Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment, is Louisiana a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best counties to live in Louisiana.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Pelican State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
The question becomes if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Louisiana, where would you go? To answer that, we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 64 counties in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Louisiana For 2024
Ascension Parish is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Louisiana. And you should avoid Evangeline Parish if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in Louisiana. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Louisiana and the cheapest places to live in Louisiana.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In Louisiana For 2024
1. Ascension Parish
Biggest Place: Prairieville
Population: 126,973
Median Income: $93,800 (best)
Median Home Price: $285,077 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.5% (10th best)
More on Ascension Parish: Data
2. Plaquemines Parish
Biggest Place: Belle Chasse
Population: 23,305
Median Income: $77,996 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $289,812 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.4% (8th best)
More on Plaquemines Parish: Data
3. St. Tammany Parish
Biggest Place: Slidell
Population: 266,168
Median Income: $76,914 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $263,739 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.2% (15th best)
More on St. Tammany Parish: Data
4. St. James Parish
Biggest Place: Lutcher
Population: 20,090
Median Income: $62,946 (17th best)
Median Home Price: $186,145 (18th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (3rd best)
More on St. James Parish: Data
5. St. Charles Parish
Biggest Place: Luling
Population: 52,191
Median Income: $79,191 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $249,869 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 6.7% (36th best)
More on St. Charles Parish: Data
6. Livingston Parish
Biggest Place: Denham Springs
Population: 143,425
Median Income: $77,978 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $237,094 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.5% (9th best)
More on Livingston Parish: Data
7. Cameron Parish
Biggest Place: Hackberry
Population: 5,447
Median Income: $69,847 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $189,170 (17th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.1% (best)
More on Cameron Parish: Data
8. Lafayette Parish
Biggest Place: Lafayette
Population: 243,175
Median Income: $66,617 (10th best)
Median Home Price: $227,035 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.2% (16th best)
More on Lafayette Parish: Data
9. West Baton Rouge Parish
Biggest Place: Addis
Population: 27,377
Median Income: $80,510 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $241,748 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 7.6% (45th best)
More on West Baton Rouge Parish: Data
10. West Feliciana Parish
Biggest Place: St. Francisville
Population: 15,358
Median Income: $71,985 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $323,907 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 8.9% (55th best)
More on West Feliciana Parish: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Louisiana county is the best?
To give you the best county in Louisiana, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Louisiana across each of the criteria from one to 64, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Louisiana.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Pelican State.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the best counties to live in Louisiana.
Read on to see why Ascension Parish is the best county, while Evangeline Parish is probably in contention for being the worst county in Louisiana.
Summary: The Best Counties In Louisiana To Call Home For 2024
Living in Louisiana can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in Louisiana are Ascension Parish, Plaquemines Parish, St. Tammany Parish, St. James Parish, St. Charles Parish, Livingston Parish, Cameron Parish, Lafayette Parish, West Baton Rouge Parish, and West Feliciana Parish.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Louisiana according to the data:
- Evangeline Parish
- Tensas Parish
- Madison Parish
For more Louisiana reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Louisiana
- Best Places To Retire In Louisiana
- Cheapest Places To Live In Louisiana
- Best Counties To Live In Louisiana
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Louisiana
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ascension Parish | 126,973 | $93,800 | $285,077 |
| 2 | Plaquemines Parish | 23,305 | $77,996 | $289,812 |
| 3 | St. Tammany Parish | 266,168 | $76,914 | $263,739 |
| 4 | St. James Parish | 20,090 | $62,946 | $186,145 |
| 5 | St. Charles Parish | 52,191 | $79,191 | $249,869 |
| 6 | Livingston Parish | 143,425 | $77,978 | $237,094 |
| 7 | Cameron Parish | 5,447 | $69,847 | $189,170 |
| 8 | Lafayette Parish | 243,175 | $66,617 | $227,035 |
| 9 | West Baton Rouge Parish | 27,377 | $80,510 | $241,748 |
| 10 | West Feliciana Parish | 15,358 | $71,985 | $323,907 |
| 11 | Calcasieu Parish | 210,770 | $64,370 | $184,798 |
| 12 | East Feliciana Parish | 19,452 | $64,709 | $206,384 |
| 13 | Bossier Parish | 128,877 | $64,598 | $225,418 |
| 14 | Lasalle Parish | 14,764 | $59,926 | $139,807 |
| 15 | St. John The Baptist Parish | 41,986 | $65,114 | $174,084 |
| 16 | Terrebonne Parish | 108,862 | $63,088 | $174,687 |
| 17 | Beauregard Parish | 36,553 | $68,525 | $161,890 |
| 18 | East Baton Rouge Parish | 454,369 | $62,083 | $219,277 |
| 19 | Lafourche Parish | 97,220 | $61,381 | $178,584 |
| 20 | Tangipahoa Parish | 133,953 | $55,274 | $207,889 |
| 21 | Jefferson Davis Parish | 32,277 | $52,470 | $128,242 |
| 22 | Jefferson Parish | 436,171 | $63,257 | $227,603 |
| 23 | Vermilion Parish | 57,202 | $56,194 | $163,757 |
| 24 | Vernon Parish | 48,452 | $56,547 | $150,111 |
| 25 | Lincoln Parish | 48,323 | $37,001 | $203,602 |
| 26 | Ouachita Parish | 159,585 | $49,261 | $162,595 |
| 27 | Grant Parish | 22,185 | $57,362 | $156,005 |
| 28 | Rapides Parish | 129,536 | $55,407 | $159,432 |
| 29 | Orleans Parish | 380,408 | $51,116 | $254,039 |
| 30 | Iberia Parish | 69,958 | $55,190 | $154,300 |
| 31 | St. Martin Parish | 51,856 | $50,806 | $140,614 |
| 32 | De Soto Parish | 26,821 | $49,807 | $142,166 |
| 33 | Union Parish | 21,049 | $47,068 | $143,113 |
| 34 | Caddo Parish | 236,259 | $47,572 | $133,001 |
| 35 | St. Mary Parish | 49,114 | $47,322 | $128,653 |
| 36 | Iberville Parish | 30,210 | $59,410 | $162,128 |
| 37 | Pointe Coupee Parish | 20,652 | $53,045 | $191,603 |
| 38 | St. Bernard Parish | 44,038 | $55,857 | $184,939 |
| 39 | Jackson Parish | 15,093 | $40,406 | $113,044 |
| 40 | Webster Parish | 36,761 | $34,263 | $121,418 |
| 41 | West Carroll Parish | 9,800 | $45,035 | $120,789 |
| 42 | Natchitoches Parish | 37,478 | $41,310 | $170,362 |
| 43 | Winn Parish | 13,665 | $44,922 | $106,020 |
| 44 | Assumption Parish | 21,067 | $47,023 | $173,238 |
| 45 | Acadia Parish | 57,674 | $44,977 | $140,609 |
| 46 | Sabine Parish | 22,209 | $40,777 | $175,943 |
| 47 | Allen Parish | 22,798 | $52,755 | $107,972 |
| 48 | Richland Parish | 20,028 | $48,125 | $146,764 |
| 49 | Red River Parish | 7,631 | $43,821 | $109,863 |
| 50 | Claiborne Parish | 14,203 | $32,034 | $69,754 |
| 51 | Caldwell Parish | 9,658 | $45,707 | $111,943 |
| 52 | Franklin Parish | 19,752 | $41,129 | $119,942 |
| 53 | St. Landry Parish | 82,574 | $44,478 | $149,157 |
| 54 | Bienville Parish | 12,958 | $34,268 | $88,120 |
| 55 | Catahoula Parish | 8,895 | $48,259 | $99,839 |
| 56 | Washington Parish | 45,514 | $41,803 | $125,397 |
| 57 | Avoyelles Parish | 39,529 | $38,696 | $123,582 |
| 58 | Morehouse Parish | 25,438 | $37,875 | $78,915 |
| 59 | Concordia Parish | 18,677 | $38,929 | $106,696 |
| 60 | East Carroll Parish | 7,371 | $30,856 | $57,617 |
| 61 | St. Helena Parish | 10,872 | $46,402 | $105,234 |
| 62 | Madison Parish | 10,028 | $34,508 | $68,554 |
| 63 | Tensas Parish | 4,127 | $35,653 | $111,286 |
| 64 | Evangeline Parish | 32,335 | $34,526 | $112,452 |