Home›Compare›Cost of Living›Shreveport vs Montgomery

Cost of Living: Shreveport, LA vs Montgomery, AL

Wondering how far your dollar stretches in Shreveport compared to Montgomery? Below we break down housing costs, rent, taxes, income, and quality of life using 2026 data so you can make an informed relocation or remote-work decision. Every number is computed from Census, BLS, and Zillow data specific to these two metro areas.

TL;DR

Shreveport cost-of-living index is 82 vs 82 for Montgomery (US = 100). Median home: $165,000 vs $175,000. Median rent: $850/mo vs $850/mo.

Source: Census ACS · Zillow ZHVI/ZORI · BEA RPP, 2026

=
Shreveport and Montgomery have similar costs of living
COL Index: Shreveport 82 vs Montgomery 82 (national avg = 100)
Written by Jere Salmisto, Founder & Quantitative Systems Builder, CalcFi·Reviewed by CalcFi Editorial·Last reviewed 2026-04-19

Shreveport vs Montgomery — At a Glance

ShreveportMetricMontgomeryDifference
82Cost of Living Index82+0.0%
$165,000Median Home Price$175,000+6.1%
$850Median Monthly Rent$850+0.0%
$46,800Median Household Income$48,600+3.8%
0.5%Property Tax Rate0.4%-25.5%
5.8%Unemployment Rate4.6%-20.7%
22 minAverage Commute23 min+4.5%
35.5Median Age34.5-2.8%
440,000Metro Population380,000-13.6%

Data sourced from Census Bureau, BLS, Zillow, and ApartmentAdvisor (2024-2025). COL Index: 100 = national average.

Housing Comparison: Shreveport vs Montgomery

Monthly mortgage assumes 6.5% interest, 30-year fixed, 20.0%down payment. PITI includes principal, interest, property tax, and homeowner's insurance.

Shreveport

Median Home Price$165,000
Down Payment (20.0%)$33,000
Loan Amount$132,000
Principal & Interest$834/mo
Property Tax$76/mo
Insurance$48/mo
Monthly PITI$958/mo

Montgomery

Median Home Price$175,000
Down Payment (20.0%)$35,000
Loan Amount$140,000
Principal & Interest$885/mo
Property Tax$60/mo
Insurance$51/mo
Monthly PITI$996/mo

Rent & Affordability Ratios

Median Monthly Rent$850 vs $850 ($0/mo)
Annual Rent Difference$0/yr same
Home Price-to-Income Ratio3.5x (Shreveport) vs 3.6x (Montgomery)
Years to Save 20% Down (15% savings rate)4.7 yrs (Shreveport) vs 4.8 yrs (Montgomery)

Buying a home in Shreveport costs $958/month (PITI) compared to $996/month in Montgomery — a difference of $38/month or $456/year. The price-to-income ratio is 3.5x in Shreveport versus 3.6x in Montgomery, suggesting Shreveport is relatively more affordable for homebuyers relative to local incomes. At a 15% savings rate, it takes 4.7 years to save a down payment in Shreveport compared to 4.8 years in Montgomery.

Tax Comparison: Shreveport vs Montgomery

Estimated on each city's median household income, single filer, standard deduction, 2025 rates.

Tax CategoryShreveportMontgomery
Gross Income$46,800$48,600
State Income Tax$1,029$2,165
Federal Income Tax$3,487$3,703
FICA (SS + Medicare)$3,581$3,718
Property Tax (on median home)$908/yr$718/yr
State Sales Tax Rate4.5%4.0%
Total Tax Burden$8,097 (17.3%)$9,586 (19.7%)
Take-Home Pay$38,703$39,014

On median household income, total taxes (federal + state + FICA) come to $8,097 in Shreveport (17.3% effective) versus $9,586 in Montgomery (19.7% effective). After taxes, take-home pay is $38,703 in Shreveport and $39,014 in Montgomery. Property taxes add $908/year on the median Shreveport home versus $718/year in Montgomery.

Salary Equivalence: What Your Income Is Worth

A $46,800 salary in Shreveport equals
$46,800
in Montgomery
A $48,600 salary in Montgomery equals
$48,600
in Shreveport

These figures adjust for cost of living using the formula: adjusted = salary × (COL_destination / COL_origin). If you earn $46,800 in Shreveport (COL 82) and relocate to Montgomery (COL 82), you would need $46,800 to maintain the same purchasing power. This means your salary should stay roughly the same.

Quality of Life: Shreveport vs Montgomery

Average Commute
22 min
Shreveport
23 min
Montgomery
1 min shorter in Shreveport
Unemployment Rate
5.8%
Shreveport
4.6%
Montgomery
Montgomery lower
Metro Population
0.4M
Shreveport
0.4M
Montgomery
Shreveport is 1.2x larger

Beyond costs, quality of life matters. The average commute in Shreveport is 22 minutes versus 23 minutes in Montgomery, a difference of 1 minutes each way. Montgomery's lower unemployment rate of 4.6% versus 5.8% suggests a stronger job market. Shreveport skews slightly older with a median age of 35.5 vs 34.5 in Montgomery.

Other Cost of Living Comparisons

New York vs ShreveportCOL 187 vs 82Los Angeles vs ShreveportCOL 173 vs 82Chicago vs ShreveportCOL 114 vs 82Montgomery vs New YorkCOL 82 vs 187Los Angeles vs MontgomeryCOL 173 vs 82Chicago vs MontgomeryCOL 114 vs 82

Related Calculators

🏙️
Cost of Living in Shreveport
Detailed COL breakdown
🏙️
Cost of Living in Montgomery
Detailed COL breakdown
🏠
Mortgage Affordability — Shreveport
How much house can you afford?
🏠
Mortgage Affordability — Montgomery
How much house can you afford?
🔑
Rent vs Buy — Shreveport
Should you rent or own?
⏱️
Salary to Hourly Calculator
Convert $46,800 to hourly
Software Developer Salary — ShreveportSoftware Developer Salary — MontgomeryRegistered Nurse Salary — ShreveportRegistered Nurse Salary — MontgomeryAccountant Salary — ShreveportAccountant Salary — MontgomeryRent vs Buy — MontgomeryProperty Tax — ShreveportProperty Tax — Montgomery

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Shreveport or Montgomery more expensive?

Shreveport and Montgomery have very similar costs of living, with COL indices of 82 and 82 respectively (national average = 100). Day-to-day expenses, housing, and taxes are comparable between the two metro areas.

How much more does housing cost in Montgomery vs Shreveport?

The median home price in Montgomery is $175,000, which is $10,000 more than Shreveport's median of $165,000. Monthly rent follows a similar pattern: $850/month in Montgomery vs $850/month in Shreveport, a difference of $0/month or $0/year.

What salary do I need in Montgomery to match my Shreveport income?

To maintain the same standard of living, a $46,800 salary in Shreveport is equivalent to $46,800 in Montgomery. This is based on the cost of living index ratio: Shreveport's COL index of 82 vs Montgomery's 82. Conversely, $48,600 in Montgomery equals $48,600 in Shreveport.

Which city has lower taxes, Shreveport or Montgomery?

On a median household income, the combined federal, state, and FICA tax burden is $8,097 (17.3% effective rate) in Shreveport vs $9,586 (19.7% effective rate) in Montgomery. Property taxes on the median home are $908/year in Shreveport (0.5% rate) vs $718/year in Montgomery (0.4% rate). Sales tax rates are 4.5% in Louisiana and 4.0% in Alabama.

What is the median household income in Shreveport and Montgomery?

Shreveport median household income: $46,800/yr. Montgomery median household income: $48,600/yr (Census ACS).

How does rent compare in Shreveport vs Montgomery?

Median monthly rent: $850 in Shreveport vs $850 in Montgomery. Annualized that is $10,200 vs $10,200.

Which city is better for remote workers, Shreveport or Montgomery?

Shreveport offers a lower cost of living (index 82 vs 82), which lets remote-workers keeping a coastal salary stretch further. Montgomery typically wins on amenities and labor-market depth.

Where does the data on this comparison come from?

Shreveport and Montgomery numbers are pulled from Zillow ZHVI/ZORI (home values, rent), the U.S. Census Bureau ACS (income, demographics), and BEA RPP (cost-of-living index). Each value is timestamped on the page.

How often is this Shreveport vs Montgomery comparison updated?

Source feeds (Zillow, Freddie Mac PMMS, Census ACS, BEA RPP) are refreshed on their native cadence. Page caches revalidate every 24 hours via Next.js ISR.

Does this comparison replace tax or financial advice?

No. The Shreveport vs Montgomery cost-of-living page is educational reference using public data and standard formulas. It is not personalized tax, legal, or investment advice. Consult a licensed professional for material decisions.

Explore More

All City ComparisonsShreveport COL CalculatorMontgomery COL CalculatorSalary GuidesMortgage Affordability CalculatorRent vs Buy Calculator

Sources & Citations

  1. Zillow Research — ZHVI (home values) & ZORI (observed rent index) — zillow.com/research/data
  2. U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates — census.gov/acs
  3. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities by state and MSA — bea.gov/rpp
  4. Tax Foundation — effective state and local tax rates — taxfoundation.org
  5. Freddie Mac PMMS — weekly national average mortgage rates — freddiemac.com/pmms
  6. Internal Revenue Service — federal income tax brackets and standard deduction — irs.gov
  7. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — unemployment and wage statistics — bls.gov
Methodology & Assumptions

Home prices use Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI)[1]; rents use Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI)[1]. Median household income comes from the Census ACS 5-year estimates[2].

COL indices use the BEA Regional Price Parity methodology[3], normalized so 100 = national average.

Property tax rates are effective rates from the Tax Foundation[4], expressed as % of owner-occupied home value. Mortgage estimates assume 6.5% fixed rate[5], 30-year term, 20.0% down, $1,800/yr homeowners insurance.

Federal tax calculations[6] assume single filer, standard deduction. State tax uses the top marginal rate times taxable income after the state standard deduction. FICA = 6.2% Social Security (up to wage base) + 1.45% Medicare.

Salary equivalence uses adjusted = salary × (COL_destination / COL_origin). This captures cost-of-living shift but not state income tax differences.

Unemployment figures are the most recent monthly MSA-level readings from the BLS LAUS series[7].

Last reviewed is computed from the maximum retrievedAt across every source this page consumes.

City data from Census Bureau[2], BLS[7], and Zillow[1] (2024-2025). Tax calculations use 2025 IRS rates[6], single filer, standard deduction. Mortgage estimates assume 6.5% PMMS rate[5], 30-year term, 20.0% down. COL Index: 100 = national average[3]. Last reviewed 2026-04-19.