Jena, LA housing market
The typical Jena home is worth about $164,000, up 2.4% in a year, 24% below the Louisiana typical home.
Home values, sales, trends and how Jena compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Jena at a glance
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | Jena | Louisiana |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $169,000 | $185,000 |
| 2018 | $160,000 | $186,000 |
| 2019 | $155,000 | $188,000 |
| 2020 | $159,000 | $198,000 |
| 2021 | $177,000 | $208,000 |
| 2022 | $180,000 | $219,000 |
| 2023 | $176,000 | $221,000 |
| 2024 | $176,000 | $215,000 |
| 2025 | $167,000 | $215,000 |
| 2026 | $160,000 | $214,000 |
| August 2026 | $164,000 | $217,000 |
1 new home permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 1 new home in Jena in 2025. That's 0.2 per 1,000 residents, slower than across Louisiana (3.3). Over the past 10 years, Jena has permitted 30 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Jena gained 757 residents while 33 new homes were permitted: about 23 new residents per new home. Population grew faster than building, so existing homes filled up: a sign of tight supply. Across Louisiana: 0.9 new residents per new home.
How Jena ranks on housing keeping up with growth →
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 4 | 2 | 2 | $750,000 |
| 2025 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $250,000 |
| 2024 | 3 | 1 | 2 | $552,000 |
| 2023 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $400,000 |
| 2022 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $200,000 |
| 2021 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $200,000 |
| 2020 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $836,000 |
| 2019 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2018 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2017 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $903,000 |
| 2016 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $903,000 |
| 2015 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $677,000 |
| 2014 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $465,000 |
| 2013 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $465,000 |
| 2012 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $465,000 |
| 2011 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $349,000 |
| 2010 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $349,000 |
| 2009 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $349,000 |
| 2008 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $465,000 |
| 2007 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2006 | 13 | 13 | 0 | $2 million |
| 2005 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $297,000 |
| 2004 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $262,000 |
| 2003 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2002 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $122,000 |
| 2001 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $300,000 |
| 2000 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $327,000 |
How Jena ranks on new homes being built →
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
2.3 years of income
The typical Jena home costs about 2.3 years of the town's median household income, less than across Louisiana (3.6 years).
How Jena ranks on affordability →
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $880
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Jena is $880 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Jena pay a median of $906. A two-bedroom takes about 15% of the town's median household income.
Studio $630 · 4 bedrooms $1,480
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (71342; La Salle Parish, LA), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Recent listings in Jena
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, August 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center. 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. Listings link to their publishers.