How is property assessed in Louisiana?

Louisiana assesses residential land and improvements at 10% of fair market value. So a home worth $250,000 has an assessed value of $25,000. Other property classes use different ratios (15% for commercial improvements, 25% for public service property).

What is the Louisiana homestead exemption?

The homestead exemption removes the first $75,000 of fair market value — $7,500 of assessed value — from taxation on your primary residence. It applies to parish taxes but generally not to municipal (city) millage, so most homeowners still owe some city tax.

What is a millage rate?

A mill is one-tenth of one cent, so one mill equals $1 of tax per $1,000 of assessed value. Parishes set a total millage that funds schools, sheriffs, levees, and other services. Multiply taxable assessed value by millage ÷ 1,000 to get the tax.

Why are Louisiana property taxes relatively low?

The combination of a low 10% assessment ratio and a generous $75,000 homestead exemption means many modest homes owe little or no parish tax. Louisiana's effective property tax rate is among the lowest in the United States, often below 0.6% of market value.

Is this an exact tax bill?

No. It is an estimate. Actual bills depend on your exact assessor valuation, the specific millage in your parish and city, special assessment districts, and any additional exemptions (disabled veteran, senior freeze). Confirm with your parish assessor.

Louisiana Property Tax Estimator

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Louisiana property tax is built on a low 10% assessment ratio and a generous $75,000 homestead exemption, which together give the state one of the lowest effective property tax burdens in the country. This estimator applies those rules plus your parish millage rate to project your annual bill.

How it works

Louisiana assesses residential property at 10 percent of fair market value. The homestead exemption then removes the first $75,000 of market value — equivalent to $7,500 of assessed value — from the parish tax base for a primary residence:

assessed value      = market value × 0.10
homestead reduction = min(assessed value, $7,500) if primary residence
taxable assessed    = assessed value − homestead reduction

The tax is the taxable assessed value times the millage rate, where one mill is $1 per $1,000 of assessed value:

annual tax = taxable assessed × (millage ÷ 1000)

The homestead exemption applies to parish millage but typically not municipal millage, so this tool treats it as a parish-level reduction for an approximate bill.

Example

A $250,000 primary residence in a parish with a 120-mill rate: assessed value is $25,000, the homestead exemption removes $7,500, leaving $17,500 taxable. The tax is 17,500 × (120 ÷ 1000) = $2,100 per year, an effective rate of about 0.84% of market value.

Notes

Millage rates vary widely by parish and even by district within a parish, and they can change at each fall millage adoption. The homestead exemption does not cover municipal taxes, so city dwellers usually owe more than this parish-level estimate. Additional relief exists for disabled veterans and a senior assessment freeze. Always confirm your assessment and millage with your parish assessor’s office.