2026 editionSouthPop. 4,618,189Capital Baton Rouge18th state, admitted 1812Cook PVI R+15
Is Louisiana a Good Place to Live? Louisiana Rankings, Cost of Living, Crime & Taxes
Louisiana ranks #50 of 50 with a composite score of 30 and an F grade, strongest in affordability (#3) and weakest in environment (#50). The median household earns $60,986 (25% below the national median), homes typically cost $217,039 (41% below the national average), and violent crime is 515 per 100,000 (57% above the national average).
A retiree couple at $75,000 ends the year at a $44,597 surplus, more than in any other state, on some of the country's cheapest homes and a homestead exemption that erases most property tax bills. Against that stand a #44 health rank and a coastal homeowners insurance market that has become the state's real cost of living.
Louisiana by the numbers
Six measures every state is judged on, each with Louisiana's rank of 50 and the national figure beside it.
Sources, latest releases: Census Bureau ACS (income), Zillow Research (home value), BEA Regional Price Parities (cost index), FBI state crime estimates (crime), BLS LAUS (unemployment), WalletHub tax burden study (taxes). Rank 1 is the best value in each measure: highest income, lowest cost, lowest crime.
Read the Louisiana overview
Louisiana scores above the national average in 1 of 11 categories and ranks #14 of 14 states in the South, behind 13 regional neighbors. Its biggest edge over the country is typical home value ($217,039, 41% below the national average); its biggest shortfall is violent crime rate (515, 57% above the national average). That mix of top-10 finishes (1) and bottom-10 finishes (10) is why the composite alone undersells the tradeoffs a mover here faces.
Where does Louisiana rank in each category?
All 11 categories that make up the composite, heaviest weight first. Louisiana is top 10 in 1 and bottom 10 in 10.
| Category | Score | Rank | Grade | Weight | US avg | The numbers behind it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | 24.9 | #48 of 50 | D | 15% | 47.1 | Its unemployment rate is 4.3% and median household income is $60,986. |
| Safety | 45.5 | #48 of 50 | D | 12% | 68.9 | The FBI estimates 515.1 violent crimes and 1,966.4 property crimes per 100,000 residents. |
| Health | 29.9 | #44 of 50 | D | 12% | 54.4 | Life expectancy is 73.8 years, 39.2% of adults have obesity, and 7.7% of residents are uninsured. |
| Education | 48.3 | #41 of 50 | C | 12% | 57.5 | Eighth graders average 267 in NAEP math and 257 in reading, and the high school graduation rate is 83.1%. |
| Affordability | 88.7 | #3 of 50 | A+ | 10% | 65.2 | Typical home value $217,039 (3.6x median income); cost of living index 88.2 (100 = US); center-based infant care $11,133 a year. |
| Fiscal Health | 43.1 | #44 of 50 | D | 8% | 58.1 | It carries $3,890 of debt per resident, has 64% of pensions funded, and holds a AA- credit rating. |
| Growth | 21.1 | #44 of 50 | D | 7% | 38.8 | Population grew 0.07% last year; Census net domestic migration is -3.1 per 1,000 residents (the Moving section below uses IRS household counts, a different series). |
| Transportation | 36.4 | #48 of 50 | D | 7% | 49.8 | The average commute is 26.2 minutes, 0.9% of workers use public transit, and 8% work from home. |
| Livability | 20.3 | #47 of 50 | D | 7% | 34.3 | It has 1.736 restaurants and 0.016 arts venues per 1,000 residents, plus 0.176 bars and 0.055 social associations per 1,000. |
| Outdoor Access | 10.3 | #41 of 50 | C | 6% | 29.4 | 4.2% of its land is public, with 2.12 recreation facilities per 10,000 residents. |
| Environment | 16.0 | #50 of 50 | F | 4% | 42.5 | Its median air quality index is 43, 5% of its electricity is renewable, and its FEMA disaster risk score is 52. |
Weight, US average and the evidence sentence for each category are shown on wider screens.
Grades follow rank, not score: A+ for ranks 1–5, A for 6–10, B+ for 11–18, B for 19–26, C+ for 27–34, C for 35–42, D for 43–48, F for 49–50. US avg is the mean score of the 50 states. Click a category for its 50-state ranking.
Category shape
Louisiana's 11 category scores. A balanced state fills the wheel evenly; Louisiana bulges toward affordability and dips at environment.
How expensive is Louisiana?
Louisiana's cost of living index is 88.2 against a national baseline of 100, 12% below the national average and #5 of 50 (1 = cheapest). The typical home is worth $217,039 (41% below the national average); buying it takes an income of about $64,285, $3,299 more than the median household earns. Inside the state the spread is wide: among tracked cities, New Iberia is cheapest (index 82.5) and Slidell priciest (92.7).
Housing market snapshot · August
Warm marketRanked #48 of 50 most expensive by typical value and #14 on price relative to income (1 = most affordable). The median household is $3,299 short of the income needed to buy the typical home.
Full Louisiana housing market: 26-year chart, rent vs. buy, cities →What a household keeps at $75,000
| Household | Louisiana | Median state | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family of fourTwo adults, two kids, one in daycare | +$7,293 | −$11,758 | #5 of 50 |
| Single adultOne-bedroom rent, no childcare | +$39,240 | +$31,418 | #1 of 50 |
| Retiree coupleOwn the home, no payroll tax | +$44,597 | +$35,970 | #1 of 50 |
Take-home pay minus housing, childcare, utilities, groceries and transport for a $75,000 household, from the affordability engine. Positive = money left over; negative = costs exceed take-home. Rank 1 = most left over.
What are taxes like in Louisiana?
Louisiana's tax mix is low income tax, low property tax, high sales tax. The total state and local tax burden comes to 8.94% of income, 0.2 points above the national average (#30 of 50, 1 = lightest). Property tax is 0.55% of home value (#9), and combined sales tax averages 10.11% (#50).
Tax Foundation (rates) and WalletHub tax burden study (burden as a share of income), latest releases. Rank 1 = lowest. Income tax is the top marginal rate including typical local taxes where they apply.
Can the state pay its bills?
Fiscal health scores 43.1 out of 100, #44 of 50. Pew Fiscal 50, Census state finances and the rating agencies, latest releases.
Is Louisiana safe?
Louisiana reports 515 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 57% above the national average and #47 of 50 (1 = safest). Property crime runs 1,966 per 100,000, 28% above the national average (#45 of 50). The safety score is 45.5 out of 100, #48 of 50; among tracked cities, Slidell has the lowest violent crime rate.
Louisiana vs. the United States, per 100,000 residents
FBI state crime estimates, latest release. US is the mean of the 50 states; blue = below it, terracotta = above it. Florida and North Dakota use the FBI's prior-year estimate because their latest year is based on limited data.
Safest tracked cities in Louisiana
| City | Population | Violent / 100K | Property / 100K |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenner | 64,904 | 288 | 2,058 |
| Lake Charles | 81,143 | 665 | 2,424 |
| Bossier City | 62,901 | 704 | 3,288 |
| Lafayette | 121,715 | 1,131 | 3,469 |
| Shreveport | 180,982 | 1,163 | 3,610 |
Lowest violent crime among the 20 Louisiana cities we track with 50,000 or more residents. City rates come from each city's police agency and are not strictly comparable across agencies.
What is the job market like in Louisiana?
Louisiana's unemployment rate is 4.3%, 0.3 points above the national average and #36 of 50 (1 = lowest), and the median household earns $60,986, 25% below the national median. Real GDP grew +0.8% in the latest year (#45 of 50) and GDP per capita is $57,458, 11% below the national average. The population is growing 0.07% a year, 0.4 points below the national average. The economy score is 24.9 out of 100, #48 of 50.
Census Bureau ACS (income), BLS LAUS (unemployment), BEA (GDP), Census population estimates (growth), latest releases.
Highest-paying tracked occupations in Louisiana, adjusted for cost of living
| Occupation | Cost-adjusted | Median wage | Metro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physicians | $240,041 | $211,236 | New Orleans-Metairie |
| Lawyers | $144,611 | $127,258 | New Orleans-Metairie |
| Software Developers | $141,252 | $124,302 | New Orleans-Metairie |
| General & Operations Managers | $107,424 | $94,533 | New Orleans-Metairie |
| Computer Systems Analysts | $105,259 | $92,628 | New Orleans-Metairie |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, latest release, for the 20 occupations we track. Cost-adjusted wage divides the metro median by its cost of living index.
How are Louisiana's schools and healthcare?
Louisiana's education score is 48.3 out of 100, #41 of 50. Eighth graders average 267 in NAEP math (#42 of 50) and 257 in reading (#28 of 50), and the high school graduation rate is 83.1%, 2.5 points below the national average (#38 of 50).
Best public school cities we track, by graduation rate
| City | Grad rate | Students / teacher | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruston | 98% | 12.8 | $15,353 |
| Houma | 95% | 16.4 | $13,613 |
| Lake Charles | 94.9% | 13.3 | $17,220 |
NCES Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey, latest release. Cities with at least three schools.
Louisiana is #44 of 50 for health, with a life expectancy of 73.8 years, 3.1 years below the national average. 39.2% of adults have obesity (#48 of 50) and 7.7% of residents have no health insurance (#29 of 50). The health score is 29.9 out of 100, weighted 12% of the composite.
CDC National Center for Health Statistics (state life tables), CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (obesity), and Census Bureau American Community Survey (health insurance), latest releases.
Who is moving to Louisiana, and who is leaving?
Louisiana lost a net 10,129 households to other states in the latest IRS release: 37,020 moved in and 47,149 moved out, -2.2 per 1,000 residents (#48 of 50). Arriving households report an average income of $58,189 against $62,643 for those leaving. The Census Bureau's American Community Survey, which counts people rather than households, shows a net -12.5K people (71.0K in, 83.5K out, ±10.9K), consistent with the IRS direction.
Where they come from
- 1Texas10,522 · $53,860
- 2Mississippi3,108 · $49,409
- 3Florida2,765 · $65,424
- 4California2,093 · $69,741
- 5Georgia1,747 · $50,742
Households and their average income. Click a state to compare it head to head; households arrived from these states in the latest IRS release.
Where they go
- 1Texas15,068 · $56,976
- 2Mississippi3,689 · $59,631
- 3Florida3,359 · $90,407
- 4Georgia2,194 · $52,578
- 5California2,019 · $70,282
Households and their average income. Click a state to compare it head to head; households left for these states in the latest IRS release.
Where should you live in Louisiana?
By composite score, the best of the 20 Louisiana cities we track are Prairieville (58.2), Central (54.8), and Kenner (51). New Iberia is the cheapest (cost index 82.5), Prairieville the richest ($104,923), and Lake Charles the fastest growing (+1.5% a year). City ranks are among the 20 Louisiana cities we cover, not every city in the state.
Standout cities in Louisiana
| Best for | City | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Safest | Slidell | 275 violent crimes per 100K |
| Cheapest | New Iberia | cost of living index 82.5 |
| Most walkable | New Orleans | walkability 13.7 of 20 |
| Cleanest air | Prairieville | median AQI 33 (county) |
| Best schools | Ruston | 98% graduation rate |
| Richest | Prairieville | $104,923 |
Among the 20 Louisiana cities we track. Safest uses a full year of FBI reports from the city's own police agency; air quality is measured by county, so cities in the same county share a reading.
Regions of Louisiana
New Orleans has the culture and the crime; Metairie, Kenner and the suburbs across the parish lines have the schools and the parking. Everything sits at or below sea level.
State government, LSU and the chemical corridor along the Mississippi; Prairieville and Central are the higher-income suburbs families choose over the East Baton Rouge district.
Slidell and the St. Tammany suburbs across the causeway: lower crime, better schools, higher ground and a long commute into New Orleans.
Lafayette rides the oilfield, Lake Charles the LNG boom and hurricane rebuilds, Houma the offshore ports; Cajun French place names, Catholic parishes and the highest storm exposure in the state.
Shreveport, Bossier City, Monroe, Ruston and Alexandria feel closer to East Texas and Arkansas than to New Orleans: piney, Baptist, cheaper, and mostly out of the coast's insurance problem.
All 20 tracked cities, best to worst
| # | City | Grade | Score | Population | Income | Violent / 100K | Cost index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prairieville | B | 58.2 | 35,238 | $104,923 | — | 90.8 |
| 2 | Central | C+ | 54.8 | 29,783 | $89,554 | — | 90.8 |
| 3 | Kenner | C | 51.0 | 64,904 | $64,020 | 288 | 92.6 |
| 4 | Slidell | C | 50.0 | 28,561 | $70,497 | 275 | 92.7 |
| 5 | Houma | D | 48.4 | 32,392 | $58,194 | 489 | 85.1 |
| 6 | New Orleans | D | 48.0 | 371,853 | $56,631 | — | 92.6 |
| 7 | Lake Charles | D | 47.7 | 81,143 | $59,235 | 665 | 85.9 |
| 8 | Metairie | D | 46.7 | 139,729 | $73,042 | — | 92.6 |
| 9 | Bossier City | D | 46.5 | 62,901 | $55,819 | 704 | 84.8 |
| 10 | Lafayette | D | 45.2 | 121,715 | $61,915 | 1,131 | 87.2 |
| 11 | Laplace | D | 44.1 | 28,343 | $69,030 | — | 92.6 |
| 12 | Ruston | D | 43.6 | 22,284 | $31,120 | 286 | 82.5 |
| 13 | Baton Rouge | D | 43.3 | 222,771 | $49,994 | — | 90.8 |
| 14 | Shreveport | F | 40.2 | 180,982 | $48,699 | 1,163 | 84.8 |
| 15 | Chalmette | F | 40.0 | 22,616 | $54,904 | — | 92.6 |
| 16 | Alexandria | F | 38.6 | 44,060 | $47,113 | 2,448 | 85.7 |
| 17 | New Iberia | F | 36.8 | 27,571 | $47,087 | 1,088 | 82.5 |
| 18 | Terrytown | F | 36.0 | 24,726 | $51,718 | — | 92.6 |
| 19 | Monroe | F | 35.9 | 47,004 | $40,505 | 1,647 | 83.6 |
| 20 | Marrero | F | 32.0 | 32,540 | $41,402 | — | 92.6 |
Swipe the table sideways for more columns. Rank is among the 20 Louisiana cities we track: every city of 50,000 or more, plus the state's other largest places. City scores use city-level Census, FBI, BLS, CDC, EPA and NCES data, and a category with no city data is left out of the score rather than filled with the state's figure.
Best cities in Louisiana for…
| # | City | Score | Education | Safety | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prairieville | 59.2 | 64.7 | — | 73.7 |
| 2 | Ruston | 58.2 | 76.4 | 63.3 | 88.5 |
| 3 | Central | 57.5 | — | — | 75.1 |
| 4 | Slidell | 55.0 | 57.1 | 72.2 | 76.2 |
| 5 | Kenner | 54.2 | 48.5 | 73.6 | 77.4 |
Who is Louisiana best for?
The same 11 category scores, re-weighted for six kinds of household. Rank is among the 50 states; click through for the best Louisiana cities for each.
Weights differ by household: families lean on education, safety and housing; retirees on fiscal health, healthcare and cost. See the weights →
How does Louisiana compare with its neighbors?
Louisiana ranks #50. Among its bordering states, Texas ranks highest (#32) and Arkansas lowest (#48). Arkansas is the most similar on the composite score and Texas the most different. Bordering states are listed best to worst; the national line is the mean of the 50 states.
| State | Overall | Score | Median income | Typical home | Cost index | Violent crime | Tax burden | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | #50 | 30.0 | $60,986 | $217,039 | 88.2 | 515 | 8.94% | |
| Texas | #32 | 52.2 | $79,721 | $299,367 | 97.1 | 345 | 7.77% | Compare → |
| Mississippi | #46 | 41.9 | $59,127 | $197,606 | 87 | 227 | 9.06% | Compare → |
| Arkansas | #48 | 40.1 | $62,106 | $227,264 | 86.9 | 532 | 8.61% | Compare → |
| United States | — | 57.9 | $80,903 | $368,697 | 100 | 328 | 8.74% |
Overall rank, median income, cost index and tax burden columns are shown on wider screens.
How the score works
Eleven categories, each scored 0–100 and weighted into one composite. Grades follow rank.
The weights
Economy 15% · Safety 12% · Health 12% · Education 12% · Affordability 10% · Fiscal Health 8% · Growth 7% · Transportation 7% · Livability 7% · Outdoor Access 6% · Environment 4%. The composite is the weighted sum, stretched linearly so states spread across most of the 0–100 range.
From raw numbers to scores
Every raw measure is placed on a 0–100 scale between a fixed floor and ceiling, inverted where lower is better (crime, cost, taxes), then combined within its category. The same scale applies to every state.
Letter grades
Grades follow rank, not score: A+ for ranks 1–5, A for 6–10, B+ for 11–18, B for 19–26, C+ for 27–34, C for 35–42, D for 43–48, F for 49–50. A C+ state is not failing; it is in the middle third.
Cities, budgets and neighbors
The 20 Louisiana city scores, the household budgets and the neighbor table on this page are computed from the same sources as the state score. City ranks are among the cities we track, not all cities in the state.
Editor's notes
Passages marked as editor's notes are written for this state and add context the numbers cannot: regions, tradeoffs, who the state fits. Every figure inside them is pulled from the data at build time, so the words cannot drift from the numbers.
Always the latest release
Each source is the most recent release its agency has published. The page is rebuilt when a source updates, so the score can move without any change in the state itself.
What the score cannot tell you
Weather and climate, culture and pace, politics beyond the Cook index shown for context, the quality of a specific school, hospital or neighborhood, job prospects in your field, and anything without a public, comparable, 50-state source. Statewide averages also hide the metro-versus-rural split, which is why the editor's notes name places.
Category briefs
Economy: Unemployment rate and median household income. Safety: Violent and property crime rates per 100,000 residents. Health: Health outcomes, behaviors, and access to care. Education: K-12 school quality, test scores, and graduation rates. Full methodology →
Key takeaways
What the Louisiana numbers say when read together.
Affordability is Louisiana's strongest suit
Louisiana is a #50 state overall but #3 of 50 for affordability, 47 places better than its composite rank, with a score of 88.7 against a national average of 65.2. Education (#41) is next. Affordability carries 10% of the composite.
Louisiana has no weak category relative to its rank
Every one of the 11 categories ranks at or above the state's overall #50, so the composite is not being dragged down by any single weakness.
Typical home value is 41% below the national average
Louisiana's typical home value is $217,039, 41% below the national average of $368,697, #3 of 50 (1 = cheapest). The largest gap in the other direction is violent crime rate: 515, 57% above the national average. Source: Zillow Research ZHVI, latest release.
More households leave than arrive
Louisiana ranks #48 of 50 on net household flow per 1,000 residents (-2.2). The households arriving report $4,454 less in average income than those leaving ($58,189 against $62,643), so the state is trading down on income even as the headcount shrinks. Texas is both the largest source and the largest destination.
A middle income stretches further here than in most states
A family of four earning $75,000 ends the year at a $7,293 surplus after housing, childcare, utilities, groceries, transport and taxes, against a $11,758 shortfall in the median state (#5 of 50). A single adult on the same income comes out at a $39,240 surplus; a retiree couple at a $44,597 surplus. Infant childcare runs $11,133 a year, 29% below the national average.
Every bordering state outranks Louisiana
All 3 of Louisiana's bordering states rank above its #50; the closest match on the composite is Arkansas. Median income among them runs from $59,127 in Mississippi to $79,721 in Texas; Louisiana is at $60,986.
Frequently asked questions about living in Louisiana
Is Louisiana a good place to live?
Louisiana ranks #50 of 50 with an F grade, #14 of 14 in the South. It is top 10 in affordability and bottom 10 in education, outdoor access, health, fiscal health, growth, livability, economy, safety, transportation, and environment. On the six headline measures it beats the national figure on 2 of 6 (home prices and cost of living) and trails on income, violent crime, unemployment, and tax burden. Whether that adds up to a good place to live depends on what you weigh; the household rankings below re-weight the same numbers for families, retirees and remote workers.
Where does Louisiana rank among US states?
Louisiana ranks #50 of 50 overall with a composite score of 30 (grade F), and #14 of 14 states in the South. Its best category rank is #3 (affordability) and its worst #50 (environment). The composite weights eleven categories, with economy, safety, health and education counting most; grades follow rank, so F means rank 49–50.
Is it expensive to live in Louisiana?
At #5 of 50 for cost of living (1 = cheapest), Louisiana is 12% below the national average: its index is 88.2 against a national baseline of 100. The typical home value is $217,039 (41% below the national average), and buying it takes an income of about $64,285 against a median household income of $60,986. At $75,000, a family of four comes out at a $7,293 surplus after all costs, #5 of 50 (1 = most left over).
Does Louisiana have a state income tax?
Yes. Louisiana's top state income tax rate is 3% (#12 of 50, 1 = lowest), and the total state and local tax burden is 8.94% of income, 0.2 points above the national average. Property tax is 0.55% of home value and combined sales tax 10.11%.
What is the crime rate in Louisiana?
Louisiana reports 515 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 57% above the national average and #47 of 50 (1 = safest), and 1,966 property crimes per 100,000, 28% above the national average (#45). Its safety score is 45.5 out of 100, #48 of 50. Figures are FBI estimates from the latest release.
Does Louisiana have good schools?
Louisiana is #41 of 50 for education (score 48.3 out of 100). Its public school students average 267 in eighth-grade math on NAEP (#42) and 257 in eighth-grade reading (#28), and the high school graduation rate is 83.1%, 2.5 points below the national average (#38). Among tracked cities with at least three schools, Ruston has the highest graduation rate at 98%.
Why are people leaving Louisiana?
Louisiana lost a net 10,129 households in the latest IRS release: 37,020 moved in and 47,149 moved out, -2.2 per 1,000 residents (#48 of 50). The largest source of arrivals is Texas (10,522 households) and the most common destination is Texas (15,068). Arriving households report an average income of $58,189 against $62,643 for those leaving, so movers out earn more than movers in. The IRS files count tax returns and say nothing about motives.
Is Louisiana a red or blue state?
Louisiana is a solidly red state: its Cook Partisan Voting Index is R+15, meaning it votes about 15 points more Republican than the country as a whole. The political lean is shown for context and is not part of the composite score.
What are the downsides of living in Louisiana?
Insurance first. The homeowners market in the coastal parishes is the bill that breaks budgets the cost index calls cheap. Then health: the state ranks #44 and life expectancy is 3.1 years below the national average. Median income is $60,986, 25% below the national median, and GDP growth of +0.8% sits near the bottom. Add the highest sales tax in the country at 10.11% and a hurricane season that runs half the year.
Is Louisiana tax-friendly for retirees?
Yes, if you own your home. Social Security and most public pensions escape the 3% income tax. The homestead exemption removes the first slice of home value from parish property tax, and owners over sixty-five can freeze their assessment. The cost is at the register: 10.11% combined sales tax, groceries often included. A retiree couple at $75,000 ends the year at a $44,597 surplus, #1 of 50.
Does Louisiana get hurricanes?
Every year the Gulf is in play, and the state's FEMA risk index of 52.0 (#45) is mostly that. New Orleans, the river parishes, Houma and Lake Charles have taken direct hits; north Louisiana gets the remnants as rain and tornadoes. The consequence is insurance: wind coverage is expensive along the coast, flood policies are separate, and evacuation is a routine part of late summer.
Where in Louisiana should I live?
Pick the parish first. For New Orleans jobs with schools and lower crime, the north shore around Slidell or Jefferson Parish. The chemical corridor points to Ascension Parish suburbs like Prairieville, the highest-scoring tracked city. The cheapest houses are in New Iberia and Shreveport, where crime and health access are weaker. Lake Charles offers the fastest growth and the worst storm history.
Is Louisiana good for remote workers?
Not on the numbers. Only 8% of workers are remote, #48 of 50, and broadband reaches 90.5% of households, 2.2 points below the national average. The upside is a cheap house, and a single adult at $75,000 comes out at a $39,240 surplus, the most in the country. A remote worker with a coastal salary and a New Orleans address comes out ahead on money, as long as the roof is insurable.
All the numbers
Every metric behind Louisiana's 11 category scores, with the national figure beside each. Pick a category.