County FMR · HUD FY2026
Jefferson Parish Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Jefferson Parish, LA - 16% above the US average.
- $1,113
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,331
- 2-bedroom FMR
- -10.0%
- YoY change
- +16%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Jefferson is the 7th most expensive of 64 counties in Louisiana by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #723 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has fallen 10.0% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.
- #723
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #7
- most expensive of 64 in Louisiana (2BR)
- +34%
- vs the state average
- $44,520
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (13.1%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (57.8%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Jefferson Parish, LA. Verify with HUD →
Jefferson Parish, Louisiana carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,113 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,331/mo and a studio is $964/mo. That's 16% above the national benchmark of $959 and 34% above the Louisiana average of $832.
Rent decreased10.0% from FY 2025 ($1,236), declining against the trend. A household needs about $44,520/year to stay under the 30% rent-to-income line.
Observed renter burden: 49.2% of the 66,701 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: 436,171. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-0.6%, Census ACS). That's in line with Louisiana's statewide growth of -0.9% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area JEFFERSON·PARISH·LA·LA
Jefferson Parish, LA: $1,113/mo 1BR · #723 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA LA
- 1BR-FMR $1,113
- 2BR-FMR $1,331
- RANK-MID #723
- YOY-DOWN -10.0%
- VSUS-ABOVE +16%
- VS-ST-HIGH +34% LA
- INC-MID 20%
- POP-MAJOR 436K
- PHOTO-NEAR East Baton Rouge P
- VOUCH-90-110 $1,002–$1,224
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: East Baton Rouge ($49 1BR gap)
Read with: Understanding rent burden
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,071 | $964 | $-107 (-10.0%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $1,236 | $1,113 | $-123 (-10.0%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,478 | $1,331 | $-147 (-9.9%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,889 | $1,701 | $-188 (-10.0%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $2,217 | $1,996 | $-221 (-10.0%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Jefferson 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 Jefferson sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,331 Top 23% higher than 77% 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 Jefferson 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
- Calcasieu
Calcasieu Parish
$928 1BR FMR / mo
- Lafayette
Lafayette Parish
$898 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Jefferson is highlighted. Nearby Louisiana counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: St. Tammany Parish ($1,130), Jefferson Parish (this county) ($1,113), Orleans Parish ($1,113), East Baton Rouge Parish ($1,064), Caddo Parish ($982), Calcasieu Parish ($928), Lafayette Parish ($898).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
Against a high local FMR of $1,113/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using Louisiana BLS wages?
| Occupation | LA Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $102,290 | 13.1% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $102,060 | 13.1% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $78,880 | 16.9% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $69,540 | 19.2% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $59,590 | 22.4% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $52,280 | 25.5% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $50,580 | 26.4% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $48,770 | 27.4% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $47,580 | 28.1% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $38,700 | 34.5% | Stretched |
| Customer Service Representatives | $35,890 | 37.2% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $28,820 | 46.3% | Stretched |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $27,940 | 47.8% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $27,040 | 49.4% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $23,110 | 57.8% | Unaffordable |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Jefferson Parish. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Jefferson (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 22.6% overall, from $908 to $1,113. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +14.7% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↓10.0% | $964 | $1,113 | $1,331 |
| FY 2025 ↑7.6% | $1,071 | $1,236 | $1,478 |
| FY 2024 ↑14.7% | $986 | $1,149 | $1,362 |
| FY 2023 ↑8.1% | $848 | $1,002 | $1,182 |
| FY 2022 ↑3.1% | $786 | $927 | $1,089 |
| FY 2021 ↓1.0% | $765 | $899 | $1,061 |
| FY 2020 | $779 | $908 | $1,078 |
Part of the New Orleans-Metairie, LA Metro Area
Jefferson Parish is a central county of the New Orleans-Metairie, LA metropolitan statistical area, alongside 6 other metro-area counties.
Jefferson Parish ranks #6 of 7 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Orleans Parish ($1,113), St. Charles Parish ($1,113), St. Bernard Parish ($1,113), St. John the Baptist Parish ($1,113), Plaquemines Parish ($1,113), Jefferson Parish (this county) ($1,113), St. James Parish ($702).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Jefferson 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 Jefferson Parish? ▼
How does Jefferson Parish rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Jefferson Parish rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Jefferson Parish? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Jefferson Parish? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Jefferson Parish? ▼
How much has rent changed in Jefferson Parish over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Jefferson Parish? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Jefferson 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.