Louisiana tax burden — broken down.
Louisiana’s combined tax burden (income + property + sales) lands at 8.00% on our composite — ranking #40 of 51 jurisdictions. The top marginal individual income tax rate is 3.00%.
Louisiana burden, broken into 3 components
| Component | Louisiana rate | National median |
|---|---|---|
| Top marginal income | 3.00% | ~5.30% |
| Effective property | 0.55% | ~1.07% |
| State sales tax | 4.45% | ~5.50% |
| Combined composite | 8.00% | ~11.87% |
National medians from CalcFi’s 51-state composite. Top marginal is the headline single-filer rate, NOT the effective rate most households actually pay.
Retirement + Social Security in Louisiana
Louisiana does NOT tax most retirement income (pensions, IRA / 401(k) distributions). Social Security benefits are NOT taxed by Louisiana. Federal taxation of these income sources is unchanged regardless of state.
How Louisiana compares
Of all 51 US jurisdictions ranked by combined burden composite, Louisiana sits at #40. That places Louisiana in the middle of the pack — burden is moderate without being a particular outlier in either direction. For the live cross-state heat map, see the interactive tax burden map.
Louisiana metros — local tax overlay
State rates are uniform across Louisiana— but local income, property, and sales taxes vary. Click any metro to run the full income tax calculator pre-populated with that city’s local layer.
- New Orleansproperty 0.55% · pop 1.3Mmedian $52,000 →
- Baton Rougeproperty 0.55% · pop 0.9Mmedian $55,800 →
- Shreveportproperty 0.55% · pop 0.4Mmedian $46,800 →
- Lafayetteproperty 0.60% · pop 0.5Mmedian $52,200 →
- Lake Charlesproperty 0.60% · pop 0.2Mmedian $48,500 →
More Louisiana metros coming as we expand city coverage.
Louisiana tax — common questions
What is the Louisiana top marginal income tax rate in 2025?
Louisiana's top marginal individual income tax rate is 3.00% on the highest bracket.
What is the Louisiana effective property tax rate?
Louisiana's statewide effective property tax rate is 0.55% of home value (annual). On a $400,000 home that's roughly $2,200/yr. Local variation can be ±0.5pp.
Does Louisiana tax retirement income or Social Security?
Louisiana does NOT tax most retirement income, and does NOT tax Social Security benefits.
Are there any Louisiana-specific tax quirks I should know about?
Louisiana is one of only 3 states allowing a full federal income tax deduction on the state return; combined state+local sales tax averages 9.56% (highest in US).
Reviewed by CalcFi Editorial · Source: Tax Foundation State Individual Income Tax Rates (Jan 2025). Last verified 2026-04-19. Methodology at /about/editorial.