What to know before you move: cost, market timing, who it fits.
If you're considering a move to Sulphur, LA, the most important variables are the local housing market, the cost structure (taxes, insurance, utilities), and how well the city fits your day-to-day life. This page summarizes the housing market read; pair it with the cost of living page for the full picture.
Sulphur is a city in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, with an estimated population of 20,572. It anchors the Lake Charles metro area. The population has contracted 1.4% per year on average since 2020. The median home value in Sulphur is $198,632 as of 2026-04, up 3.4% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged -0.8% annual growth (-6.5% from the 5-year peak). Rents in Sulphur average $1,235 per month, up 9.3% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 48 of 100 (Stable). Conditions are neither hot nor cold, so the local fit matters more than market timing.
Sideways market (+3.4% YoY). No urgency to time the macro trend — focus on the home and neighborhood.
Reasons people move here
- Affordable AND rising: median home $198,632 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can't offer.
- Quiet strength: +3.4% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
- Hot rental market: rents up 9.3% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.
Things to know first
- Net out-migration: population shrinking 1.4% per year — services, schools, and tax base will follow.
- Rental squeeze: rents up 9.3% YoY — tenants face tough renewals. Affordability deteriorating fast.
- Stagnant long-run trend: +0.4% 10-year CAGR plus flat population — appreciation case is weak.
More about Sulphur
Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.