We’ve been going around state by state and investigating what the most expensive ZIP codes. Analyzing financial characteristics, like how expensive homes are, by ZIP code can reveal intriguing developments. What makes ZIP codes so useful in this regard is their geographical scope. They can and do often envelope entire towns or cities. But more often they are much smaller, frequently just a portion of a city. In this way, you can identify kernels and pockets of affluence (often deliberately hidden) amid poverty.
For this article, we wanted to breakdown which ZIP codes are the most expensive in Louisiana. This state is comparatively poor, with lower incomes on average compared to the United States overall. But this lack of wealth is very unevenly distributed. Read on to find out the most expensive ZIP codes in Louisiana in 2024 as well as trends and themes these places share.
The Most Expensive ZIP Codes in Louisiana
Relying on data from Zillow’s home value index, and the Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey, we analyzed thousands of ZIP codes across the U.S. in order to compile our list of the top 30 most expensive ZIP codes in Louisiana. As part of our analysis, we took into consideration the latest monthly home values Zillow has — September 2024 — as well as the average of 12 months of median home values from October 2023 to September 2024.
Some very clear patterns emerge from this analysis. The majority of the most expensive ZIP codes in Louisiana are contained within just a couple of metropolitan areas. Below are the 25 most expensive ZIP codes in Louisiana.
The Top 5 Most Expensive ZIP Codes in Louisiana
ZIP code 70115 is the most expensive one in Louisiana. This ZIP code covers the southern section of New Orleans that runs up to the Mississippi River. It includes residential areas like Freret, Milan, West Riverside, East Riverside, Faubourg Delassize, among others. The median home value here in September 2024 reached $496,667, which was a 0.4% decline from the previous month, and a 4.9% decline from the previous September, when the median value was $522,493. The 12-month average home value is $506,729. Incomes are high here, both in general and in comparison, to most parts of Louisiana. The median household income is $91,672, with the mean household income being a full $50,000 more, at $141,812.
The No. 2 most expensive ZIP code is also in New Orleans, 70124. This one covers a section of New Orleans that’s north of 70115, and along the southern shore of Lake Pontchartrain. Neighborhoods in ZIP code 70124 include West End, Lakeview, Lake Shore-Lake Vista, City Park, Lakewood, and Navarre. The Louisiana Children’s Museum can also be found in this ZIP code. This ZIP code also has a 12-month average home value above $500,000, in this case $500,657. Its median home value for September 2024 was $490,653, also down around 5% since September 2023. Indeed, home values peaked in 2022. Incomes are higher in 70124 than in No. 1 ZIP code 70115: The median household income in ZIP code 70124 is $113,525, while the average household income is $166,557. And if we’re talking about family incomes, the median is higher, at $154,554, as is the mean household income, at $215,193.
The No. 3 most expensive ZIP code in Louisiana — 70130 — is also in New Orleans, just to the east of the No. 1 most expensive ZIP code 70115. This ZIP code includes a number of landmarks, like the National WWII Museum, the Buckner Mansion, as well as districts like the Garden District, Lower Garden District, right up to Jackson Square. Home values here have a 12-month average of about $423,526. The median home value in September 2024 was $412,172, which was also down around 5% (5.3% specifically) like ZIP codes 70115 and 70124. ZIP code 70130 saw two big bumps in its home values over the last 10 years: from 2015 to 2016 and from 2021 to 2022. Incomes in 70130 are high, but not as high as in the No. 1 and No. 2 most expensive ZIP codes. The median is $78,674, while the average household income is $120,506.
The Bottom Line on the Most Expensive ZIP Codes in Louisiana
An interesting pattern that has emerged among the most expensive ZIP codes in Louisiana is that their home values have diverged significantly from the trend in overall Louisiana home value appreciation. And this divergence didn’t begin with pandemic-induced homebuying spree. It goes back to roughly 2016-2017.
The New Orleans metro area absolutely dominates our list of the top 25 most expensive ZIP codes. The Baton Rouge metro area does have some entries. The No. 7 most expensive ZIP code is 70734, which covers Geismar, downstream from Baton Rouge. The median home value here was $366,597 in September 2024, which is an increase of 1.2% year-over-year. The first entry for a ZIP code in the Shreveport metro area is 71078, which covers the town of Stonewall in DeSoto Parish. Here, the median home value was $337,884 in September 2024, which was up 6.2% from September 2023’s median of $318,015.
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