2023 Report: Cities in Louisiana where Household Expenses are Highest and Lowest
How does living in the Pelican State affect your wallet? doxo breaks down key insights about Louisiana household expenses, with a close eye to how bills differ in towns and cities. On average, Louisiana’s household expenses, doxo’s data reveals, are $1,906 per month.
doxo’s data also has infographics for 60 cities and towns across Louisiana, breaking down localized bill pay data figures as well. The state-wide rankings for most and least expensive cities provide insight into cost of living in Louisiana and how it changes according to location.
The data sheds light on Louisiana’s cost of living through other metrics, too. For example, the “percent of household income” data point shows what percentage of household income local residents spend on bills. doxo’s data also indicates how much more or less expensive specific cities are than the national and state average.
Louisiana residents’ household bills are 6.9% lower than average
The average Louisiana household pays $1,906 a month for the 10 most common household bills. This figure takes into account the 10 most common household bills, which are:Mortgage; Rent; Auto Loan; Utilities (electric, gas, water & sewer, and waste & recycling); Auto Insurance; Cable & Internet & Phone, Health Insurance (consumer paid portion); Mobile Phone; Alarm & Security; and Life Insurance.
Louisiana residents pay average-to-low household bill expenses: the state ranks 32nd out of 50 states in terms of average monthly spending. Its monthly bill basket is $140 less than the national average of $2,046: 6.9% lower, on average.
Slightly more expensive than Louisiana is North Carolina, where residents pay $1,913 a month on average; slightly more affordable is Iowa, where residents pay $1,862.
The most expensive state for household expenses is Hawaii, where residents pay $3,070 per month. The most affordable state, meanwhile, is West Virginia, where bills average $1,530 per month.
Absolute dollar amounts don’t tell the full story, however. The “percentage of household income” metric provides a more proportional look at bill spending in a particular location. Louisiana households spend 44% of their income on household costs, which is a higher share than any other state. The national average share of income for a US household to spend on bills is 35%.
Annually, Louisiana residents pay $40 billion in household bills. See more data about bill pay in Louisiana by clicking on the infographic link below.
Data: doxoINSIGHTS’ bill pay infographic about Louisiana
- Average Bill Cost per HH: $1,906 per month
- State Bill Pay Market Size: $40 billion
- doxoINSIGHTS State Rank: 32 out of 50
- Percent of HHI Used for Bills: 44%
- Difference from the National Average: 6.9% lower
Mortgage rates in Louisiana are 11% lower than the national average
The average Louisiana household pays $1,906 in the 10 most common household bills per month. Housing costs deviate substantially from the national average. The average mortgage is $1,171 per month in Louisiana compared to the national average of $1,321: 11% lower than the national average. The difference in Rent, at $936 in Louisiana compared to $1,191 nationally, is even more dramatic: Louisianans pay their landlords 21% lower than the national average.
Utilities is also a category where Louisiana residents save substantially compared to the national average. The average Louisiana household spends $310 on their utility bill, compared to the national average of $351: a 12% difference.
Health insurance is the area in which Louisiana residents spend the most, proportionally, compared to the national average. The average household in the state pays $145 a month for health insurance bills, compared to the national average of $120, making the costs a significant 21% higher than the national average.
Note: Health Insurance and Life Insurance expenses do not account for payments made by employers on behalf of employees. These just include out-of-pocket expenses. Also, the state and national bill totals take into account the percentage of households that pay a bill.
Average Louisiana Household Bill Spending
| Bill Category | Average Louisiana Monthly Bill | National Average Monthly Bill | Louisiana Percent +/- National Average ($2,046) |
| Mortgage | $1,171 | $1,321 | 11% lower |
| Rent | $936 | $1,191 | 21% lower |
| Auto Loan | $495 | $467 | 6% higher |
| Utilities | $310 | $351 | 12% lower |
| Auto Insurance | $201 | $207 | 3% lower |
| Cable & Internet | $129 | $118 | 9% higher |
| Health Insurance | $145 | $120 | 21% higher |
| Mobile Phone | $126 | $119 | 6% higher |
| Alarm & Security | $75 | $84 | 11% lower |
| Life Insurance | $75 | $89 | 16% lower |
| Total | $1,906 | $2,046 | 6.9% lower |
Mandeville is the most expensive area for Louisiana household bills
Residents of Mandeville pay the highest household bills in the state of Louisiana, at an average of $2,711 per month. Baton Rouge comes in second in the rankings, with residents paying an average of $2,434 on household expenses.
In Mandeville, residents pay a large share of household income for bills: 39%. Baton Rouge residents, however, pay substantially more: 53%. Zachary residents, who, although they pay the third most expensive bills in the state, spend 37% of household income on them.
Also on the list of the most expensive areas to pay household bills in Louisiana are Prairieville ($2,380 per month), Walker ($2,311 per month), and Plaquemine ($2,304 per month).
Access detailed infographics about each city or town by clicking on the hyperlinks in the “City” column in the tables below. You can also browse doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to see infographics about more than 4,200 cities and towns across all 50 states in the US.
10 Most Expensive Louisiana Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (1-10 out of 60) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills |
| 1 | Mandeville | $2,711 | 39% |
| 2 | Baton Rouge | $2,434 | 53% |
| 3 | Zachary | $2,396 | 37% |
| 4 | Prairieville | $2,380 | 28% |
| 5 | Walker | $2,311 | 39% |
| 6 | Plaquemine | $2,304 | 53% |
| 7 | New Orleans | $2,286 | 55% |
| 8 | Gonzales | $2,265 | 36% |
| 9 | La Place | $2,216 | 43% |
| 10 | Belle Chasse | $2,184 | 36% |
*Household Bill Pay Expense averages shown above reflect the ten most common bills paid, including housing (rent/mortgage).
Crowley is the most affordable place in Louisiana for household bills
Out of 60 cities and towns for which doxoINSIGHTS provides data, Crowley is the most affordable place in Louisiana, with residents paying $1,256 on average for household bills. They spend a slightly lower share of their income on household bills than the Louisiana average, at 43%.
Franklin is second most affordable area on the list, with residents paying an average of $1,378 on household bills. Residents of Franklin, however, spend only 40% of household income on bills.
Also on the list of most affordable cities and towns in Louisiana are Breaux Bridge ($1,495 a month), Franklin ($1,558 a month), and Eunice ($1,574 a month).
10 Most Affordable Louisiana Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (51-60 out of 60) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills |
| 51 | Minden | $1,534 | 62% |
| 52 | Bastrop | $1,531 | 58% |
| 53 | New Iberia | $1,510 | 34% |
| 54 | Saint Martinville | $1,507 | 36% |
| 55 | Ville Platte | $1,495 | 58% |
| 56 | Franklinton | $1,420 | 39% |
| 57 | Winnsboro | $1,410 | 49% |
| 58 | Eunice | $1,409 | 40% |
| 59 | Franklin | $1,378 | 40% |
| 60 | Crowley | $1,256 | 43% |
Some individuals may be deciding whether to move from a more expensive city to a less expensive one. doxoINSIGHTS can be a valuable resource for consumers seeking to make key decisions like this, allowing them to compare Louisiana’s household expenses against average bills in different cities and states across the country. They can also use doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to compare average costs for over 900 towns and cities across the country.