County FMR · HUD FY2026
Caldwell Parish Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Caldwell Parish, LA - 33% below the US average.
- $647
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $834
- 2-bedroom FMR
- -6.8%
- YoY change
- -33%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Caldwell is the 3rd cheapest of 64 counties in Louisiana by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #32 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has fallen 6.8% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.
- #32
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #3
- cheapest of 64 in Louisiana (2BR)
- -22%
- vs the state average
- $25,880
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (7.6%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (33.6%); 14 of 15 common occupations here can afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent without exceeding the 30% threshold.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Caldwell Parish, LA. Verify with HUD →
The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Caldwell Parish, Louisiana is $647 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $834/mo and a studio is $604/mo. This is 33% lower than the national average of $959 and 22% below the Louisiana average of $832.
Rent decreased6.8% from FY 2025 ($694), declining against the trend. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $25,880/year.
Observed renter burden: 53.0% of the 1,142 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: 9,658. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-4.3%, Census ACS). That's slower than Louisiana's statewide growth of -0.9% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area CALDWELL·PARISH·LA·LA
Caldwell Parish, LA: $647/mo 1BR · #32 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA LA
- 1BR-FMR $647
- 2BR-FMR $834
- RANK-LOW #32
- YOY-DOWN -6.8%
- VSUS-LOW -33%
- VS-ST-LOW -22% LA
- INC-ROOM 17%
- POP-SMALL 10K
- PHOTO-NEAR East Baton Rouge P
- VOUCH-90-110 $582–$712
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: East Baton Rouge ($417 1BR gap)
Read with: Section 8 housing guide
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $671 | $604 | $-67 (-10.0%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $694 | $647 | $-47 (-6.8%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $910 | $834 | $-76 (-8.4%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,096 | $1,072 | $-24 (-2.2%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,328 | $1,249 | $-79 (-5.9%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Caldwell Parish. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.
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.
Where Caldwell sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$834 higher than 1% of 3,145 counties
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 Caldwell compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Louisiana counties
- St. Tammany
St. Tammany Parish
$1,130 1BR FMR / mo
- Jefferson
Jefferson Parish
$1,113 1BR FMR / mo
- Orleans
Orleans Parish
$1,113 1BR FMR / mo
- East Baton Rouge
East Baton Rouge Parish
$1,064 1BR FMR / mo
- Caddo
Caddo Parish
$982 1BR FMR / mo
- Lafayette
Lafayette Parish
$898 1BR FMR / mo
- Caldwell
Caldwell Parish
$647 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Caldwell 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), Lafayette Parish ($898), Caldwell Parish (this county) ($647).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $647/mo, most of these Louisiana occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | LA Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $102,290 | 7.6% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $102,060 | 7.6% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $78,880 | 9.8% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $69,540 | 11.2% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $59,590 | 13% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $52,280 | 14.9% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $50,580 | 15.3% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $48,770 | 15.9% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $47,580 | 16.3% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $38,700 | 20.1% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $35,890 | 21.6% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $28,820 | 26.9% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $27,940 | 27.8% | Affordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $27,040 | 28.7% | Affordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $23,110 | 33.6% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Caldwell Parish. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Caldwell (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 14.3% overall, from $566 to $647. The path there hasn't been smooth: year-over-year moves have swung by as much as 18.0% (FY 2021), a volatility pattern that makes single-year comparisons a poor guide to the underlying trend.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↓6.8% | $604 | $647 | $834 |
| FY 2025 ↓3.9% | $671 | $694 | $910 |
| FY 2024 ↑7.0% | $710 | $722 | $949 |
| FY 2023 ↑6.3% | $670 | $675 | $888 |
| FY 2022 ↓4.9% | $617 | $635 | $812 |
| FY 2021 ↑18.0% | $597 | $668 | $762 |
| FY 2020 | $562 | $566 | $710 |
Where Caldwell Parish Ranks in Louisiana
Caldwell Parish is not part of any federally-designated metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area -- an independent rental market not administratively tied to a larger urban core. By 2-bedroom FMR, it ranks #3 of 64 counties in Louisiana. Nearest by rank: Allen Parish ($834), Bienville Parish ($834), Caldwell Parish (this county) ($834), Catahoula Parish ($834), Claiborne Parish ($834), Concordia Parish ($834), East Carroll Parish ($834), Evangeline Parish ($834), Franklin Parish ($834), Jackson Parish ($834), Madison Parish ($834).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Caldwell 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).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside LA).
Nearby Counties in Louisiana
Largest counties by population in Louisiana
Showing the 8 largest of 63 other counties in Louisiana.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Caldwell Parish? ▼
How does Caldwell Parish rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Caldwell Parish rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Caldwell Parish? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Caldwell Parish? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Caldwell Parish? ▼
How much has rent changed in Caldwell Parish over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Caldwell Parish? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Caldwell Parish? ▼
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.
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.