Jefferson Davis Parish

Jefferson Davis Parish sits at a median home price of $154,789, up 1.97% year-over-year, with an affordability index of 97, meaning it is priced almost exactly at the national affordability threshold. The dataset does not include a median rent figure or cap rate for the parish itself, which limits direct yield calculations here, but the affordability score and price point together tell a clear story: this is a low-entry-cost market where gross yield potential depends heavily on local rent levels an investor needs to verify before underwriting. The 1.97% home price appreciation is modest, suggesting the parish leans neither hard toward appreciation nor toward the kind of explosive rent growth that defines high-yield cash-flow markets. It scores 70 on appreciation and 97 on affordability, which places it in the affordable-but-slow-growth quadrant of the spectrum.

The profile here fits a cash-flow-oriented buyer more than an appreciation speculator, but with a caveat: the cash-flow score is listed as zero, which reflects missing rent data rather than a confirmed negative yield. An investor willing to do the legwork on actual rents in Jennings and the surrounding area could potentially find a workable spread on a $155,000 purchase. At that price point, even modest rents in the $900 to $1,100 range would produce gross yields in the 7% to 8.5% range, though net figures depend on expenses. This is not a market for investors chasing 15% year-over-year equity gains or major appreciation-driven wealth building. The value proposition, if one exists, is low acquisition cost and Louisiana's generally landlord-accessible regulatory environment, combined with the carry cost tailwind described below.

On carry costs, Jefferson Davis Parish is a meaningful positive outlier. The state-average effective property tax rate is 0.55%, flagged as low, producing an estimated annual property tax of $851 on the median-priced home. Combined with an estimated $1,022 in annual insurance, the combined monthly tax-and-insurance burden is approximately $156. That is a real tailwind on cash flow: in markets where tax and insurance together run $400 to $600 per month, the spread between gross rent and net cash flow gets compressed fast. Here, the low tax rate leaves more room for the deal to work even at moderate rents. Note that 0.55% is a state-average estimate from Tax Foundation 2024 data, and actual rates at the parish or municipality level may differ, so confirm the specific mill rate for any property you are underwriting.

The dataset does not include economic anchor or employer data for Jefferson Davis Parish, so no claims about specific employers or industry concentration are made here. What the population figure does establish is that at 32,277 residents, this is a small, rural market. Stability scores at 50 out of 100, which is the midpoint and suggests neither exceptional job market resilience nor severe fragility. Small parish economies in Louisiana often carry exposure to energy sector cycles and agricultural commodity prices, and any investor entering this market should independently assess the local employment base and whether the tenant pool is deep enough to sustain low vacancy across a portfolio.

The key risks here are size-related. A 32,000-person parish has a thin tenant pool, and concentration risk is real: a single employer contraction or sustained outmigration could meaningfully affect vacancy rates and rent levels. The modest 1.97% home price appreciation also signals limited organic demand pressure, which cuts both ways. It keeps acquisition costs low but also means the market is unlikely to bail you out of a bad buy with equity appreciation. Regulatory risk is not flagged by the data, but investors should confirm local ordinances around short-term rentals and any post-storm rebuilding codes given Louisiana's hurricane exposure, which is also relevant to the insurance figure in the underwrite.

Against its neighbors, Jefferson Davis Parish's $154,789 median is cheaper than Calcasieu Parish at $193,360, Sabine at $186,542, and Assumption at $171,822, and sits between Caldwell at $127,430 and Iberia at $134,124 on the low end. Calcasieu Parish, with a median rent of $1,062 and a rent-to-price ratio of 6.6%, offers more data transparency and a larger, more diversified economy centered on Lake Charles, which makes it easier to underwrite and likely more liquid if you need to exit. Iberia Parish stands out with a rent-to-price ratio of 10.6% on a $134,124 median, which on paper looks like the most attractive yield setup in this group. Jefferson Davis, at a slightly higher price point and with no published rent data, is harder to evaluate head-to-head. Choose Jefferson Davis over its neighbors if you find specific on-market properties with verified rents that pencil at the low carry cost structure, or if you are targeting a less-picked-over market where competition for deals is thinner than in Lake Charles or New Iberia. Pass on it if you need market-level rent data to support your thesis before doing primary research.