Houma-Thibodaux, LA
The numbers that matter most
What an investor checks first when sizing up a new metro — affordability ratio, rent vs income, cap rate proxy, and where the market is moving. Each metric shown vs. state and national medians for instant context.
affordable
Price to income
2.95×
The single most-cited 'is this market still cheap' check. Below 3× and you're in an affordability tailwind.
- vs Louisiana
- 3.38×-0.43
- vs U.S.
- 3.43×-0.48
Benchmark
ACS median home value ÷ median HHI
comfortable
Rent to income
20.6%
What share of a typical household's income goes to rent. Below 30% means tenants can absorb modest rent increases.
- vs Louisiana
- 21.8%-1.2
- vs U.S.
- 23.3%-2.7
Benchmark
(HUD FMR 2BR × 12) ÷ median HHI
deal-by-deal
Cap rate proxy
4.53%
Rough first-pass yield assuming a 35% expense ratio. Not an underwriting number — a 'is this even worth modeling' filter.
- vs Louisiana
- 4.47%+0.06
- vs U.S.
- 4.35%+0.18
Benchmark
(FMR 2BR × 12 × 0.65) ÷ ACS median home value
shrinking
Net migration
-0.35%
Forward-looking demand signal. Positive net migration drives rent growth and absorbs new supply.
- vs Louisiana
- -0.16%
- vs U.S.
- 0.03%
Benchmark
IRS net migration ÷ population
normal
Permit pipeline
2.78
permits per 1,000 residents
Forward-supply indicator. Above ~5 means the metro is building meaningfully relative to its size; below 2 means supply is tight.
- vs Louisiana
- 2.76+0.03
- vs U.S.
- 3.52
Benchmark
Census BPS permits TTM ÷ population × 1,000
healthy
Unemployment
3.5%
Tighter unemployment means higher wages, more rental demand, lower vacancy.
- vs Louisiana
- 3.9%-0.4
- vs U.S.
- 3.9%-0.4
Benchmark
BLS LAUS, latest month
Where prices are and where they've been
5-year price appreciation
+18.3%
homeValues.yearOverYear
+1.0%
Median home value
$189,900
The rent ladder
| Bedroom | Monthly | Annual | % of median HHI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | $904 | $10,848 | 16.9% |
| 2 BR | $1,102 | $13,224 | 20.6% |
| 3 BR | $1,330 | $15,960 | 24.8% |
Labor market direction
Unemployment
3.5%
Median household income
$64,269
What's being built
Total TTM
573
+12.2% YoY
Single-family
539
2–4 unit
34
5+ unit
0
All 2 counties, ranked by population
| County | Population | Home value | Median HHI | Permits TTM | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terrebonne Parish | 108,862 | $189,100 | $64,819 | 238 | -7.8% |
| Lafourche Parish | 97,220 | $190,800 | $63,439 | 335 | +26.4% |
Similar metros nationally
| Metro | Pop | Med HHI | P/I | Cap proxy | HPI 5y | Permits/1k | Unemp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★Houma | 206,082 | $64,269 | 2.95× | 4.53% | +18.3% | 2.78 | 3.5% |
| Jacksonville, NC | 203,686 | $64,568 | — | — | +68.6% | — | 3.6% |
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN | 206,841 | $65,617 | — | — | +55.4% | — | 2.7% |
| Athens-Clarke County, GA | 216,194 | $62,897 | — | — | +68.9% | — | 3.0% |
| Yuma, AZ | 204,374 | $60,417 | — | — | +56.0% | — | 12.4% |
| Lake Charles, LA | 216,217 | $67,010 | — | — | +14.4% | — | 4.2% |
Where people are moving in from
Net migration
-716
-0.35% of population
| Origin county | Tax returns |
|---|---|
| Terrebonne Parish, LA | 829 |
| Lafourche Parish, LA | 728 |
| Lafayette Parish, LA | 145 |
| Jefferson Parish, LA | 135 |
| St. Mary Parish, LA | 124 |
| Assumption Parish, LA | 119 |
Who lives in Houma
- Median age
- 38
- Bachelor's+
- 19.0%
- Owner-occupancy
- 75.8%
- Vacancy rate
- 10.4%
- Rent burdened (30%+)
- 40.4%
- Median household income
- $64,269
This page shows federally sourced data. A full editorial analysis with charts and investment commentary is in progress.