What’s the best part of New Orleans?
It could be where everyone knows their neighbor. Or it could be where home prices are the highest, meaning it’s where everyone wants to live.
Instead of relying on public opinion and speculation, we wanted to get the facts straight and find out which neighborhoods in New Orleans are the best based on Saturday Night Science.
Whether you live in the sticks or in an apartment building downtown, you want a little pocket that you can call home. And each neighborhood offers different perks and benefits.
Smaller neighborhoods usually have obvious benefits — less crime, a slower pace of life, and a lower cost of living. But not all New Orleans neighborhoods are created equal. Some are better than others. But which ones?
If you’re thinking of moving to Louisiana and New Orleans is on the top of your list, check out the best neighborhoods for 2024.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
So what’s the best neighborhood to live in New Orleans for 2024? According to the most recent census data, Audubon looks to be the best New Orleans neighborhood to live in.
Read on to see how we determined the places around New Orleans that deserve a little bragging rights, or maybe you’re interested in the worst neighborhoods in New Orleans.
For more Louisiana reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Louisiana
- Cheapest Places To Live In Louisiana
- Most Dangerous Places In Louisiana
The 10 Best Neighborhoods To Live In New Orleans
Population: 16,004
Median Home Value: $704,812 (best)
Median Income: $105,976 (Fourth best)
More on Audubon: Data | Real Estate
Population: 6,297
Median Home Value: $473,300 (Seventh best)
Median Income: $100,032 (Fifth best)
More on Uptown: Data | Real Estate
Population: 8,762
Median Home Value: $454,136 (11th best)
Median Income: $115,696 (Third best)
More on Lakeview: Data | Real Estate
Population: 1,922
Median Home Value: $400,350 (16th best)
Median Income: $79,701 (11th best)
More on Black Pearl: Data | Real Estate
Population: 2,502
Median Home Value: $621,167 (Second best)
Median Income: $81,285 (Ninth best)
More on Touro: Data | Real Estate
Population: 4,185
Median Home Value: $457,200 (Tenth best)
Median Income: $77,204 (14th best)
More on East Carollton: Data | Real Estate
Population: 3,235
Median Home Value: $400,100 (17th best)
Median Income: $92,052 (Sixth best)
More on East Riverside: Data | Real Estate
Population: 5,994
Median Home Value: $423,243 (14th best)
Median Income: $82,700 (Eighth best)
More on Marlyville-Fontainebleau: Data | Real Estate
Population: 2,423
Median Home Value: $552,200 (Third best)
Median Income: $120,649 (best)
More on Lake Shore-Lake Vista: Data | Real Estate
Population: 3,281
Median Home Value: $381,325 (18th best)
Median Income: $69,364 (15th best)
More on West End: Data | Real Estate
Methodology: How We Determined The Best New Orleans, LA Neighborhoods In 2024
To rank the best neighborhoods in New Orleans, we had to determine what criteria define “best” and then apply Saturday Night Science to it.
Using FBI crime, Census, and extrapolated BLS data, we arrived at the following set of criteria:
- High incomes
- Low unemployment rates
- Low crime
- High home prices
- High population densities (A proxy for things to do)
We then ranked each neighborhood with scores from 1 to 68 in each category, where 1 was the best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each neighborhood to create a best neighborhood index.
And finally, we crowned the neighborhood with the lowest best neighborhood index, the “Best City Neighborhood In New Orleans.” We’re lookin’ at you, Audubon.
Read on below to learn more about what it’s like to live in the best places New Orleans, Louisiana has to offer. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the neighborhoods in the city, from best to worst.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the best neighborhoods to live in New Orleans.
Summary: Putting A Bow On Our Analysis Of The Best Neighborhoods In New Orleans
If you’re measuring the neighborhoods in New Orleans where crime is low and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best neighborhoods in New Orleans are Audubon, Uptown, Lakeview, Black Pearl, Touro, East Carollton, East Riverside, Marlyville-Fontainebleau, Lake Shore-Lake Vista, and West End.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in New Orleans aren’t all good. Desire takes the title of the worst neighborhood to live in New Orleans.
The worst neighborhoods in New Orleans are Desire, Viavant-Venetian Isles, Pines Village, Fischer Dev, and West Lake Forest.
We ranked the neighborhoods from best to worst in the chart below.
For more Louisiana reading, check out:
Best Neighborhoods To Live In New Orleans For 2024 Detailed Data
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Audubon | 16,004 | $704,812 | $105,976 |
| 2 | Uptown | 6,297 | $473,300 | $100,032 |
| 3 | Lakeview | 8,762 | $454,136 | $115,696 |
| 4 | Black Pearl | 1,922 | $400,350 | $79,701 |
| 5 | Touro | 2,502 | $621,167 | $81,285 |
| 6 | East Carollton | 4,185 | $457,200 | $77,204 |
| 7 | East Riverside | 3,235 | $400,100 | $92,052 |
| 8 | Marlyville-Fontainebleau | 5,994 | $423,243 | $82,700 |
| 9 | Lake Shore-Lake Vista | 2,423 | $552,200 | $120,649 |
| 10 | West End | 3,281 | $381,325 | $69,364 |
| 11 | Irish Channel | 3,425 | $462,429 | $80,785 |
| 12 | Algeirs Point | 2,574 | $347,367 | $65,622 |
| 13 | French Quarter | 3,181 | $510,186 | $62,944 |
| 14 | Freret | 1,969 | $348,433 | $59,532 |
| 15 | West Riverside | 4,946 | $472,333 | $79,431 |
| 16 | Central Business District | 2,976 | $453,250 | $60,982 |
| 17 | Navarre | 2,263 | $345,300 | $68,593 |
| 18 | Lower Garden District | 5,112 | $492,475 | $83,093 |
| 19 | Lake Terrace And Oaks | 1,497 | $445,500 | $118,576 |
| 20 | Garden District | 3,212 | $480,823 | $63,148 |
| 21 | Old Aurora | 15,830 | $203,820 | $62,243 |
| 22 | Fillmore | 6,495 | $257,150 | $62,644 |
| 23 | Marigny | 3,751 | $421,317 | $61,848 |
| 24 | Fairgrounds | 5,134 | $275,160 | $57,860 |
| 25 | Broadmoor | 6,970 | $321,314 | $59,622 |
| 26 | Mid-City | 14,578 | $307,875 | $55,538 |
| 27 | Leonidas | 7,179 | $273,944 | $46,720 |
| 28 | Milan | 5,911 | $378,867 | $52,421 |
| 29 | City Park | 2,927 | $376,922 | $78,471 |
| 30 | Bayou Saint John | 3,880 | $254,380 | $40,102 |
| 31 | Tall Timbers-Brechtel | 13,387 | $200,300 | $58,312 |
| 32 | Milneburg | 4,930 | $210,940 | $42,978 |
| 33 | Gentilly Terrace | 10,066 | $187,290 | $58,412 |
| 34 | Gentilly Woods | 4,116 | $151,900 | $37,011 |
| 35 | Lake Catherine | 677 | $226,800 | $61,250 |
| 36 | Us Naval Base | 2,016 | $223,267 | $45,752 |
| 37 | Read Blvd East | 8,886 | $196,500 | $58,658 |
| 38 | Little Woods | 33,284 | $166,974 | $36,047 |
| 39 | New Aurora-English Turn | 3,529 | $119,700 | $36,480 |
| 40 | Saint Anthony | 4,618 | $151,180 | $36,796 |
| 41 | Central City | 14,110 | $218,212 | $32,318 |
| 42 | Seventh Ward | 11,595 | $193,861 | $30,859 |
| 43 | Read Blvd West | 4,730 | $145,300 | $31,998 |
| 44 | Dillard | 4,850 | $168,820 | $23,199 |
| 45 | Dixon | 2,179 | $168,200 | $21,085 |
| 46 | Saint Thomas | 1,974 | $115,700 | $24,507 |
| 47 | Village De L’est | 8,709 | $132,600 | $42,923 |
| 48 | Treme’ Lafitte | 4,617 | $324,617 | $29,668 |
| 49 | Holly Grove | 5,564 | $139,633 | $28,373 |
| 50 | Tulane-Gravier | 3,775 | $281,767 | $22,516 |
| 51 | Whitney | 1,878 | $162,400 | $41,928 |
| 52 | Bywater | 3,922 | $328,362 | $54,952 |
| 53 | Mcdonogh | 2,103 | $137,200 | $31,159 |
| 54 | Saint Bernard Area | 2,472 | $106,033 | $21,394 |
| 55 | Holy Cross | 2,862 | $171,350 | $39,040 |
| 56 | Plum Orchard | 5,813 | $136,560 | $25,744 |
| 57 | Pontchartrain Park | 1,790 | $155,200 | $35,575 |
| 58 | Saint Claude | 6,562 | $156,929 | $26,052 |
| 59 | Gert Town | 5,187 | $125,100 | $25,182 |
| 60 | Saint Roch | 6,398 | $141,788 | $23,281 |
| 61 | Behrman | 7,838 | $143,986 | $28,384 |
| 62 | Florida | 1,522 | $96,900 | $20,465 |
| 63 | Lower 9th Ward | 4,351 | $168,833 | $28,535 |
| 64 | West Lake Forest | 5,650 | $138,417 | $24,114 |
| 65 | Fischer Dev | 1,037 | $152,400 | $16,999 |
| 66 | Pines Village | 3,835 | $160,175 | $22,383 |
| 67 | Viavant-Venetian Isles | 677 | $77,700 | $11,128 |
| 68 | Desire | 2,667 | $93,600 | $14,134 |