexes (state, metro, U.S.) (consulted October 13, 2026)