PCSing to Louisiana

Taxes for Military Families in Louisiana

Louisiana fully exempts military retirement pay from state income tax, and active-duty members stationed out of state for extended periods can exclude a large portion of their military pay. VA disability is untaxed. Every homeowner gets the state's homestead exemption on the first $7,500 of assessed value (roughly $75,000 of market value), and veterans with service-connected disability ratings receive expanded exemptions — with 100% disabled veterans now exempt from parish property taxes entirely in most cases following recent constitutional changes.

Louisiana Veteran Benefits Worth Knowing

• Full property tax exemption available to 100% disabled veterans, with expanded homestead exemptions at lower ratings
• Military retirement pay and SBP fully exempt from state income tax
• Title 29 dependents' education benefits: tuition exemption at state schools for children of qualifying disabled or deceased veterans
• Free lifetime hunting and fishing licenses for qualifying disabled veterans

The Louisiana Housing Market for Military Buyers

Louisiana's BAH math is excellent. Around Fort Johnson, Leesville and DeRidder homes price so low that many soldiers buy on a single junior-enlisted income. Bossier City's newer subdivisions near Barksdale keep an E-5 comfortably within BAH. The New Orleans market is pricier and insurance-sensitive — many NAS JRB families buy in Belle Chasse or across the lake in Slidell or Covington. Factor homeowners and flood insurance into every offer; premiums can swing a payment more than the interest rate here.

Top School Districts & Counties in Louisiana

• Near Fort Johnson: Vernon Parish schools serve Leesville and post housing, with Beauregard Parish (DeRidder) a popular alternative
• Near Barksdale AFB: Bossier Parish schools — especially Benton and Haughton zones — are the go-to for base families
• Near NAS JRB New Orleans: St. Tammany Parish (Slidell, Mandeville, Covington) is the region's strongest public system and worth the causeway commute for many
• Plaquemines Parish (Belle Chasse): small, well-regarded schools minutes from the NAS JRB gate

Weather & Climate in Louisiana

Heat and water define Louisiana home buying. Summers are long, humid, and routinely above 90°F, so scrutinize AC age and attic insulation. Hurricanes are the big-ticket risk, especially south of I-10: near NAS JRB New Orleans, flood insurance is often mandatory and wind coverage is expensive — get elevation certificates and insurance quotes before making offers. Barksdale and Fort Johnson sit inland with lower hurricane exposure but real severe-thunderstorm and tornado risk. Slab foundations on well-drained lots matter; snow essentially never does.

Traffic & Commutes in Louisiana

Fort Johnson and Barksdale commutes are short and simple — Leesville and Bossier City both put most neighborhoods within 20 minutes of the gate, with Barksdale's main chokepoint being I-20 bridge traffic from Shreveport. NAS JRB New Orleans is trickier: the Crescent City Connection and Belle Chasse Highway back up hard, so living in Belle Chasse itself saves major time versus commuting from Metairie or the Northshore, where the causeway adds 45-plus minutes each way.