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Washington Parish, LA

Rent vs Own in Washington Parish, Louisiana

In Washington Parish the ownership stack ($875/mo) sits only modestly above HUD's $834/mo 2-bedroom rent, a thin premium, not a blowout. Small assumption changes in the calculator can flip the verdict. Owner-occupied homes: 12,277.

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Renting is cheaper in Washington Parish

HUD's 2-bedroom rent is $834/mo - only a thin step below the $875/mo ownership stack. That is a $41/mo difference.

Based on 20% down, 6.5% rate, 30-year mortgage. Adjust below.

What This Data Tells Us About Renting vs Owning in Washington Parish

Primary driver

The tax rate is a national tailwind

Washington Parish's 0.33% effective rate is among the lowest of 3,135 tracked counties: roughly 96% pay a higher rate. That low tax line is one reason owning can compete here.

Decision signal 2

Price and income sit in the middle band

Median household income is $45,380, for a 3.4x home-price-to-income ratio in the middle of the national distribution; property tax takes 1.1% of that income. Small changes in down payment or rate move this county across the rent-vs-own line more than they would in a high-ratio market.

Decision signal 3

HUD moved the rent benchmark down

HUD cut its 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Washington Parish from $903/mo in FY2025 to $834/mo in FY2026: it decreased by $69/mo (-7.6%). A falling benchmark narrows the case for buying here, and it usually reflects HUD re-estimating the local market rather than existing rents being cut.

Decision signal 4

The county sits near the state middle

Using the assumptions above, Washington Parish ranks 44 of 64 Louisiana counties for buy-vs-rent value (rank 1 = the best relative deal for buying). It sits ahead of 20 other Louisiana counties on this measure.

Decision signal 5

Renting wins, but only by a thin premium

At $155,700 for the median home and $507/yr in tax (0.33%), Washington Parish's ownership stack (~$875/mo) only narrowly exceeds the $834/mo HUD 2-bedroom rent - a $41/mo premium. That is the band where a rate drop or a larger down payment most often flips the cash-flow verdict.

Methodology & disclaimer

This calculator is for informational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Property tax figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates and rent figures come from HUD Fair Market Rents; both describe area medians, not individual transactions. Insurance is estimated at 0.35% of home value annually and closing costs, maintenance, HOA, and PMI are not included. Consult a licensed mortgage, tax, or real-estate professional before making a buy-or-rent decision based on these numbers.

Monthly Cost Breakdown

Estimated Monthly Ownership
$875
Mortgage (P&I) $787
Property Tax $42
Insurance (est.) $45
Monthly Rent (2-BR FMR)
$834
Studio$727
1-Bedroom$761
2-Bedroom$834
3-Bedroom$1,160
4-Bedroom$1,388

Adjust Your Scenario

Affordability Context

Median Household Income
$45,380
$3,782/mo
Home Price / Income
3.4x
Moderate (3-5x)
Tax-to-Income Ratio
1.1%
National benchmark: 2-4%

Who actually pays it here

In Washington Parish, once the mortgage ends staying put is close to free: the largest cluster of debt-free households faces a yearly charge under $800, so insurance and upkeep, not the tax office, set what the home costs to keep.

Washington Parish matches the national pattern: six-figure earners between $100,000 and $200,000 account for more of these write-offs than any other local group.

Layered on a thin rent-vs-own premium, that annual bill is often the swing factor: a paid-off owner still faces a real yearly charge even when the mortgage payment itself would have looked competitive.

Bill bands are Census ACS counts of owner-occupied homes without a mortgage. Income brackets are IRS Statistics of Income county data for tax year 2022, counted over FILERS reporting real-estate taxes on Schedule A, which is a smaller group than homeowners: most filers take the standard deduction.

Nearby Counties

Jefferson Parish
Home: $251,400 Tax: $1,312/yr
East Baton Rouge Parish
Home: $248,800 Tax: $1,656/yr
St. Tammany Parish
Home: $284,000 Tax: $2,028/yr
Orleans Parish
Home: $315,700 Tax: $2,606/yr
Lafayette Parish
Home: $242,900 Tax: $1,380/yr
Caddo Parish
Home: $175,700 Tax: $1,085/yr

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Washington Parish? ▼
HUD prices a 2-bedroom unit at $834/mo here. Sizing up matters: going from a studio to a 4-bedroom adds about $661/mo, so the per-bedroom jump is worth checking against your actual space needs before assuming the 2-BR figure applies to your situation.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Washington Parish, Louisiana? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom rent is only a thin step cheaper than owning in Washington Parish (about $41/mo) on the standard 20%-down / 6.5% assumptions. A larger down payment or a rate drop often closes it; equity is still the ownership-only bonus.
How much house can you afford in Washington Parish? ▼
On the common 3x-income guideline, a $45,380 household here can afford up to $136,140 -- about $19,560 short of this county's $155,700 median home. That gap is typically closed with a larger down payment, dual incomes, or a longer search outside the median price band.
What is the median home price in Washington Parish? ▼
$155,700, per the Census Bureau's ACS 5-Year Estimates. What stands out more than the price itself is the tax load on it: this county's 0.33% effective rate sits near the low end of the 3,135 counties tracked here.
Is rent going up or down in Washington Parish? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent figure has fallen 7.6% between the FY2025 and FY2026 publications, the two most recent years tracked here.
How does Washington Parish compare to other Louisiana counties for renting vs buying? ▼
Out of 64 Louisiana counties ranked here on buy-vs-rent value, Washington Parish lands at spot 44, roughly in the middle of the pack statewide. The <a href="/states/louisiana">Louisiana state page</a> lists every peer county's tax bill beside this one.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainPropertyTax

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Government Finances State and local property tax revenue by jurisdiction · 2025

Verify with HUD →