Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Ponchatoula, Louisiana
A $194,000 home here costs
$1,599per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $997. The real number is $602 higher every month — 60% 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.
Ponchatoula against Tangipahoa Parish and Louisiana
| Measure | Ponchatoula | Tangipahoa Parish |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $194,300 | $204,600 |
| Median property tax | $844 | $887 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.434% | 0.434% |
| Median gross rent | $1,079 | $974 |
| Population | 7,839 | 135,218 |
The weather behind that power bill
Ponchatoula sits in Tangipahoa Parish, which averages a high of 91.8°F in its hottest month and a low of 38.3°F in its coldest, with 64.17" of precipitation a year and 30% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,467 cooling and 1,797 heating degree days, which is what sets the $127 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Tangipahoa Parish — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Tangipahoa Parish
Full Tangipahoa Parish cost breakdown · Every county in Louisiana
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Ponchatoula?
A $194,000 home in Ponchatoula, Louisiana costs approximately $1,599 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $997 principal and interest, $70 property tax, $175 homeowners insurance, $195 utilities and $162 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Ponchatoula?
Ponchatoula has an effective property tax rate of 0.434%, based on a median home value of $194,300 and median real estate taxes of $844. That is in line with the Tangipahoa Parish average of 0.434%.
What is the average home price in Ponchatoula?
The median owner-occupied home value in Ponchatoula, Louisiana is $194,300, against $204,600 across Tangipahoa Parish.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Ponchatoula?
Median gross rent in Ponchatoula is $1,079 a month, against $1,599 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 Ponchatoula — 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.