Shreveport, LA Relocation Guide (2026)
Cost of living, housing, and income data for Shreveport, sourced from the US Census Bureau.
Salary needed to live in Shreveport →
Source: US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2022). Last updated July 2026.
Shreveport's population is about 186,183. On income, the typical household clears $45,967 a year, running below the median household income across the cities we cover (-36%).
Expect a median home value of $168,900 in Shreveport, which runs below what we see across other cities (-48%). Median rent lands at $945/month — a useful baseline before comparing mortgage payments to rent.
The home-value-to-income ratio in Shreveport — around 3.7× — falls into a middle tier, neither notably affordable nor notably stretched. Shreveport's home prices have stayed largely flat, rising just 0.12% from a year earlier. FEMA's National Risk Index puts Shreveport at Relatively Moderate for overall natural-hazard risk — a relatively favorable factor for insurance costs.
Personal Affordability Check
Renting at $945/mo in Shreveport would take 24.7% of your income.
$204/mo under the 30% guideline.
Buying the median home ($168,900) would take 23.5% of your income toward principal & interest.
$171/mo under the 28% guideline.
Cost of housing in Shreveport
Median home value is $168,900 and median gross rent is $945/month. For buyers, monthly costs depend heavily on current mortgage rates — worth checking before you commit.
FHFA's county-level home price index for Caddo rose 0.12% over the past year (as of 2025).
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom unit in the surrounding county is $1,111/month.
Climate & home insurance
FEMA rates Shreveport's overall natural-hazard risk as Relatively Moderate. Risk level is a major driver of home insurance premiums.
Safety
Shreveport reported a violent crime rate of 1163 per 100,000 residents in 2025, per FBI data.
Moving to Shreveport
Planning a move to Shreveport? Compare licensed movers and get quotes based on your origin and move date.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cost of living in Shreveport, LA?
- Cost of living in Shreveport centers on housing: median home value runs $168,900, median rent runs $945/month, and the typical household earns $45,967 a year. Data via the US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2022).
- How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Shreveport?
- To keep rent under the commonly recommended 30% of income in Shreveport, where median rent runs $945/month, you'd want to earn about $37,800 annually. See the full salary breakdown (renting and buying) for Shreveport.
- Is it better to rent or buy in Shreveport?
- Buying at Shreveport's median home value of $168,900 takes about $38,643 a year in principal-and-interest income (20% down, 30-year fixed, current mortgage rates), compared with roughly $37,800 a year to comfortably rent at the median $945/month. Down payment and expected length of stay usually settle the question.
- Is Shreveport safe?
- The most recent FBI figures (2025) show a violent crime rate of 1163 per 100,000 residents in Shreveport.
See the full salary breakdown for Shreveport →
Cities with a similar cost of living
Matched on median rent and household income within 15% of Shreveport's.