The 10 Best Places To Raise A Family In Louisiana For 2024


The best places for families in Louisiana are Covington and Zachary for 2024 based on Saturday Night Science.

We have our hands on the most sought after list of 2024: Louisiana’s most family friendly places to live.

The most family friendly places in a state are the places that have the best neighborhoods, the best schools, the best shopping, and the most family friendly amenities; and, folks, Louisiana has some of the best in the South. So, if you and your family already live in the Bayou State, consider yourself lucky. But if you’re thinking about moving your family to the Deep South, we suggest you take a look at HomeSnacks list of best places to raise your family in Louisiana for 2024.

How did we determine Louisiana’s most family friendly places? We consulted the US Census on places in Louisiana with more than 10,000 residents. We looked at several factors: crime, education, family friendly activities, and the percent of households that currently have children. We ended up with 31 family friendly places. This is also our second time ranking Louisiana’s most family friendly cities, so trust us when we say that any family would be lucky to call any one of these places home. Louisiana currently has 1.6 million families, and that number is expected to increase over the next ten years; and that folks, is because the state has a ton of awesome “Louisiana” stuff to do. Like, celebrating one of the world’s biggest Mardis Gras in New Orleans, visiting one of the state’s 21 state parks, or spending the day at Alexandria’s Zoo.

And parents, Louisiana has 69 Blue Ribbon schools, and local colleges like Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge keep showing up on U.S. News’ ‘Best College’ lists year after year. So, if you’re looking for safe, family friendly cities and neighborhoods, amazing schools, large green spaces, and just overall good family friendly fun, keep reading.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


The 10 Best Cities To Raise A Family In Louisiana For 2024

  1. Covington
  2. Zachary
  3. Youngsville
  4. Thibodaux
  5. Mandeville
  6. Broussard
  7. Kenner
  8. Slidell
  9. Lafayette
  10. Baker

Best Cities For Families In Louisiana Map

When you choose to live in one of Louisiana’s best places for families, you are choosing to live where you can keep your family safe, happy, and healthy. And that makes perfect sense.

So, what’s the best place for families to live in Louisiana for 2024? Drum roll… the number one best place for families in the Pelican State is Covington based on the most recent Census data.

To see how your favorite places in Louisiana compared, take a look at the list below; and if you don’t see it there, head to the bottom.

More reading about Louisiana and the best places for families in the country:

The 10 Best Places To Raise A Family In Louisiana For 2024

Covington, LA

Source: Wikipedia User Frankbp | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 11,444
Median Income: $71,719
Average Home Price: $308,256
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 61
Closest Major City: New Orleans
Households with kids: 35.1%
More on Covington: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Zachary, LA

Source: Wikipedia User Jim Plylar | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 19,401
Median Income: $88,811
Average Home Price: $261,425
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 48
Closest Major City: Baton Rouge
Households with kids: 46.5%
More on Zachary: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Youngsville, LA

Source: Flickr User Cajun Byrd | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 15,990
Median Income: $111,619
Average Home Price: $268,782
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 47
Closest Major City: Baton Rouge
Households with kids: 49.5%
More on Youngsville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Thibodaux, LA

Source: Wikipedia User ian munroe from Steinwenden, Germany | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 15,738
Median Income: $51,704
Average Home Price: $218,065
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 64
Closest Major City: Baton Rouge
Households with kids: 24.6%
More on Thibodaux: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Mandeville, LA

Source: Wikipedia User Infrogmation of New Orleans | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 13,194
Median Income: $84,886
Average Home Price: $349,833
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 45
Closest Major City: New Orleans
Households with kids: 31.9%
More on Mandeville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Broussard, LA

Source: Wikipedia User Chris Litherland | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 13,322
Median Income: $94,912
Average Home Price: $270,303
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 32
Closest Major City: Baton Rouge
Households with kids: 43.2%
More on Broussard: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Kenner, LA

Source: Wikipedia User Infrogmation of New Orleans | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 65,785
Median Income: $60,557
Average Home Price: $228,773
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 44
Closest Major City: New Orleans
Households with kids: 30.0%
More on Kenner: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Slidell, LA

Source: Wikipedia User jahebert 7 | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 28,690
Median Income: $63,004
Average Home Price: $224,573
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 46
Closest Major City: New Orleans
Households with kids: 33.1%
More on Slidell: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Lafayette, LA

Source: Wikipedia User Infrogmation of New Orleans | CC BY-SA 4.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 121,706
Median Income: $58,850
Average Home Price: $215,488
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 88
Closest Major City: Baton Rouge
Households with kids: 24.9%
More on Lafayette: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Baker, LA

Source: Wikipedia User Rab302 | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 12,463
Median Income: $60,555
Average Home Price: $173,779
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 52
Closest Major City: Baton Rouge
Households with kids: 34.6%
More on Baker: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Methodology: How do you determine which place is best for families in Louisiana anyways?

To give you the places in Louisiana that are best for families, we must look at a handful of metrics. We want to measure the criteria people want in a family-friendly city utilizing Saturday Night Science.

After researching U.S. Census data produced for the state of Louisiana, we looked at the data for every single city in the state. We paid particular attention to:

  • Crime (Both violent and property)
  • Quality of local schools
  • Distance to a major city without necessarily being in it
  • % of households with children
  • Family-friendly amenities nearby (museums, libraries, and colleges)

We then gave each city a “Family Score.”

The higher the score, the better the city is for families. We also limited our results to cities with over 10,000 people. For Louisiana, that meant a total of 31 cities.

We updated this article for 2024. This is our tenth time ranking the best cities for families in Louisiana.

Summary: The Best Places To Raise A Family In Louisiana

If you’re looking for a breakdown of cities in Louisiana ranked by criteria that most agree make a place a great spot for families, this is an accurate list.

The best places for families in Louisiana are Covington, Zachary, Youngsville, Thibodaux, Mandeville, Broussard, Kenner, Slidell, Lafayette, and Baker.

Here’s a look at the best cities for singles Louisiana according to the data:

  1. West Monroe
  2. Crowley
  3. Opelousas

For more Louisiana reading, check out:

Best Places For Families In Louisiana

Rank City Population Median Income Average Home Price Amenities Score
1 Covington, LA 11,444 $71,719 $308,256 50
2 Zachary, LA 19,401 $88,811 $261,425 60
3 Youngsville, LA 15,990 $111,619 $268,782 50
4 Thibodaux, LA 15,738 $51,704 $218,065 58
5 Mandeville, LA 13,194 $84,886 $349,833 36
6 Broussard, LA 13,322 $94,912 $270,303 31
7 Kenner, LA 65,785 $60,557 $228,773 51
8 Slidell, LA 28,690 $63,004 $224,573 53
9 Lafayette, LA 121,706 $58,850 $215,488 83
10 Baker, LA 12,463 $60,555 $173,779 37
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.