It isn’t off the charts, but Baton Rouge’s housing market is among the healthiest in Louisiana, according to Nationwide’s 2016 Health of Housing Markets Report.
Nationwide studied housing market data through the third quarter of 2016 to notate the healthiest markets in the country. Factors examined include housing prices, mortgage markets, demographics and employment statistics. Nationwide then ranked all of the markets on an index ranging from -4 to +4, with a -4 mark being the worst and +4 being the best.
Baton Rouge’s market scored a 1 on the scale, just above the neutral mark of zero. That ties Baton Rouge with Alexandria, Shreveport-Bossier City and Monroe for the best score in Louisiana. The New Orleans and Lake Charles areas each scored a zero, indicating their activity has been neutral.
No Louisiana markets are in the report’s top 10. However, three Louisiana areas fell into the bottom 10: Houma-Thibodaux (No. 397), Lafayette (396), and Hammond (391).
The economies of Houma-Thibodaux and Lafayette have suffered as a result of the global oil bust, which in turn has dented their housing markets.
The top market in the country is New Burn, North Carolina, which earned a score of 3 on Nationwide’s index.
