Housing data for Ruston, LA
Ruston, LA has an estimated 22,284 residents and 9,563 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Lincoln Parish.
63.8% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $816 a month.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+1.4%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 22,284 (±30)
- Housing units
- 9,563 (±487)
- Households that rent
- 63.8%
- Median gross rent
- $816
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +1.4%
What stands out in Ruston
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 19.5% (±5.0 points) in Ruston, higher than in Lincoln Parish (10.2%).
Households that rent: 63.8% (±3.7 points) in Ruston, higher than in Lincoln Parish (46.2%).
Households that moved in since 2020: 35.2% (±6.6 points) in Ruston, higher than in Lincoln Parish (26.5%).
Median household income: $31,120 (±$1,970) in Ruston, lower than in Lincoln Parish ($39,172).
- Types of homes in Ruston
- Renters and owners in Ruston
- How long people stay in Ruston
- Income and affordability in Ruston
Housing in Ruston at a glance
- Median rent: $816 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $772 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 67.0% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 63.8% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $31,120 median household income
- Home values: $225,300 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,358 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $1,110 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 19.5% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 52.4% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 43.9% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 2.7% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 50.1% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 15.1 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 286 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: +1.4% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 35.2% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 1.2% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Ruston against Lincoln Parish, its state and the nation
| Ruston | Lincoln Parish | Louisiana | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 22,284 (±30) | 48,174 (exact) | 4,611,961 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 9,563 (±487) | 20,827 (±77) | 2,108,902 (±333) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 63.8% (±3.7 points) | 46.2% (±2.4 points) | 32.6% (±0.4 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $816 (±$57) | $825 (±$52) | $1,064 (±$8) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $31,120 (±$1,970) | $39,172 (±$4,326) | $60,756 (±$408) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $225,300 (±$21,355) | $210,100 (±$13,148) | $216,500 (±$1,367) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $1,110 (±$201) | $971 (±$79) | $1,180 (±$13) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 43.9% (±6.6 points) | 42.7% (±4.3 points) | 46.2% (±0.4 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 15.1 minutes (±1.8) | 19.2 minutes (±1.5) | 25.7 minutes (±0.2) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 84.6% (±4.3 points) | 77.9% (±2.9 points) | 86.6% (±0.2 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 24.3 years (±1.1) | 28.6 years (±0.4) | 38.0 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Ruston covers 21.2 square miles of land, about 1,052 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Ruston has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 21,976 (±47) | 22,284 (±30) | +1.4% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 9,003 (±406) | 9,563 (±487) | +6.2% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $744 (±$32) | $816 (±$57) | +9.7% | Down after inflation |
| Median home value | $169,600 (±$12,189) | $225,300 (±$21,355) | +32.8% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $29,128 (±$4,854) | $31,120 (±$1,970) | +6.8% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,300 (±$91) | $1,358 (±$170) | +4.5% | Down after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $881 (±$114) | $1,110 (±$201) | +26.0% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 65.3% (±3.0 points) | 63.8% (±3.7 points) | −1.5 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 5.6% (±3.0 points) | 2.7% (±2.0 points) | −2.9 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Ruston
In 2025, the Ruston Police Department reported 286 violent and 3,500 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
ZIP codes in Ruston
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 71272 | 100% | 1,969 | — | — | — |
| 71270 | 10% | 32,885 | $827 | $222,300 | $36,791 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Ruston
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grambling | 4.3 mi | $709 | $181,700 | 68.8% |
| Vienna | 5.3 mi | $592 | $356,300 | 35.6% |
| Choudrant | 6.4 mi | $943 | $313,500 | 36.9% |
| Simsboro | 8.7 mi | $934 | $84,300 | 45.4% |
| Dubach | 12 mi | $867 | $104,700 | 36.1% |
| Quitman | 13 mi | $1,005 | $78,800 | 44.5% |
| Downsville | 14 mi | $900 | $235,400 | 30.5% |
| Eros | 16 mi | $755 | $48,000 | 12.3% |
Places in Louisiana most like Ruston
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natchitoches | $802 | $193,200 | $37,133 | 58.4% |
| West Monroe | $826 | $192,400 | $49,386 | 55.3% |
| Hammond | $1,061 | $221,400 | $48,166 | 54.0% |
| Leesville | $894 | $118,600 | $37,500 | 55.5% |
| Monroe | $886 | $198,900 | $40,505 | 52.2% |
| New Llano | $828 | $118,100 | $52,135 | 55.3% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Louisiana.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Ruston, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $724 | $754 | $892 | $1,235 | $1,440 |
HUD income limits for Ruston, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $15,960 | $23,750 | $38,000 |
| 2 people | $21,640 | $27,150 | $43,400 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $30,550 | $48,850 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $33,900 | $54,250 |
| 5 people | $36,650 | $36,650 | $58,600 |
| 6 people | $39,350 | $39,350 | $62,950 |
| 7 people | $42,050 | $42,050 | $67,300 |
| 8 people | $44,750 | $44,750 | $71,650 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Lincoln Parish, LA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $67,800.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Ruston
What is the average rent in Ruston, LA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Ruston is $816 (±$57) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Ruston?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Ruston, LA is $656 (±$39) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Ruston rent-burdened?
67.0% of renting households in Ruston pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Ruston?
Ruston has an estimated 5,610 (±499) renting households, 63.8% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Ruston?
The median household income in Ruston is $31,120 (±$1,970) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Ruston, LA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $225,300 (±$21,355) for owner-occupied homes in Ruston (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Ruston growing?
In Ruston, the number of residents went from 21,976 in 2015–2019 to 22,284 in 2020–2024 (+1.4%), a measurable increase.
What ZIP codes are in Ruston?
The ZIP codes that cover Ruston are 71272, 71270.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Ruston city, Louisiana
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Ruston city, Louisiana
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Ruston city, Louisiana
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Ruston city, Louisiana
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Ruston city, Louisiana
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Ruston city, Louisiana
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Ruston city, Louisiana
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Lincoln Parish, LA
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Lincoln Parish, LA
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Ruston Police Department (ORI LA0310200)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Ruston city, Louisiana (place:66655, in state:22).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .