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State index

Louisiana state guide

Compare large Louisiana cities by 2025 Census population, young-grad fit, BLS state unemployment, schooling access, cost pressure, commute, and safety-check notes. The current Louisiana subset includes 61 South city pages with a combined 2025 population estimate of 1,893,854.

What the current Louisiana catalog shows

Carencro, Louisiana has the strongest verified population-growth signal in this Louisiana subset at +43.19% since the 2020 estimates base. Broussard, Louisiana has the lowest ACS rent-to-income baseline among the matched catalog cities at 10.4%. These figures describe the WhereToLive.us city subset, not a statewide average.

Catalog cities 61

60 have matched ACS place data.

Catalog median rent $951

Median of matched city ACS gross-rent estimates; not a statewide rent.

Catalog median income $49,994

Median of matched city ACS household-income estimates; not a statewide income.

Catalog median home value $187,050

Median of matched city ACS owner-occupied home values.

Average grad fit 57/100

Broussard, Louisiana leads this subset at 77/100.

Catalog median commute 24.4 min

Median of matched city approximate ACS commute estimates.

City Catalog Grad fit Median rent Median income 2025 population City unemployment Growth Jobs Cost
New Orleans, Louisiana #54 54/100 $1,251 $56,631 362,154 7.5% -5.72% cautious rent stretched
Baton Rouge, Louisiana Louisiana coverage 56/100 $1,067 $49,994 222,795 9.2% -1.72% competitive rent stretched
Shreveport, Louisiana Louisiana coverage 52/100 $987 $48,699 175,902 9.0% -6.21% competitive rent stretched
Lafayette, Louisiana Louisiana coverage 66/100 $1,100 $61,915 123,311 5.2% +1.58% competitive rent watch
Lake Charles, Louisiana Louisiana coverage 57/100 $1,109 $59,235 82,676 6.6% -2.66% competitive rent watch
St. George, Louisiana Louisiana coverage 58/100 ACS pending ACS pending 78,536 4.9% state +0.59% competitive starter-friendly
Kenner, Louisiana Louisiana coverage 56/100 $1,179 $64,020 65,136 6.6% -1.98% competitive rent watch
Bossier City, Louisiana Louisiana coverage 58/100 $1,107 $55,819 63,259 6.5% +0.87% competitive rent stretched
Monroe, Louisiana Louisiana coverage 56/100 $886 $40,505 46,860 10.2% -2.00% competitive rent stretched
Alexandria, Louisiana Louisiana coverage 51/100 $931 $47,113 42,938 5.2% -5.16% competitive rent stretched
Houma, Louisiana 2025 population #1304 54/100 $1,058 $58,194 31,735 3.3% -5.00% competitive rent watch
Central, Louisiana 2025 population #1355 66/100 $1,309 $89,554 30,313 2.2% +2.50% competitive rent-friendly
Slidell, Louisiana 2025 population #1420 56/100 $1,375 $70,497 28,341 5.8% -1.12% competitive rent stretched
New Iberia, Louisiana 2025 population #1523 49/100 $894 $47,087 26,533 10.7% -6.97% competitive rent watch
Hammond, Louisiana 2025 population #1668 67/100 $1,061 $48,166 24,032 5.9% +22.98% competitive rent stretched
Ruston, Louisiana 2025 population #1773 58/100 $816 $31,120 22,397 3.4% +1.10% competitive high rent burden
Zachary, Louisiana 2025 population #1893 68/100 $1,527 $84,480 20,621 6.9% +6.02% competitive rent watch
Sulphur, Louisiana 2025 population #1905 53/100 $994 $61,760 20,492 4.3% -6.03% competitive rent watch
Youngsville, Louisiana 2025 population #1947 76/100 $1,278 $105,876 19,980 1.2% +25.50% competitive rent-friendly
Gretna, Louisiana 2025 population #2175 47/100 $1,060 $43,110 17,360 6.3% -2.54% competitive rent stretched
Natchitoches, Louisiana 2025 population #2198 52/100 $802 $37,133 17,146 7.1% -5.58% competitive rent stretched
Broussard, Louisiana 2025 population #2330 77/100 $1,010 $116,179 15,799 3.6% +17.49% competitive rent-friendly
Thibodaux, Louisiana 2025 population #2358 55/100 $960 $52,072 15,573 4.3% -2.32% competitive rent watch
Opelousas, Louisiana 2025 population #2397 50/100 $717 $32,964 15,098 11.9% -4.62% competitive rent stretched
Pineville, Louisiana 2025 population #2535 56/100 $910 $49,774 13,967 3.3% -2.81% competitive rent watch
Gonzales, Louisiana 2025 population #2540 71/100 $1,497 $75,451 13,930 7.9% +15.23% competitive rent stretched
Carencro, Louisiana 2025 population #2646 72/100 $944 $63,401 13,224 6.7% +43.19% competitive rent-friendly
Mandeville, Louisiana 2025 population #2690 64/100 $1,422 $94,405 12,918 2.9% +0.70% competitive rent watch
West Monroe, Louisiana 2025 population #2757 54/100 $826 $49,386 12,478 9.6% -4.70% competitive rent watch
Baker, Louisiana 2025 population #2814 55/100 $993 $54,750 12,136 16.6% -2.87% competitive rent watch
Covington, Louisiana 2025 population #2877 61/100 $1,396 $75,851 11,721 5.6% +1.17% competitive rent watch
Crowley, Louisiana 2025 population #2956 50/100 $594 $28,642 11,223 14.3% -3.82% competitive rent stretched
Minden, Louisiana 2025 population #2990 44/100 $895 $34,294 11,103 2.7% -6.78% competitive high rent burden
Abbeville, Louisiana 2025 population #3036 48/100 $829 $33,015 10,861 5.5% -3.02% competitive high rent burden
Morgan City, Louisiana 2025 population #3053 51/100 $917 $56,474 10,757 7.7% -6.27% competitive rent watch
Bogalusa, Louisiana 2025 population #3142 48/100 $767 $30,749 10,321 15.7% -3.17% competitive rent stretched
Scott, Louisiana 2025 population #3294 68/100 $1,052 $56,299 9,635 5.9% +17.89% competitive rent watch
DeRidder, Louisiana 2025 population #3320 54/100 $958 $59,801 9,503 10.1% -4.05% competitive rent watch
Denham Springs, Louisiana 2025 population #3355 61/100 $1,014 $71,569 9,378 7.4% +0.87% competitive rent-friendly
Jennings, Louisiana 2025 population #3402 52/100 $881 $48,558 9,235 4.0% -6.02% competitive rent watch
Eunice, Louisiana 2025 population #3457 47/100 $799 $35,436 9,035 8.6% -4.09% competitive rent stretched
Harahan, Louisiana 2025 population #3482 63/100 $1,082 $79,516 8,916 3.8% -2.25% competitive rent-friendly
Bastrop, Louisiana 2025 population #3485 44/100 $839 $32,605 8,908 15.1% -7.97% competitive high rent burden
Westwego, Louisiana 2025 population #3652 48/100 $1,049 $46,261 8,317 2.7% -2.80% competitive rent stretched
Ponchatoula, Louisiana 2025 population #3820 58/100 $762 $51,161 7,755 2.3% -0.47% competitive rent-friendly
Addis, Louisiana 2025 population #3846 76/100 $1,273 $108,041 7,679 1.8% +14.08% competitive rent-friendly
Breaux Bridge, Louisiana 2025 population #3853 58/100 $891 $47,806 7,652 3.5% +1.90% competitive rent watch
Donaldsonville, Louisiana 2025 population #4039 52/100 $827 $23,618 7,094 13.4% +5.21% competitive high rent burden
Rayne, Louisiana 2025 population #4073 52/100 $828 $42,151 6,995 7.2% -3.57% competitive rent stretched
St. Gabriel, Louisiana 2025 population #4077 71/100 $1,017 $74,688 6,987 8.3% +8.56% competitive rent-friendly
Oakdale, Louisiana 2025 population #4233 53/100 $873 $42,540 6,526 14.4% -2.44% competitive rent stretched
Walker, Louisiana 2025 population #4251 62/100 $1,028 $80,707 6,476 6.8% +1.82% competitive rent-friendly
Franklin, Louisiana 2025 population #4340 49/100 $814 $39,518 6,224 2.8% -7.04% competitive rent stretched
Ville Platte, Louisiana 2025 population #4355 50/100 $656 $28,361 6,172 22.8% -2.20% competitive rent stretched
Plaquemine, Louisiana 2025 population #4464 53/100 $880 $69,366 5,891 3.8% -6.15% competitive rent-friendly
Patterson, Louisiana 2025 population #4616 50/100 $878 $49,886 5,565 9.5% -6.23% competitive rent watch
Tallulah, Louisiana 2025 population #4643 49/100 $650 $33,419 5,517 7.1% -12.41% competitive rent stretched
Grambling, Louisiana 2025 population #4730 63/100 $709 ACS pending 5,314 5.3% -0.93% competitive starter-friendly
St. Martinville, Louisiana 2025 population #4770 52/100 $765 $36,130 5,229 9.0% -3.38% competitive rent stretched
Leesville, Louisiana 2025 population #4778 45/100 $894 $37,500 5,210 9.8% -8.02% competitive rent stretched
Port Allen, Louisiana 2025 population #4895 62/100 $958 $59,474 5,015 6.2% +1.48% competitive rent watch