Property Tax in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana
The median real estate tax bill in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana is $1,329 per year, and the median home is worth $234,200. Both figures are the US Census Bureau's survey medians for owner-occupied households (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What the Lafayette Parish numbers mean
The median is the midpoint of the county's actual bills: half of Lafayette Parish homeowners pay more than $1,329 a year and half pay less. The exact bill for any one home depends on its assessed value, exemptions, and which school, municipal and special districts cover it.
Set against the median home value of $234,200, the median bill works out to a derived effective rate of 0.57%. That rate is an estimate computed from the two medians — no county publishes a rate calculated this way — but it adjusts for home prices, which makes comparisons between counties more meaningful.
Lafayette Parish by the numbers
| Measure | Lafayette Parish | Louisiana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $1,329 | $1,146 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $234,200 | $208,700 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.57% | 0.55% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $111 | $96 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
Lafayette Parish at a glance
- Median tax rank in Louisiana: #9 of 64 counties
- Median home value rank in Louisiana: #9 of 64
- Population rank in Louisiana: #5 of 64 (245,075 residents)
- Population density rank: #4 of 64 (912 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Louisiana: #60 of 64 (268 sq mi, 0.6% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $111; per $1,000 of home value: $0.57
How Lafayette Parish compares
Set against its state, Lafayette Parish's median bill of $1,329 is about 16% higher than the Louisiana median ($1,146). Against the country as a whole it is about 55% lower than the US median ($2,969). That places the county #9 of 64 Louisiana counties ranked by median taxes paid.
Remember what drives the ranking: bills follow home values as much as rates. Lafayette Parish's median home, at $234,200, ranks #9 by value in Louisiana, while its derived rate of 0.57% compares with a derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Lafayette Parish: the median bill works out to about $111 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $567 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 245,075 people — the #5 most populous county in Louisiana, spread over 268 square miles, a density of about 912 people per square mile. Its median home value, $234,200, ranks #9 among the state's 64 counties with data.
Zooming out: of 3133 counties nationwide with published Census figures, only 1913 record a higher median tax bill than Lafayette Parish — it sits in the top 61% nationally. The county holds roughly 5.3% of Louisiana's people. Its homes are worth more than the state norm (median $234,200 versus $208,700), and a decade at the derived rate of 0.57% adds up to about 5.67% of the median home's value in tax. The cheapest county in the state, West Carroll Parish, medians $199 — $1,130 less than Lafayette Parish per year.
Counties nearest Lafayette Parish in the Louisiana ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Feliciana Parish, LA | $1,359 | $263,200 | 0.52% |
| West Baton Rouge Parish, LA | $1,336 | $225,900 | 0.59% |
| Plaquemines Parish, LA | $1,275 | $275,800 | 0.46% |
| Jefferson Parish, LA | $1,265 | $243,500 | 0.52% |
How the tax is worked out
The bill is built in stages. First the assessor puts a market value on the property. Exemptions — a homestead exemption above all — then reduce the taxable amount. Finally the combined local rate is applied. To see the scale: at the county's derived rate of 0.57%, each $100,000 of value corresponds to about $567 of tax a year, and a $400,000 home to roughly $2,268. Real bills use the official assessment and district rates, not this derived figure, so treat the example as a sense of scale only.
Checking your assessment in Lafayette Parish
Most successful appeals are won on facts, not arguments. Start with the property record card held by the Lafayette Parish assessor: wrong square footage, an extra room, or a missing homestead exemption are common and fixable. Next, line your assessed value up against recent sales of genuinely similar homes nearby. Many disputes end at an informal conversation with the assessor's office; if yours does not, file the formal appeal with the review board named on your notice before its deadline, evidence attached, and keep paying the bill in the meantime so penalties do not build up.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana?
The median real estate tax paid in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana is $1,329 per year, on a median home value of $234,200 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana?
On a derived basis, 0.57%: the county's median tax bill of $1,329 divided by its median home value of $234,200. Because it is calculated from two survey medians, read it as a comparison estimate rather than an official rate.
How does Lafayette Parish compare with the rest of Louisiana?
By median taxes paid, Lafayette Parish stands at #9 among the 64 Louisiana counties the Census publishes figures for. Its $1,329 median bill is about 16% higher than the state median ($1,146), and 8 counties in the state record a higher median.
How are property taxes calculated in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana?
The assessor estimates your property's market value; exemptions (such as a homestead exemption) reduce the taxable amount; and the result is multiplied by the combined rates of the local taxing districts — county, municipality, school district and any special districts. In Lafayette Parish, the median outcome of that process is a bill of $1,329 on a median home value of $234,200.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana?
Yes — appeals are handled locally. Start with the Lafayette Parish assessor's property record card for your home, correct any factual errors, and back your case with comparable recent sales. Formal appeals go to the review board named on your assessment notice and must be filed by its deadline, typically within 30 to 90 days.