Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Ruston, Louisiana
A $227,000 home here costs
$1,855per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,167. The real number is $688 higher every month — 59% 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.
Ruston against Lincoln Parish and Louisiana
| Measure | Ruston | Lincoln Parish |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $226,700 | $195,500 |
| Median property tax | $1,186 | $975 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.523% | 0.499% |
| Median gross rent | $819 | $821 |
| Population | 22,224 | 48,160 |
The weather behind that power bill
Ruston sits in Lincoln Parish, which averages a high of 92.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 35.0°F in its coldest, with 55.61" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,300 cooling and 2,337 heating degree days, which is what sets the $127 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Lincoln Parish — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Lincoln Parish
Full Lincoln Parish cost breakdown · Every county in Louisiana
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Ruston?
A $227,000 home in Ruston, Louisiana costs approximately $1,855 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,167 principal and interest, $99 property tax, $205 homeowners insurance, $195 utilities and $189 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Ruston?
Ruston has an effective property tax rate of 0.523%, based on a median home value of $226,700 and median real estate taxes of $1,186. That is higher than the Lincoln Parish average of 0.499%.
What is the average home price in Ruston?
The median owner-occupied home value in Ruston, Louisiana is $226,700, against $195,500 across Lincoln Parish.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Ruston?
Median gross rent in Ruston is $819 a month, against $1,855 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 Ruston — 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.