Rents are 3% below what New Orleans'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 $1,633 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 New Orleans usually run 0.6% below trend in January and 0.4% above it in May, about $16 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in New Orleans is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2015.
Rent in New Orleans changed +2.1% 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 New Orleans rose 24% while median household income rose 36.1% ($41,604 to $56,631). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in New Orleans is 25.4% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 7 months in a row, and rose in 9 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($56,631) is $1,416 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 1-bedroom ($1,319); a 2-bedroom is $1,576.
The priciest of 15 ZIP codes in New Orleans, 70113 ($2,486/mo), costs 1.8 times the cheapest, 70127 ($1,414/mo).
Chalmette, 6 miles away, rents for 14% less ($1,404/mo), about $2,700 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for New Orleans. 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
New Orleans, LA is roughly split between renters and owners, has a median income below the national average, 42.4% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How New Orleans, LA has changed in 5 years
Across the past five years, the going rent in New Orleans, LA has shifted from $1,353 to $1,633, up 20.7% since 2021. Census figures show median household income at $56,631 today, compared with $45,594 five years earlier. With wages climbing faster than rent over the same window, renters here have a bit more breathing room than they did five years back. Census counts show New Orleans, LA losing about 12,121 residents over the five-year window, down 3.2% on net. The renter share has eased from 52% to 48.8%, with owner-occupied housing accounting for the remainder. Bachelor's-degree-or-higher attainment moved from 39.1% to 42.4% across the same window. The combined trend lines point to a market that has changed measurably from where it stood in early 2021.
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Can you afford rent in New Orleans on your salary?
At $1,633/mo, how New Orleans rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
New Orleans rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in New Orleans. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in New Orleans
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in New Orleans is $1,633/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,142/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,576/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,319/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,015/mo.
At 35% of local median household income ($56,631/yr), New Orleans ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 2.1% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does New Orleans rent compare to other cities in Louisiana?
At $1,633/mo, rent takes ~35% of New Orleans's median household income ($56,631/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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