We have our hands on the most sought after list of 2026: 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 2026.
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 24 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.
$75,851 median income · 33.5% households with kids
Located in
St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana
Covington is a city in, and the parish seat of, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 8,765 at the 2010 census. It is located at a fork of the Bogue Falaya and the Tchefuncte River.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$94,405 median income · 33.5% households with kids
Located in
St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana
Mandeville is a small city in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 11,560 at the 2010 census. Mandeville is located on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain, south of Interstate 12. It is across the lake from the city of New Orleans and its southshore suburbs. It is part of the New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner metropolitan area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$52,072 median income · 21.1% households with kids
Located in
Lafourche Parish, Louisiana
Thibodaux is a city in and the parish seat of Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, United States, along the banks of Bayou Lafourche in the northwestern part of the parish. The population was 14,567 at the 2010 census. Thibodaux is a principal city of the Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$116,179 median income · 38.3% households with kids
Located in
St. Martin Parish, Louisiana
Broussard is a small city in Lafayette parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population was 6,754 from the 2005 Census Est.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$84,480 median income · 35.1% households with kids
Located in
East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
Zachary is a city in the East Baton Rouge parish of Louisiana in the United States. It lies 16 miles north of the city of Baton Rouge, and had a population of 14,960 at the 2010 census, up from 11,275 in 2000.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$70,497 median income · 31.5% households with kids
Located in
St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana
Slidell is the largest city situated on the northeast shore of Lake Pontchartrain and St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 27,068 at the 2010 census. Greater Slidell has a population of about 90,000. It is part of the New OrleansMetairieKenner Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$54,750 median income · 35.0% households with kids
Located in
East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
Baker is a small city in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States, and a part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is the fourth-largest city in East Baton Rouge Parish. The population was 13,895 as of the 2010 census, an increase of 102 persons from the 2000 tabulation of 13,793.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$64,020 median income · 28.3% households with kids
Located in
Jefferson Parish, Louisiana
Kenner is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. State of Louisiana. It is the largest city in Jefferson Parish, United States, Louisiana’s second-most populous parish, and a suburb of New Orleans. The population was 66,702 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$34,294 median income · 33.4% households with kids
Located in
Webster Parish, Louisiana
Minden is a small city in and the parish seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana, United States. It is located twenty-eight miles east of Shreveport in Caddo Parish. The population has been relatively stable since 1960, when it was 12,786. Minden is 51.7 percent African American.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$59,235 median income · 26.2% households with kids
Located in
Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana
Lake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Founded in 1861 in Calcasieu Parish, it is a major industrial, cultural, and educational center in the southwest region of the state.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Louisiana’s statewide median.
Louisiana statewide median: $60,756
Louisiana statewide median: $211,635
On the map
Where Louisiana’s most family-friendly cities are
Saturday Night Science
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 24 cities.
We updated this article for 2026. This is our eleventh time ranking the best cities for families in Louisiana.
The full plate
Best Places For Families In Louisiana
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price | % Households w/ Kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Covington | 11,658 | $75,851 | $317,481 | 33.5% |
| 2 | Mandeville | 12,946 | $94,405 | $355,608 | 33.5% |
| 3 | Thibodaux | 15,732 | $52,072 | $226,921 | 21.1% |
| 4 | Broussard | 14,322 | $116,179 | $282,910 | 38.3% |
| 5 | Zachary | 19,952 | $84,480 | $267,773 | 35.1% |
| 6 | Slidell | 28,561 | $70,497 | $218,143 | 31.5% |
| 7 | Baker | 12,253 | $54,750 | $180,739 | 35.0% |
| 8 | Kenner | 64,904 | $64,020 | $268,195 | 28.3% |
| 9 | Minden | 11,455 | $34,294 | $140,974 | 33.4% |
| 10 | Lake Charles | 81,143 | $59,235 | $199,012 | 26.2% |
| 11 | Gonzales | 13,108 | $75,451 | $288,155 | 29.2% |
| 12 | Lafayette | 121,715 | $61,915 | $224,254 | 24.6% |
| 13 | Ruston | 22,284 | $31,120 | $225,352 | 20.1% |
| 14 | Natchitoches | 17,577 | $37,133 | $181,713 | 25.0% |
| 15 | Carencro | 11,619 | $63,401 | $218,909 | 38.9% |
| 16 | Monroe | 47,004 | $40,505 | $149,717 | 32.6% |
| 17 | Alexandria | 44,060 | $47,113 | $144,328 | 30.7% |
| 18 | New Iberia | 27,571 | $47,087 | $145,864 | 30.4% |
| 19 | Sulphur | 20,775 | $61,760 | $195,533 | 33.0% |
| 20 | Shreveport | 180,982 | $48,699 | $135,092 | 27.7% |
| 21 | Gretna | 17,389 | $43,110 | $238,821 | 26.9% |
| 22 | Bogalusa | 10,468 | $30,749 | $85,577 | 33.1% |
| 23 | Opelousas | 15,495 | $32,964 | $123,099 | 29.0% |
| 24 | West Monroe | 12,729 | $49,386 | $194,939 | 29.8% |
Source: U.S. Census data via Saturday Night Science. 24 Louisiana cities with more than 10,000 residents.
Summary
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, Mandeville, Thibodaux, Broussard, Zachary, Slidell, Baker, Kenner, Minden, and Lake Charles.
