West Feliciana Parish

West Feliciana Parish sits at a median home price of $389,761 against a cash flow score of zero, which tells you almost everything you need to know about the current income math. The model returns no cap rate and no estimated cash flow at that price point, meaning the gross rent implied by local conditions cannot clear the carry costs at a 6.85% rate after a standard 20% down payment of $77,952. Price-to-rent ratios in this range tend to run well above 20x, firmly placing West Feliciana in appreciation territory rather than income territory. The 1.91% year-over-year home price gain is modest but positive, and the appreciation score of 69 out of 100 is the parish's clearest relative strength. The overall score of 57 and a national percentile rank of 42 out of 1,000 counties suggest a middle-of-the-road market nationally, though it ranks 35th out of 64 Louisiana parishes, putting it in the bottom half of the state.

The profile here suits an appreciation-oriented buyer who can tolerate negative or breakeven monthly cash flow in exchange for holding a relatively higher-priced asset in a low-inventory parish. With a population of only 15,358 and a median price nearly $170,000 above Orleans Parish next door, West Feliciana carries a meaningful price premium for the Louisiana context. That premium narrows the field: this is not a market for a cash-flow buyer running a yield-driven model, and the cash flow score of zero confirms that. A value-add operator might find opportunity if distressed properties can be acquired significantly below the $389,761 median, but at or near median pricing the renovation math is unlikely to manufacture the spread needed to hit acceptable returns given the rate environment.

The taxInsurance data offers a modest tailwind on one piece of the carry cost equation. Louisiana's state-average effective property tax rate is 0.55%, which the Tax Foundation categorizes as low, translating to roughly $2,144 per year on a $389,761 asset. Insurance, however, runs $2,572 annually at the state-average rate of 0.66%, slightly outpacing the tax burden. Together these line items total $393 per month before mortgage principal, interest, or management costs. The property tax rate is a genuine tailwind relative to high-tax states, but investors should note that actual West Feliciana Parish rates may differ from the state average, so use these figures as a starting estimate and verify at the assessor level before underwriting a deal. The insurance figure reflects Louisiana's elevated coastal and storm exposure even in this inland parish, and that cost should be stress-tested against current carrier quotes rather than assumed away.

On concentration and demographic risk, the market's small population is a real underwriting consideration. A pool of 15,358 residents creates limited renter depth, which means vacancy events can be prolonged and tenant quality selection narrows when comparable units compete for the same small pool. The affordability index of 46 out of 100 indicates that local incomes are not well-matched to local home prices, which limits organic rent growth from resident purchasing power and can make it harder for tenants to absorb rent increases without churning. Stability scores at 50 suggest neither meaningful downside protection nor upside buffer against local economic softening.

Compared to its neighboring parishes, West Feliciana looks like a different market entirely on price. De Soto Parish prices at $183,440, Jefferson Davis at $150,023, Allen Parish at $121,750, and West Carroll at $120,526, all of them scoring within a point or two of West Feliciana overall (56 to 59) while carrying purchase prices that are 53% to 69% lower. Orleans Parish, at $237,009 and an overall score of 58, at least provides a rent data point: its rent-to-price ratio of 0.082 implies around $1,623 per month on a $237,009 asset, a ratio that still requires careful underwriting but is substantially more favorable than what West Feliciana's pricing implies. The practical conclusion is that a cash-flow investor should be looking at De Soto, Jefferson Davis, Allen, or West Carroll before they look here. The only scenario in which West Feliciana wins over those neighbors is if an investor has a specific thesis tied to the parish's character, has data suggesting locally high rents relative to its median price, or is targeting land and acreage plays where comparable metrics do not apply in the conventional way. Absent that thesis, the numbers point elsewhere.