County FMR · HUD FY2026

Calcasieu Parish Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Calcasieu Parish, LA - 3% below the US average.

$928
1-bedroom FMR
$1,217
2-bedroom FMR
+5.8%
YoY change
-3%
vs US avg

The verdict

Calcasieu is the 9th most expensive of 64 counties in Louisiana by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #975 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 5.8% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.

#975
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#9
most expensive of 64 in Louisiana (2BR)
+12%
vs the state average
$37,120
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (10.9%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (48.2%).

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Calcasieu Parish, LA. Verify with HUD →

Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $928 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,217/mo and a studio is $921/mo. That's 3% below the national benchmark of $959 and 12% above the Louisiana average of $832.

Rent increased5.8% from FY 2025 ($877), outpacing inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $37,120/year for a 1-bedroom.

Observed renter burden: 44.9% of the 21,371 renter households counted by ACS paid at least 30% of income in gross rent. This ACS 2023 household measure is distinct from HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent benchmark above.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Louisiana. Population: 210,770. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+4.2%, Census ACS). That's faster than Louisiana's statewide growth of -0.9% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area CALCASIEU·PARISH·LA·LA

Calcasieu Parish, LA: $928/mo 1BR · #975 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA LA
  • 1BR-FMR $928
  • 2BR-FMR $1,217
  • RANK-MID #975
  • YOY-SURGE +5.8%
  • VSUS-NEAR -3%
  • VS-ST-HIGH +12% LA
  • INC-ROOM 16%
  • POP-MID 211K
  • PHOTO-NEAR East Baton Rouge P
  • VOUCH-90-110 $835–$1,021
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: East Baton Rouge ($136 1BR gap)

Read with: How Fair Market Rent works

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $763 · US avg: $893
$921/mo
↑ 5.7% YoY +21% vs state +3% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $832 · US avg: $959
$928/mo
↑ 5.8% YoY +12% vs state -3% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,007 · US avg: $1,175
$1,217/mo
↑ 6.4% YoY +21% vs state +4% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,298 · US avg: $1,525
$1,459/mo
↑ 5.5% YoY +12% vs state -4% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,508 · US avg: $1,756
$1,611/mo
↑ 6.2% YoY +7% vs state -8% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $871
$921
+$50 (+5.7%)
1 Bedroom $877
$928
+$51 (+5.8%)
2 Bedroom $1,144
$1,217
+$73 (+6.4%)
3 Bedroom $1,383
$1,459
+$76 (+5.5%)
4 Bedroom $1,517
$1,611
+$94 (+6.2%)

Rent Burden Analysis

How much of household income goes to rent in Calcasieu Parish. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.

Studio
16.3%
Affordable
Need $36,840/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
16.4%
Affordable
Need $37,120/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
21.5%
Affordable
Need $48,680/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
25.8%
Affordable
Need $58,360/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
28.5%
Affordable
Need $64,440/yr for 30% rule
How we calculate this

Rent burden = (FMR × 12) ÷ county median household income. Required income = (FMR × 12) ÷ 0.3, the federal 30%-of-gross-income rule HUD uses to define cost burden. Median household income is from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey; FMR is from HUD's FY2026 release. See methodology.

0%100%National avg22%21.5%
Calcasieu Parish 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $67,849 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Louisiana rent burden →

Where Calcasieu sits among every US county

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties

$1,217 Top 31% higher than 69% of 3,145 counties

$600–$800: 23 counties (1%). Below this entry. $800–$1,000: 1,406 counties (45%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,200: 723 counties (23%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 417 counties (13%). This entry sits in this band. $1,400–$1,600: 181 counties (6%). Above this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 172 counties (5%). Above this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 108 counties (3%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 29 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 40 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 13 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 9 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 15 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,200–$3,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,400–$3,600: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,600–$3,800: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,800–$4,000: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,000–$4,200: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,200–$4,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. This county $600 $4,400 every US county, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents · FY2026

How Calcasieu compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Louisiana counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Calcasieu is highlighted. Nearby Louisiana counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: St. Tammany Parish ($1,130), Jefferson Parish ($1,113), Orleans Parish ($1,113), East Baton Rouge Parish ($1,064), Caddo Parish ($982), Calcasieu Parish (this county) ($928), Lafayette Parish ($898).

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) As of FY2026

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

How a 1-bedroom at $928/mo compares to Louisiana salaries for popular occupations (BLS wage data, 30%-of-income rule).

Occupation LA Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Software Developers $102,290 10.9% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $102,060 10.9% Affordable
Registered Nurses $78,880 14.1% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $69,540 16% Affordable
Electricians $59,590 18.7% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $52,280 21.3% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $50,580 22% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $48,770 22.8% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $47,580 23.4% Affordable
Pharmacy Technicians $38,700 28.8% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $35,890 31% Stretched
Retail Salespersons $28,820 38.6% Stretched
Janitors & Cleaners $27,940 39.9% Stretched
Teaching Assistants $27,040 41.2% Stretched
Fast Food & Counter Workers $23,110 48.2% Stretched
Salaries: BLS OES (Louisiana) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

7-year Fair Market Rent history for Calcasieu Parish. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Calcasieu (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 40.0% overall, from $663 to $928. The increases have been fairly steady year to year, with no single jump exceeding 11.5% (FY 2023).

$600$700$800$900$1,000 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $928
Calcasieu Parish 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑5.8% $921 $928 $1,217
FY 2025 ↑4.4% $871 $877 $1,144
FY 2024 ↑9.5% $835 $840 $1,080
FY 2023 ↑11.5% $756 $767 $983
FY 2022 ↑2.1% $660 $688 $884
FY 2021 ↑1.7% $650 $674 $869
FY 2020 $617 $663 $837
Total change (6yr): +40.0%
Annualized: +5.8%/yr
1 BR: $663 → $928

Part of the Lake Charles, LA Metro Area

Calcasieu Parish is a central county of the Lake Charles, LA metropolitan statistical area, alongside 2 other metro-area counties.

Calcasieu Parish ranks #2 of 3 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Cameron Parish ($928), Calcasieu Parish (this county) ($928), Jefferson Davis Parish ($664).

Cameron Parish
1 BR: $928/mo
Calcasieu Parish (this county)
1 BR: $928/mo
Jefferson Davis Parish
1 BR: $664/mo

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Calcasieu Parish, both outside Louisiana so the link neighborhoods are not the same-state geography lattice above. Axes stay disjoint: burden peers exclude the FMR peer set.

Similar 2-bedroom FMR

Nearest HUD 2BR Fair Market Rents outside LA (FY2026).

Tulsa County
OK · 2 BR $1,217/mo
Rogers County
OK · 2 BR $1,217/mo
Wagoner County
OK · 2 BR $1,217/mo
Creek County
OK · 2 BR $1,217/mo

Similar rent burden

Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside LA).

Barton County
MO · 21.5% of income · 2 BR $888/mo
Putnam County
TN · 21.5% of income · 2 BR $1,014/mo
Riley County
KS · 21.5% of income · 2 BR $1,068/mo
Greenville County
SC · 21.5% of income · 2 BR $1,339/mo

Nearby Counties in Louisiana

Largest counties by population in Louisiana

Showing the 8 largest of 63 other counties in Louisiana.

East Baton Rouge Parish
1 BR: $1,064/mo Pop: 454,369
Jefferson Parish
1 BR: $1,113/mo Pop: 436,171
Orleans Parish
1 BR: $1,113/mo Pop: 380,408
St. Tammany Parish
1 BR: $1,130/mo Pop: 266,168
Lafayette Parish
1 BR: $898/mo Pop: 243,175
Caddo Parish
1 BR: $982/mo Pop: 236,259
Ouachita Parish
1 BR: $793/mo Pop: 159,585
Livingston Parish
1 BR: $1,064/mo Pop: 143,425
View all counties in Louisiana →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Calcasieu Parish? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Calcasieu Parish is $928 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,217 and a studio is $921.
How does Calcasieu Parish rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Calcasieu Parish is 3% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $928 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Calcasieu Parish rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Calcasieu Parish's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,217 ranks #975 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the middle half of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Calcasieu Parish? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $37,120 ($3,093/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Calcasieu Parish.
Is rent going up or down in Calcasieu Parish? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Calcasieu Parish increased by 5.8% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $877 to $928.
Which jobs can afford rent in Calcasieu Parish? ▼
Based on Louisiana BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $928/mo. 10 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Calcasieu Parish over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Calcasieu Parish went from $663 in FY 2020 to $928 in FY 2026, a total change of +40.0% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Calcasieu Parish? ▼
In Calcasieu Parish, the FY 2026 FMR of $928/mo for a 1-bedroom sets the baseline that local housing authorities use for Section 8 payment standards.
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Calcasieu Parish? ▼
For Calcasieu Parish, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($928/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and HUD Fair Market Rents. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR) - county-level fair-market rent estimates by bedroom count. huduser.gov/datasets/fmr
  • HUD Income Limits - area median income for affordability calculations. huduser.gov/datasets/il
  • HUD Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) - rent burden and housing-cost distribution. huduser.gov/datasets/cp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - county and metro housing characteristics + median rent. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • BLS Consumer Price Index, Rent of Primary Residence - rent inflation by metro. bls.gov/cpi
  • IRS Migration Data (SOI) - interstate migration aggregates affecting county demand. irs.gov/statistics/migration
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics - state-level median wages by occupation, used for job affordability analysis. bls.gov/oes

Every figure on PlainRent is rendered directly from HUD's published Fair Market Rent records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of FY 2026.