CostBy County

Cost of Living in Tensas Parish, Louisiana

$601/mo
Median Monthly Rent
$86,300
Median Home Value

At a Glance

Median Monthly Rent
$601/mo
34% below state average
Median Home Value
$86,300
74% below national
Census GRAPI
35.8%
Median gross rent as % of renter income

Rent burden measured as median gross rent as a percentage of renter household income (Census ACS B25071)

Affordability Rating
Stretched
Median gross rent is 30–50% of renter household income

These figures are county medians, not a personal budget. Use them to frame rent, ownership, and income tradeoffs, then account for household size, commute, financing, insurance, taxes, debt, and local availability before making a decision.

How Tensas Parish Compares

Median monthly rent comparison

Tensas Parish$601/mo
Louisiana Average$914/mo
National Median$1,413/mo

Detailed Housing Stats

$601/mo
Median Gross Rent
$86,300
Median Home Value
$583/mo
Monthly Owner Cost
35.8%
Census GRAPI

National Ranking

Affordability Rank

Tensas Parish ranks #128 of 3,142 counties for affordability (top 4%)

Most AffordableLeast Affordable

Sourced county brief

Tensas Parish Median Gross Rent Estimated at $601

In Tensas Parish, the median gross rent is $601 per month, which is $313 below the Louisiana unweighted county mean of $914. The official ACS B25071 median gross rent as a percentage of household income (GRAPI) is 35.8%, which is 3.1 percentage points above the state unweighted county mean of 32.7%. For homeowners, the median home value is $86,300, compared to the state unweighted county mean of $167,369. The median selected monthly owner cost is $583, which is below the unweighted county mean of $738. Renter-household income in the parish is estimated at $22,292. These metrics describe the housing and income conditions as recorded in the 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates. See ACS table B25071 for the underlying estimate.

Cost of Living Advisory: Tensas Parish

Affordability Verdict

ACS B25071 estimates median gross rent at 35.8% of renter household income in Tensas Parish, which is between the 30% and 50% rent-burden benchmarks. This is a median percentage among renter-occupied units, not the share of households above a threshold.

Rent vs. Own

Median gross rent is $601 per month; median selected monthly owner costs are $583. These ACS medians describe different tenure groups and are not a personalized rent-versus-buy calculation.

Income Needed

Using the common 30% budgeting benchmark, $24,040 in annual gross income would allocate 30% to the county's median gross rent. This is a reproducible illustration, not evidence that a particular household can afford housing.

Regional Context

The Louisiana unweighted mean of county median rents is $914 per month. Tensas Parish's $601 median is 34.3% below that comparison value.

Data version acs5-2020-2024 · Method cost-advisory-v2

Affordability Calculator

See how your income compares to housing costs in Tensas Parish

$

Rent Burden

19.7%

of gross income

Max Housing (28% Rule)

$854

per month

Owner Cost Burden

19.1%

of gross income

You can likely afford the median home in Tensas Parish

Median home value is $86,300. Estimated monthly cost: $689 vs. your max of $854.

Rent Affordability Guide

Your entered rent as a share of entered income19.7%
Recommended max30.0%

Income Needed Calculator

See how much you need to earn to comfortably afford housing

$
Rent Affordability

$0/yr

Needed to stay within recommended threshold

Median income:$0/yr
Can you afford it? Yes
Your income: $36,615Needed: $24,040
Owner Cost Affordability

$0/yr

Needed to stay within recommended threshold

Median income:$0/yr
Can you afford it? Yes
Your income: $36,615Needed: $24,986
Mortgage Affordability

$0/yr

Needed to stay within recommended threshold

Median income:$0/yr
Can you afford it? Yes
Your income: $36,615Needed: $20,084

Based on the 30% rule for rent and 28% rule for housing costs (mortgage + owner costs). Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 7.2% interest, 30-year fixed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of living in Tensas Parish, Louisiana?
Tensas Parish, Louisiana has a median monthly rent of $601/mo and a median home value of $86,300. The affordability rating is Stretched, with median gross rent equal to approximately 35.8% of renter household income.
What is the median rent in Tensas Parish?
The median gross rent in Tensas Parish is $601/mo. This is 34% below state average for Louisiana.
Is Tensas Parish affordable?
Tensas Parish is rated Stretched using the Census median gross-rent-as-a-percentage-of-income measure of 35.8%. Median gross rent is 30–50% of renter household income.
How does Tensas Parish's rent compare to the state average?
Tensas Parish's median rent of $601/mo is 34% below state average of $914/mo for Louisiana.
What is the median home value in Tensas Parish?
The median home value in Tensas Parish, Louisiana is $86,300. This is 74% below the national median home value of $332,700.

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Published by the CostByCounty Editorial Team. See our methodology and corrections policy.Data build reviewed 2026-07-09; first published 2026-03-10.

Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2020-2024). Data is informational only and is not personalized financial advice.

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