Monroe, 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.
moderate
Price to income
3.31×
The single most-cited 'is this market still cheap' check. Below 3× and you're in an affordability tailwind.
- vs Louisiana
- 3.38×-0.07
- vs U.S.
- 3.43×-0.12
Benchmark
ACS median home value ÷ median HHI
moderate
Rent to income
25.0%
What share of a typical household's income goes to rent. Below 30% means tenants can absorb modest rent increases.
- vs Louisiana
- 21.8%
- vs U.S.
- 23.3%
Benchmark
(HUD FMR 2BR × 12) ÷ median HHI
deal-by-deal
Cap rate proxy
4.91%
Rough first-pass yield assuming a 35% expense ratio. Not an underwriting number — a 'is this even worth modeling' filter.
- vs Louisiana
- 4.47%+0.44
- vs U.S.
- 4.35%+0.56
Benchmark
(FMR 2BR × 12 × 0.65) ÷ ACS median home value
shrinking
Net migration
-0.16%
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
2.24
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
- vs U.S.
- 3.52
Benchmark
Census BPS permits TTM ÷ population × 1,000
softening
Unemployment
4.3%
Tighter unemployment means higher wages, more rental demand, lower vacancy.
- vs Louisiana
- 3.9%
- vs U.S.
- 3.9%
Benchmark
BLS LAUS, latest month
Where prices are and where they've been
5-year price appreciation
+28.4%
homeValues.yearOverYear
+8.0%
Median home value
$163,000
The rent ladder
| Bedroom | Monthly | Annual | % of median HHI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | $793 | $9,516 | 19.3% |
| 2 BR | $1,026 | $12,312 | 25.0% |
| 3 BR | $1,319 | $15,828 | 32.2% |
Labor market direction
Unemployment
4.3%
Median household income
$49,203
What's being built
Total TTM
461
+175.6% YoY
Single-family
445
2–4 unit
11
5+ unit
5
All 4 counties, ranked by population
| County | Population | Home value | Median HHI | Permits TTM | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ouachita Parish | 159,585 | $183,000 | $51,241 | 380 | +23.4% |
| Morehouse Parish | 25,438 | $108,700 | $36,981 | 13 | +18.2% |
| Union Parish | 21,049 | $115,400 | $45,743 | 26 | +2500.0% |
| Richland Parish | 20,028 | $124,500 | $52,960 | 42 | +162.5% |
Similar metros nationally
| Metro | Pop | Med HHI | P/I | Cap proxy | HPI 5y | Permits/1k | Unemp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★Monroe | 206,072 | $49,203 | 3.31× | 4.91% | +28.4% | 2.24 | 4.3% |
| Florence, SC | 200,040 | $53,874 | — | — | +49.5% | — | 5.3% |
| Johnson City, TN | 207,442 | $56,096 | — | — | +75.6% | — | 3.3% |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | 214,229 | $55,799 | — | — | +46.1% | — | 4.9% |
| Las Cruces, NM | 219,870 | $55,663 | — | — | +49.2% | — | 4.9% |
| Terre Haute, IN | 185,357 | $55,380 | — | — | +55.6% | — | 2.8% |
Where people are moving in from
Net migration
-339
-0.16% of population
| Origin county | Tax returns |
|---|---|
| Ouachita Parish, LA | 442 |
| Lincoln Parish, LA | 251 |
| Morehouse Parish, LA | 188 |
| Richland Parish, LA | 172 |
| Franklin Parish, LA | 145 |
| Union Parish, LA | 143 |
Who lives in Monroe
- Median age
- 38
- Bachelor's+
- 23.9%
- Owner-occupancy
- 62.5%
- Vacancy rate
- 15.3%
- Rent burdened (30%+)
- 49.6%
- Median household income
- $49,203
This page shows federally sourced data. A full editorial analysis with charts and investment commentary is in progress.