Shreveport, LA: Rental Property Market Guide

Updated March 2026 · Pop. 183,820

Shreveport is one of the cheapest major metros in America, and the prices reflect the reality: this is a city that has lost 15% of its population since 2000, and the economic trajectory is challenging. Barksdale Air Force Base (8,500+ employees) is the largest employer and the primary reason investors still look at this market. Beyond the base, Shreveport has a modest healthcare sector (Willis-Knighton Health System, Ochsner LSU Health), a declining casino industry, and a film incentive program that occasionally brings production jobs. The cap rates here are among the highest in the South — 9-10% on paper — but only investors with high vacancy tolerance and hands-on management capacity should consider Shreveport.

Barksdale AFB: The Only Anchor

Barksdale is home to the 2nd Bomb Wing (B-52 Stratofortress aircraft) and Air Force Global Strike Command headquarters. The base employs 8,500+ military and civilian workers with BAH rates of approximately $1,230 for an E-5 with dependents. Properties in Bossier City (71111, 71112) — the city adjacent to Shreveport across the Red River — benefit most from base demand. Bossier City is generally safer, better-maintained, and more desirable than Shreveport, with properties at $130-180K renting for $950-1,200. The key insight: if you're investing in the Shreveport metro, Bossier City is almost always the better choice. It has the military demand, the lower crime, and the better schools (Bossier Parish schools outperform Caddo Parish/Shreveport significantly).

The Population Decline Reality

Shreveport lost 30,000 residents between 2000 and 2020 — a 15% decline. This isn't a temporary dip; it's a structural trend driven by limited job growth, young people leaving for Dallas, Houston, or Little Rock, and an aging population. For investors, population decline means two things: rents grow slowly (2% or less annually), and exit liquidity is limited (fewer buyers when you want to sell). The cap rates look high at 9-10%, but when you factor in 8.5% vacancy, below-average rent growth, and potential difficulty selling in 10 years, the actual returns are closer to 6-7%. That's still decent for a $125K investment, but it's not the headline number.

Louisiana's Unique Legal System

Louisiana operates under Napoleonic civil law rather than English common law, which affects landlord-tenant relationships in ways that surprise investors from other states. Eviction in Louisiana is called "eviction by rule" and goes through City Court in Shreveport. The process requires a 5-day notice for nonpayment, followed by a court filing. Timelines are moderate — 3-5 weeks from notice to writ. Louisiana's security deposit law limits deposits to one month's rent and requires return within 30 days. The state doesn't have rent control but does have some tenant-protective provisions around habitability that are more expansive than in neighboring Texas or Mississippi.

Where to Buy (and Where Not To)

South Shreveport (71106, 71118) has the metro's best neighborhoods — Broadmoor, Southwood, and the areas near Willis-Knighton's flagship hospital. Properties here run $140-200K with rents of $1,000-1,300 and vacancy rates of 5-6%. This is where the professionals live. North Shreveport (71107, 71109) and MLK-area neighborhoods have the lowest prices (under $60K) and the highest cap rates on paper — but vacancy rates exceed 15% in some pockets, property crime is elevated, and the tenant pool is limited. The rule of thumb: stay south of I-20 in Shreveport, or invest in Bossier City. Everything else requires local expertise and high management tolerance.