Photo: Chris Litherland · CC BY-SA 3.0Measured against area pay, Sunset costs less to live in than 50% of U.S. towns
It ranks #87 of 161 in Louisiana for affordability. Up 4% in a year, close to the Louisiana typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Opelousas, LA micro area ($44K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 4 sales in September 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value is the steadier guide.
The grade compares costs with what households across the Opelousas-area micro earn ($44K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 4.6 years of area income, and 35% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $213Ktypical home, 1% below the Louisiana typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,010a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 4.6 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$44K, Opelousas-area income
- 23%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 35%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Louisiana: 55%Census 2020–24
- 15%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
Housing in Sunset, in brief
Prices are 8% below their 2023 peak
The typical Sunset home peaked at $231K in June 2023 and is worth about $213K now. Louisiana as a whole is 5% off its own peak. Over five years, Sunset is still up 4.1%. Price trend ↓
Building at 4 times the Louisiana pace
Builders were permitted 44 new homes in 2025: 14 per 1,000 residents, against 3.3 across Louisiana. That’s 298 in the past 10 years. New homes ↓
New building is almost all single-family houses
Of the 298 homes permitted in Sunset’s past 10 years, every one was a single-family house. New homes ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; permits are Census figures through 2025; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Sunset’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Sunset is more affordable than 50% of U.S. towns, #87 of 161 in Louisiana. Rent pulls the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Prices here have kept pace with Louisiana: up 4.1% in five years, against 1.2% statewide (Zillow).
Up 4% in a year
Faster than Louisiana (2.1%).
Show as a table
| January | Sunset | Louisiana |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $181,000 | $182,000 |
| 2018 | $187,000 | $184,000 |
| 2019 | $185,000 | $185,000 |
| 2020 | $193,000 | $195,000 |
| 2021 | $199,000 | $205,000 |
| 2022 | $215,000 | $216,000 |
| 2023 | $220,000 | $218,000 |
| 2024 | $218,000 | $212,000 |
| 2025 | $210,000 | $212,000 |
| 2026 | $205,000 | $211,000 |
| September 2026 | $213,000 | $214,000 |
A typical Sunset home worth $182K in October 2016 is worth about $213K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 4.6 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Sunset’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $25K short of a typical Sunset home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,010 a month here, $150 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Sunset’s typical property tax (0.27% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,010
Renters already here pay a median of $860, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (St. Landry Parish, LA): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
44 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 44 new homes in Sunset in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $12.5 million to build. That's 14 per 1,000 residents, faster than across Louisiana (3.3). Over the past 10 years, Sunset has permitted 298 homes in all.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Sunset gained 12 residents while 129 new homes were permitted: about 0.1 new residents per new home. Building outpaced population growth, which usually means smaller households or homes used part of the year. Across Louisiana: 0.9 new residents per new home.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 22 | 22 | 0 | $6.8 million |
| 2025 | 44 | 44 | 0 | $12.5 million |
| 2024 | 29 | 29 | 0 | $6.4 million |
| 2023 | 57 | 57 | 0 | $10.3 million |
| 2022 | 19 | 19 | 0 | $4.5 million |
| 2021 | 30 | 30 | 0 | $4.6 million |
| 2020 | 43 | 43 | 0 | $9.3 million |
| 2019 | 69 | 69 | 0 | $9.6 million |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2016 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $1.4 million |
| 2015 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $1.5 million |
| 2014 | 20 | 20 | 0 | $2.8 million |
| 2013 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $1.2 million |
| 2012 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $701,000 |
| 2011 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $780,000 |
| 2010 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $780,000 |
| 2009 | 12 | 12 | 0 | $1.3 million |
| 2008 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $2.2 million |
| 2007 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $853,000 |
| 2006 | 38 | 38 | 0 | $5.3 million |
| 2005 | 36 | 36 | 0 | $6.1 million |
| 2004 | 18 | 18 | 0 | $3 million |
| 2003 | 19 | 19 | 0 | $3 million |
| 2002 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2001 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $1.5 million |
| 2000 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $1.5 million |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Property tax runs below the Louisiana norm
The median bill is $549 (Louisiana: $1,180), 0.27% of a home’s value a year, against 0.55% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Sunset vs. its neighbors
Of the 1 towns here with a Zillow value, Sunset has the lowest. Grand Coteau has no Zillow value, so it is in the table only.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunset | B− | $213K | $206K | 0.27% | $1,010 |
| Grand Coteau | – | — | $118K | — | $840 |
“—” under Cost: not graded (too little Census data, or under 1,000 residents). “—” under Zillow: Zillow publishes no value for that town, so it’s left blank rather than mixed with Census figures.
Questions about the cost of living in Sunset
Is Sunset expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Sunset costs less than 50% of U.S. towns: a B− for cost of living, #87 of 161 in Louisiana. The typical home costs 4.6 years of the median household income of the Opelousas, LA micro area ($44K).
How much does a house cost in Sunset?
About $213K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 4.0% in a year. The Louisiana typical home is $214K.
What salary do you need to live in Sunset?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $50,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,160 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $40,000.
How much is rent in Sunset?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,010 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $860 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Sunset?
The median bill is $549 a year, 0.27% of the median home value (Louisiana: $1,180, 0.55%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Sunset going up?
Yes: up 4.0% in the past year and 4.1% in five years, against 1.2% across Louisiana (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Sunset buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, September 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.