Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Lafayette, Louisiana
A $251,000 home here costs
$2,042per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,290. The real number is $752 higher every month — 58% 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.
Lafayette against Lafayette Parish and Louisiana
| Measure | Lafayette | Lafayette Parish |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $251,300 | $234,200 |
| Median property tax | $1,455 | $1,329 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.579% | 0.567% |
| Median gross rent | $1,065 | $1,022 |
| Population | 121,537 | 245,075 |
The weather behind that power bill
Lafayette sits in Lafayette Parish, which averages a high of 91.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 41.2°F in its coldest, with 64.74" of precipitation a year and 31% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,716 cooling and 1,575 heating degree days, which is what sets the $127 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Lafayette Parish — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Lafayette Parish
Full Lafayette Parish cost breakdown · Every county in Louisiana
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Lafayette?
A $251,000 home in Lafayette, Louisiana costs approximately $2,042 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,290 principal and interest, $121 property tax, $227 homeowners insurance, $195 utilities and $209 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Lafayette?
Lafayette has an effective property tax rate of 0.579%, based on a median home value of $251,300 and median real estate taxes of $1,455. That is higher than the Lafayette Parish average of 0.567%.
What is the average home price in Lafayette?
The median owner-occupied home value in Lafayette, Louisiana is $251,300, against $234,200 across Lafayette Parish.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Lafayette?
Median gross rent in Lafayette is $1,065 a month, against $2,042 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 Lafayette — 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.