Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Empire, Louisiana
A $85,000 home here costs
$812per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $437. The real number is $375 higher every month — 86% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Empire against Plaquemines Parish and Louisiana
| Measure | Empire | Plaquemines Parish |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $84,700 | $275,800 |
| Median property tax | — | $1,275 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.462% | 0.462% |
| Median gross rent | — | $1,611 |
| Population | 1,218 | 23,070 |
The weather behind that power bill
Empire sits in Plaquemines Parish, which averages a high of 88.8°F in its hottest month and a low of 47.5°F in its coldest, with 53.88" of precipitation a year and 34% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 3,048 cooling and 1,072 heating degree days, which is what sets the $127 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Plaquemines Parish — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Plaquemines Parish
Full Plaquemines Parish cost breakdown · Every county in Louisiana
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Empire?
A $85,000 home in Empire, Louisiana costs approximately $812 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $437 principal and interest, $33 property tax, $77 homeowners insurance, $195 utilities and $71 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Empire?
Place-level tax data is not published for Empire, so the Plaquemines Parish rate of 0.462% applies here.
What is the average home price in Empire?
The median owner-occupied home value in Empire, Louisiana is $84,700, against $275,800 across Plaquemines Parish.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Empire?
Rent data is not published for Empire at this level of detail.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Empire — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Louisiana.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.