Property tax in Rapides Parish, Louisiana
The median property tax bill in Rapides Parish, Louisiana is $1,000 a year, which is about 0.55% of the county's median home value of $181,100. That effective rate is higher than the typical Louisiana county (0.43%) and lower than the national median (0.81%). These are American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024); your own bill depends on your home's assessed value and any exemptions.
Estimate the property tax on a home in Rapides Parish
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Rapides Parish's average effective rate of 0.55% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $996 / year
Property tax in Rapides Parish at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $1,000 |
| Median home value | $181,100 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.55% |
| Typical Louisiana county rate | 0.43% |
| National median county rate | 0.81% |
Effective rate = median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
How does Rapides Parish compare in Louisiana?
Among Louisiana's 64 counties, Rapides Parish has the 11th highest effective property-tax rate: 10 rank higher and 53 rank lower. That is on the higher side for Louisiana. Nationally, it ranks 2451st of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Louisiana county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Rapides Parish actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Rapides Parish's 31,735 owner-occupied homes, 11% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 18.6% pay at least $2,000, and 30% pay under $800. Another 33.1% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 9,515 | 30% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 3,791 | 11.9% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 2,023 | 6.4% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 2,420 | 7.6% |
| $3,000 or more | 3,489 | 11% |
| No property tax paid | 10,497 | 33.1% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $1,343 and owners without one pay $504. Owners who have paid off a home have usually held it longer, and in states that cap how fast an existing owner's assessment can rise, long-held homes carry lower assessed values. Census table B25103.
How does the Rapides Parish property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $1,000 is about 1.3% of the median income of Rapides Parish homeowner households, $75,608 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 64.8% of Rapides Parish's occupied homes are lived in by their owners; renters pay property tax too, just folded into rent.
Have property taxes gone up in Rapides Parish?
Yes. The median bill went from $708 in 2015-2019 to $1,000 in 2020-2024, a 41.2% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 26.6%, from $143,100 to $181,100. Bills rose faster than values, which usually means local rates went up or an exemption shrank.
Two Census ACS 5-year periods with no survey years in common, in each period's own dollars. A change counts only if it exceeds the combined 90% margin of error.
Property tax in counties next to Rapides Parish
Rapides Parish borders 7 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grant Parish, LA | 0.6% | $862 | $143,300 |
| Rapides Parish, LA (this county) | 0.55% | $1,000 | $181,100 |
| Vernon Parish, LA | 0.53% | $819 | $156,000 |
| LaSalle Parish, LA | 0.45% | $532 | $119,500 |
| Natchitoches Parish, LA | 0.44% | $755 | $171,300 |
| Evangeline Parish, LA | 0.29% | $362 | $124,600 |
| Allen Parish, LA | 0.26% | $267 | $104,500 |
| Avoyelles Parish, LA | 0.2% | $249 | $122,400 |
How is a home assessed in Rapides Parish?
Louisiana assesses homes at 10% of market value in every county, Rapides Parish included. How Louisiana assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Rapides Parish?
Yes. Louisiana exempts the first $75,000 of market value of an owner-occupied home ($7,500 of assessed value), though it generally does not cover municipal taxes. That is the Louisiana rule, and it applies in Rapides Parish. Louisiana's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in Rapides Parish?
One annual payment, due no later than December 31 and collected by the parish sheriff, or by the City of New Orleans in Orleans Parish. Unpaid taxes are delinquent on January 1 and accrue 1% per month in simple interest, with a 5% penalty added if the lien goes to auction.
That is the Louisiana rule. Rapides Parish issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your Rapides Parish property assessment
You contest the assessed value with the Parish assessor, then the parish Board of Review, then the Louisiana Tax Commission. The filing deadline is typically varies by parish, within a statutory window. That is the Louisiana rule; Rapides Parish sets the exact dates and forms. The Louisiana appeal process step by step.
Louisiana rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the Louisiana page.
Work out your own numbers
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How much house can I afford?
Your income, debts and down payment against the 28/36 rule lenders actually use, with Rapides Parish's tax rate to hand.
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Mortgage calculator
Monthly payment with principal, interest, tax and insurance, plus what an extra payment saves you.
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Louisiana income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what Louisiana actually taxes.
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Sales tax in Rapides Parish
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Rapides Parish, Louisiana: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020-2024), tables B25103, B25077, B25102, B25119 and B25003; the five-year comparison uses the 2015-2019 estimates. Neighboring counties: Census county adjacency file.