Cost Of Living in Ponchatoula, LA

The cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. For example, if the cost of living is 90, then it is 10% lower than average. If the cost of living is 110, then it is 10% higher than average. The breakdown for each index is as follows: goods & services (33%), groceries (13%), health care (5%), housing (30%), transportation (9%) and utilities (10%). If the cost of living data was unavailable for this city, estimates based upon nearby cities were used.
Index	Ponchatoula	Louisiana	National
Cost of living	92	91	100
Goods & Services	95	96	100
Groceries	96	95	100
Health care	98	99	100
Housing	90	81	100
Transportation	93	96	100
Utilities	81	84	100

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Cost Of Living Quick Facts

The cost of living in Ponchatoula is 2% higher than the Louisiana average
The cost of living in Ponchatoula is 8% lower than the national average
Ponchatoula housing is 10% lower than the national average
Louisiana general sales tax is 13% lower than the national average
Louisiana state income tax is 29% lower than the national average

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Price difference in compared to

Cost of living index
Goods & Services index
Groceries index
Health care index
Housing index
Transportation index
Utilities index

Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

Median Income	Per Year	Per Month	Max Budget (28% DTI)	Max Budget (36% DTI)
Owners	$40,908	$3,409	$954	$1,227
Renters	$33,500	$2,792	$782	$1,005

The percentage of monthly income spent on housing related expenses can help predict the affordability of housing in Ponchatoula, LA, as well as what the overall cost of living might be. Generally, a good rule to follow is that the debt-to-income (DTI) level you want to maintain is 28 percent or less of your income on your rent or mortgage payments and not more than 36 percent of income on all expenses and debts. In Ponchatoula, homeowners have a median income of $40,908. Using that number, a maximum of $954 per month should be allocated to housing expenses. For those who are renting instead of owning, the median income is $33,500, which means there is a maximum of $782 to be spent on the costs of renting a home or apartment.

Louisiana Sales Tax

State	General Sales Tax	With Max Surtax
Louisiana	4.45%	11.45%

Louisiana Income Tax

State	Income Tax (Low)	Income Tax (High)
Louisiana	1.85%	4.25%

Goods & Services

Item	Ponchatoula	National avg.	Difference
Haircut	$24.85	$24.26	2.4%
Beauty Salon	$46.92	$45.56	3.0%
Toothpaste	$3.72	$3.70	0.4%
Shampoo	$1.19	$1.28	6.9%
Movie	$11.93	$12.13	1.7%
Bowling	$19.00	$18.00	5.6%

Groceries

Item	Ponchatoula	National avg.	Difference
Ground Beef	$5.61	$5.84	3.9%
Fried Chicken	$1.68	$1.57	6.5%
Milk	$4.53	$4.67	3.0%
Potatoes	$5.12	$4.93	3.7%
Pizza	$10.95	$12.09	9.4%
Beer	$9.71	$10.41	6.8%

Health Care

Item	Ponchatoula	National avg.	Difference
Optometrist	$95.65	$125.68	23.9%
Doctor	$125.52	$135.78	7.6%
Dentist	$122.39	$113.29	8.0%
Ibuprofen	$10.07	$10.65	5.5%
Lipitor	$463.70	$468.60	1.0%

Housing

Item	Ponchatoula	National avg.	Difference
Home Price	$162,700.00	$184,700.00	11.9%
Avg. Mortgage Payment	$1,456.60	$2,346.69	37.9%
Apartment Rent	$901.00	$949.00	5.1%

Transportation

Item	Ponchatoula	National avg.	Difference
Gasoline	$3.18	$3.46	8.0%
Tire Balancing	$57.42	$59.92	4.2%

Utilities

Item	Ponchatoula	National avg.	Difference
All Electricity	$136.13	$193.99	29.8%
Phone	$187.85	$192.25	2.3%

Although the cost of living data is updated regularly, this cost of living information is to be used as estimates only as prices can change on an ongoing basis.

Nearby cities with low cost of living

City	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Independence, LA	2,578	83	17.1%
Natalbany, LA	2,847	87	13.3%
Albany, LA	1,300	90	10.4%
Tickfaw, LA	927	90	10.0%
Springfield, LA	562	92	8.3%
Ponchatoula, LA	7,311	92	7.8%

Cities with similar population

City	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
LaFayette, GA	7,310	81	18.5%
Green Hill, TN	7,308	109	8.6%
Hastings, MI	7,314	87	13.1%
Ralston, NE	7,305	94	6.2%
New Cumberland, PA	7,305	100	0.5%
Ponchatoula, LA	7,311	92	7.8%

Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2023 and was released from C2ER in January, 2024; this is the most current data available.

Cost of Living in Ponchatoula, LA