Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Zachary, Louisiana
A $258,000 home here costs
$2,151per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,326. The real number is $824 higher every month — 62% 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.
Zachary against East Baton Rouge Parish and Louisiana
| Measure | Zachary | East Baton Rouge Parish |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $258,000 | $241,800 |
| Median property tax | $2,175 | $1,547 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.843% | 0.640% |
| Median gross rent | $1,440 | $1,121 |
| Population | 19,637 | 452,821 |
The weather behind that power bill
Zachary sits in East Baton Rouge Parish, which averages a high of 92.2°F in its hottest month and a low of 41.6°F in its coldest, with 61.94" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,818 cooling and 1,534 heating degree days, which is what sets the $127 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for East Baton Rouge Parish — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in East Baton Rouge Parish
Full East Baton Rouge Parish cost breakdown · Every county in Louisiana
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Zachary?
A $258,000 home in Zachary, Louisiana costs approximately $2,151 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,326 principal and interest, $181 property tax, $233 homeowners insurance, $195 utilities and $215 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Zachary?
Zachary has an effective property tax rate of 0.843%, based on a median home value of $258,000 and median real estate taxes of $2,175. That is higher than the East Baton Rouge Parish average of 0.640%.
What is the average home price in Zachary?
The median owner-occupied home value in Zachary, Louisiana is $258,000, against $241,800 across East Baton Rouge Parish.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Zachary?
Median gross rent in Zachary is $1,440 a month, against $2,151 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 Zachary — 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.