Rents are 6% below what Metairie's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,459 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
January. Asking rents in Metairie usually run 0.6% below trend in January and 0.4% above it in April, about $15 a month apart at today's median. Based on 10 years of data.
Rent in Metairie is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in May 2016.
Rent in Metairie changed +1.2% over the year to September 2026. Across the 36 Louisiana cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +3.9%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Metairie rose 31% while median household income rose 23.1% ($59,346 to $73,042). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Metairie is 34% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 5 months in a row, and rose in 7 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($73,042) is $1,826 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 3-bedroom ($1,824); a 4-bedroom is $2,142.
The priciest of 5 ZIP codes in Metairie, 70006 ($1,757/mo), costs 39% more than the cheapest, 70002 ($1,264/mo).
Harvey, 11 miles away, rents for 12% less ($1,288/mo), about $2,100 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Metairie. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Metairie, LA is majority owner-occupied, has a large retiree population, 41.2% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Metairie, LA has changed in 5 years
Across the past five years, the going rent in Metairie, LA has shifted from $1,144 to $1,459, up 27.5% since 2021. Median household income climbed from $65,740 to $73,042 between 2021 and 2024, a 11.1% shift. Because rent grew faster than wages over the same span, the affordability picture has tightened relative to 2021. Bachelor's-degree-or-higher attainment moved from 38.2% to 41.2% across the same window. Taken together, the five-year picture in Metairie, LA reflects how housing costs and the people paying them have evolved through a stretch that included a pandemic, a hot rental market, and a recent cooling phase.
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At $1,459/mo, how Metairie rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Metairie rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Metairie. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Metairie
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Metairie is $1,459/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,034/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,426/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,194/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,824/mo.
At 24% of local median household income ($73,042/yr), Metairie ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 1.3% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Metairie?
At $1,459/mo, rent takes ~24% of Metairie's median household income ($73,042/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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