Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Jena, Louisiana
A $158,000 home here costs
$1,368per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $812. The real number is $556 higher every month — 68% 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.
Jena against LaSalle Parish and Louisiana
| Measure | Jena | LaSalle Parish |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $157,900 | $137,200 |
| Median property tax | $1,034 | $578 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.655% | 0.421% |
| Median gross rent | $922 | $576 |
| Population | 4,139 | 14,804 |
The weather behind that power bill
Jena sits in LaSalle Parish, which averages a high of 91.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 36.2°F in its coldest, with 59.51" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,297 cooling and 2,275 heating degree days, which is what sets the $127 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for LaSalle Parish — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in LaSalle Parish
Full LaSalle Parish cost breakdown · Every county in Louisiana
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Jena?
A $158,000 home in Jena, Louisiana costs approximately $1,368 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $812 principal and interest, $86 property tax, $143 homeowners insurance, $195 utilities and $132 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Jena?
Jena has an effective property tax rate of 0.655%, based on a median home value of $157,900 and median real estate taxes of $1,034. That is higher than the LaSalle Parish average of 0.421%.
What is the average home price in Jena?
The median owner-occupied home value in Jena, Louisiana is $157,900, against $137,200 across LaSalle Parish.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Jena?
Median gross rent in Jena is $922 a month, against $1,368 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Jena — 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.