Property Makler
Advanced analytics for residential real estate investing

New Orleans-Metairie, LA housing market

Housing market indicators

Indicator	2022	2023	2024	2025*	2022	2023	2024	YTD
Median Listing Price per Square Feet	$184	$185	$185	$183	-5.2%	0.5%	0%	-1.1%
Active Listing Count	2,793	3,506	3,761	3,916	100.4%	25.5%	7.3%	4.1%
Median Days on Market	75	78	84	78	-1.3%	4%	7.7%	-7.1%
Share of listings with price increase	0.5%	0.3%	0.3%	0.3%
Share of listings with price decrease	16.4%	18.9%	17.6%	17.6%

* last available value

Note: 12M MA - 12 months moving average, Permits - New Private Housing Structures Authorized by Building Permits. Source: FRED

The New Orleans-Metairie, LA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) encompasses seven parishes: Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, and St. John the Baptist.
Total population stands at approximately 962,165 to 988,763 as of recent 2023-2024 estimates, covering 2,358.6 square miles with a density of 407.9 people per square mile.
Key geographic regions include urban core (New Orleans and Orleans Parish), suburban north shore-adjacent areas (Jefferson Parish with Metairie and Kenner), river parishes (St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, St. James), and lower parishes (St. Bernard, Plaquemines).
Population has declined post-Hurricane Katrina from 1.34 million in 2000 to current levels, with slight recovery noted in recent years.

Area	City/Town	Population	Density	Income (High/Low/...)	Quality of Schools (GreatSchools rating range)	Crime Level	Property Tax (%)	Comments
Urban Core	New Orleans	~384,000	High urban	Low-median	3-9	High	0.35-1.0	Cultural hub, tourism focus, flood-prone
Jefferson Parish Suburbs	Metairie (uninc.)	139,000	Medium-high	High	5-8	Medium	0.5-0.7	Commercial center, stable population
Jefferson Parish Suburbs	Kenner	~65,000	Medium	Median	4-7	Medium-high	0.5-0.7	Airport hub, family-oriented
Jefferson Parish Suburbs	Gretna	~17,000	High	Low-median	3-6	High	0.5-0.7	Working-class, river proximity
St. Bernard Parish	Chalmette (uninc.)	~21,000	Medium	Low	4-7	Medium	0.6-0.8	Industrial, post-Katrina recovery
River Parishes	LaPlace (uninc., St. John)	~32,000	Low-medium	Median	4-6	Medium	0.4-0.6	Petrochemical workforce
River Parishes	Destrehan (uninc., St. Charles)	~12,000	Low	High	6-9	Low	0.4-0.6	Affluent, industrial jobs
Lower Parishes	Belle Chasse (uninc., Plaquemines)	~13,000	Low	Median-high	5-8	Low-medium	0.7-1.0	Port-related, rural feel

To view all table columns, please open this table on a laptop or desktop screen.

Median household income in Metairie at $73,256; MSA-wide median around $55,000-$65,000 with suburbs higher than urban core.
Personal income lower in New Orleans proper versus Jefferson Parish suburbs like Metairie and Destrehan.
Higher education attainment concentrated in urban areas with universities: Tulane (7,892 students), University of New Orleans (7,152), Loyola (2,796).
Median age 38.9 MSA-wide, 41.5 in Metairie; college enrollment supports 20-30% bachelor's degree holders in core areas.
Lower education levels in river and lower parishes tied to industrial jobs.

Tourism and hospitality dominate urban core, employing large workforce in New Orleans.
Port and logistics critical across parishes, especially Plaquemines and St. Bernard.
Petrochemical and manufacturing in river parishes (St. Charles, St. John, St. James).
Healthcare and education strong in New Orleans with major universities and hospitals.
Professional services and retail in Jefferson suburbs like Metairie and Kenner.
Aviation via Louis Armstrong Airport in Kenner.

Zoning relatively open in suburbs (Jefferson Parish) allowing multi-family and infill development.
Strict regulations in flood zones require elevated structures, increasing costs 20-30%.
Construction workforce costs moderate but labor shortages post-Katrina persist.
Regulatory hurdles high in Orleans Parish due to historic preservation in core neighborhoods.
Supply constrained by land availability in river parishes; ample in rural Plaquemines.
New construction focused on suburban expansion, slower in urban rebuilds.

Net migration negative post-2005 but stabilizing with +1-2% annual growth in suburbs.
Growing industries: healthcare and logistics driving demand in Jefferson and river parishes.
Tourism recovery boosts urban rentals but homebuying lags.
Declining oil/petrochem jobs reduce demand in St. James and St. John.
Inbound migration from Texas for lower costs; outbound to St. Tammany for better schools.
Remote work increases appeal of low-density areas like Destrehan.

Flood risk and insurance premiums elevate costs, deterring buyers in low-lying areas.
Affordability gap: median home $250,000-$350,000 versus incomes, worst in urban core.
Crime in New Orleans suppresses values 10-20% below suburbs.
Aging housing stock needs $50B+ in upgrades post-Katrina.
Labor shortages slow new supply amid 5-7% vacancy rates.
Hurricane vulnerability caps insurance availability.

Area	Appreciation Potential	Risk	Key Drivers
Jefferson Suburbs (Metairie, Kenner)	High	Medium	Job growth, low crime relative, infrastructure
New Orleans Core	Medium	High	Tourism rebound, gentrification vs crime/floods
River Parishes (Destrehan)	High	Low-medium	Industrial stability, low density appeal
St. Bernard/Chalmette	Medium-low	High	Recovery ongoing, flood exposure
Plaquemines (Belle Chasse)	Low	Medium-high	Port jobs vs remoteness, hurricanes