Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Monroe, Louisiana
A $175,000 home here costs
$1,464per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $900. The real number is $565 higher every month — 63% 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.
Monroe against Ouachita Parish and Louisiana
| Measure | Monroe | Ouachita Parish |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $174,800 | $183,000 |
| Median property tax | $786 | $1,016 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.450% | 0.555% |
| Median gross rent | $823 | $923 |
| Population | 47,241 | 158,916 |
The weather behind that power bill
Monroe sits in Ouachita Parish, which averages a high of 93.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 36.7°F in its coldest, with 55.1" of precipitation a year and 28% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,495 cooling and 2,213 heating degree days, which is what sets the $127 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Ouachita Parish — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Ouachita Parish
Full Ouachita Parish cost breakdown · Every county in Louisiana
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Monroe?
A $175,000 home in Monroe, Louisiana costs approximately $1,464 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $900 principal and interest, $66 property tax, $158 homeowners insurance, $195 utilities and $146 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Monroe?
Monroe has an effective property tax rate of 0.450%, based on a median home value of $174,800 and median real estate taxes of $786. That is lower than the Ouachita Parish average of 0.555%.
What is the average home price in Monroe?
The median owner-occupied home value in Monroe, Louisiana is $174,800, against $183,000 across Ouachita Parish.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Monroe?
Median gross rent in Monroe is $823 a month, against $1,464 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 Monroe — 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.