EQUITY OFFERINGS (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands			3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 05, 2025	Mar. 31, 2026	Mar. 31, 2025	Dec. 31, 2025		Dec. 31, 2024
Equity Offerings [Line Items]
Issuance of shares of common stock			365,620	418,373
Forward Equity Offering Activity [Roll Forward]
Forward Sale Agreements Outstanding, weighted average price					N/A
Forward Sale Agreements Outstanding			252,136		0		385,253
Forward Sale Agreements Outstanding, price per share			$ 196.16				$ 175.07
Forward Sale Agreements Outstanding, value			$ 49,459		$ 0		$ 67,446
Forward sale agreements settled, shares			0		(1,449,078)	[1]
Forward sale agreements settled, price per share	[1]				$ 180.08
Forward sale agreements settled, gross proceeds			$ 0		$ (260,944)	[1]
Forward sale agreements settled — Weighted average price per share			N/A
New forward sale agreements, shares	[2]		252,136		1,063,825
New forward sale agreements, price per share	[2]		$ 196.16		$ 181.89
New forward sale agreements, value	[2]		$ 49,459		$ 193,498
ATM Program - October 2024
Equity Offerings [Line Items]
At-the-market program, maximum aggregate gross sales price		$ 1,000,000
Gross Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock		$ 479,899
ATM Program - December 2025
Equity Offerings [Line Items]
At-the-market program, maximum aggregate gross sales price			$ 1,000,000
Direct common stock issuances
Equity Offerings [Line Items]
Issuance of shares of common stock	[3]		365,620		33,120
Sale of stock, weighted average price per share			$ 191.46		$ 183.15
Gross Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock			$ 70,000		$ 6,066
Net proceeds from issuance of common stock			$ 69,300		$ 6,005

[1] EastGroup settled outstanding forward equity sale agreements by issuing 1,449,078 shares of common stock in exchange for net proceeds of approximately $258,066,000

[2] The Company did not receive any proceeds from the sale of common shares by the forward counterparties at the time it entered into forward sale agreements.

[3] Excludes shares of common stock sold on a forward basis as described below.