Are you looking for love in Louisiana?
Or are you just hoping to hook up with a hot Louisianian?
Either way, we’ve got you covered here.
If you live in Louisiana, there’s a pretty good chance there are a lot of singles in your area. The Pelican State has plenty of people over 18 who aren’t married or in a serious relationship.
That’s great news for people who are single and looking to mingle.
So, where are the best cities for singles in Louisiana? We used Saturday Night Science to find out.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Best Cities For Singles In Louisiana For 2026
So, what was the best city for singles in Louisiana? Ruston ranks as the best place for singles in Louisiana if you care about things singles care about, like nightlife, affordable housing, and other singles.
Read below to see how we crunched the numbers and how each city ranked. If you live in or are close to one of these cities and are single, you should probably get out more often.
Just saying.
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 Cities For Singles In Louisiana For 2026
/10
Population: 22,284
Median Age: 24.3
Married households: 18.0%
Households with kids: 20.1%
More on Ruston: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 222,771
Median Age: 31.5
Married households: 18.0%
Households with kids: 24.7%
More on Baton Rouge: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
This is probably one of the worst cities I’ve ever been too. The traffic is awful and almost as bad as Los Angeles, which has something like 5 times the population. Most of the areas outside of the central business district live in poverty, the schools are way below the national average, and the food pales in comparison to New Orleans. I wouldn’t recommend that anyone visit or move here.
The best part of Baton Rouge is that it is located pretty close to New Orleans, and is Louisiana’s state capital. The thing that stood out the most is the horrid traffic and degrading infrastructure.
/10
Population: 21,539
Median Age: 27.7
Married households: 19.0%
Households with kids: 27.4%
More on Hammond: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Even though Hammond isn’t as small a town as when we moved up here from River Ridge in 87, I think it’s still a great town that still had a bit of the small town feel to it. The people for the most part are courteous to each other and do try to look out for each other.
Good- still has a small town vibe. Bad- traffic can be heavy at times. I don’t think the roads can match the increased traffic.
/10
Population: 17,389
Median Age: 38.3
Married households: 19.0%
Households with kids: 26.9%
More on Gretna: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 121,715
Median Age: 36.9
Married households: 30.0%
Households with kids: 24.6%
More on Lafayette: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
i’ve lived here my whole life,and it’s amazing. First Baptist is a great baptist school to go to in downtown. it goes from PK3-12 grade and it’s cpnnected to a HUGE church right across the street you should definitely check it out if you’re thinking about movie here.
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH. FIRST BAPTIST CHRISTIAN SCHOOL. THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM. FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL.
/10
Population: 371,853
Median Age: 38.8
Married households: 17.0%
Households with kids: 23.1%
More on New Orleans: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
I love New Orleans. It’s a city rich in history, culture, great food and wonderful, warm, friendly people.
Be careful of crime in New Orleans, especially at night. However, the native people of New Orleans are some of the friendliest I’ve ever met.
/10
Population: 81,143
Median Age: 36.6
Married households: 29.0%
Households with kids: 26.2%
More on Lake Charles: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 27,571
Median Age: 37.0
Married households: 29.0%
Households with kids: 30.4%
More on New Iberia: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 17,577
Median Age: 26.5
Married households: 18.0%
Households with kids: 25.0%
More on Natchitoches: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Natchitoches, Louisiana has lots of activities and festivals throughout the year. Natchitoches also has NSU, which is a college that has many degree programs for an individual to obtain a degree. My parents took me to Natchitoches since I was a little girl, therefore I have lots of special memories. I also met my fiance while attending NSU.
There are several key aspects that make Natchitoches a great city. One being Natchitoches is the oldest city in Louisiana. There are numerous historical sites visitors can tour including several plantations, Cane River Heritage, and even the Steel Magnolia house from the movie.
Natchitoches is also known for their Christmas festival. Lots of tourist come to see all the beautiful lights and festival activities. Natchitoches also is the home of the meat pie, which is one of the the official state foods of Louisiana.
The only negative thing about Natchitoches is the traffic. Since it is a fairly small city, traffic from college and tourists can be a bit heavy.
/10
Population: 64,904
Median Age: 39.3
Married households: 23.0%
Households with kids: 28.3%
More on Kenner: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How do you determine which city is best for singles in Louisiana anyways?
To give you the places in Louisiana which are best for singles to find one another, we used Saturday Night Science to look at a handful of metrics. Of course, we want to measure the type of people who live in each city and make some assumptions about what single people like.
So we researched the internet for a database that contains all that information.
We threw a lot of criteria at this one to get the best, most complete results possible. Using the 2020-2024 American Community Survey Census data produced for the state of Louisiana, we looked at every single city in the state. We paid particular attention to:
- Population density
- % of population that’s male vs. female (closer to a 50-50 ratio is better)
- % of households with kids
- Median age
- Number of unmarried people in each city
We then gave each city a “Singles Score.”
The higher the score, the better the city is for singles to find one another. We also limited our results to cities with over 10,000 people. For Louisiana, that meant a total of 33 cities.
We updated this article for 2026. This is our eleventh time ranking the best cities for singles in Louisiana.
Read on to see why Ruston is the talk of the town while Zachary is probably a bit on the bland side.
Summary: The Best Cities for Singles in Louisiana for 2026
If you’re looking for a breakdown of cities in Louisiana ranked by criteria that most agree make a place a great spot for finding a single person (and potentially love), this is an accurate list.
The best cities for singles in Louisiana are Ruston, Baton Rouge, Hammond, Gretna, Lafayette, New Orleans, Lake Charles, New Iberia, Natchitoches, and Kenner.
Here’s a look at the most boring cities in Louisiana according to the data:
- Zachary
- Youngsville
- Central
For more Louisiana reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Louisiana
- Safest Places In Louisiana
- Worst Places To Live In Louisiana
Best Cities For Singles In Louisiana
| Rank | City | Population | Median Age | % Married Households | % Households /w Kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ruston, LA | 22,284 | 24.3 | 18.0% | 20.1% |
| 2 | Baton Rouge, LA | 222,771 | 31.5 | 18.0% | 24.7% |
| 3 | Hammond, LA | 21,539 | 27.7 | 19.0% | 27.4% |
| 4 | Gretna, LA | 17,389 | 38.3 | 19.0% | 26.9% |
| 5 | Lafayette, LA | 121,715 | 36.9 | 30.0% | 24.6% |
| 6 | New Orleans, LA | 371,853 | 38.8 | 17.0% | 23.1% |
| 7 | Lake Charles, LA | 81,143 | 36.6 | 29.0% | 26.2% |
| 8 | New Iberia, LA | 27,571 | 37.0 | 29.0% | 30.4% |
| 9 | Natchitoches, LA | 17,577 | 26.5 | 18.0% | 25.0% |
| 10 | Kenner, LA | 64,904 | 39.3 | 23.0% | 28.3% |
| 11 | Shreveport, LA | 180,982 | 37.9 | 22.0% | 27.7% |
| 12 | Opelousas, LA | 15,495 | 37.1 | 22.0% | 29.0% |
| 13 | Thibodaux, LA | 15,732 | 39.0 | 33.0% | 21.1% |
| 14 | West Monroe, LA | 12,729 | 35.4 | 26.0% | 29.8% |
| 15 | Houma, LA | 32,392 | 34.9 | 36.0% | 36.2% |
| 16 | Abbeville, LA | 11,003 | 33.9 | 19.0% | 32.9% |
| 17 | Pineville, LA | 14,160 | 36.2 | 26.0% | 32.1% |
| 18 | Monroe, LA | 47,004 | 35.0 | 20.0% | 32.6% |
| 19 | Crowley, LA | 11,422 | 40.6 | 34.0% | 24.3% |
| 20 | Alexandria, LA | 44,060 | 37.6 | 23.0% | 30.7% |
| 21 | Slidell, LA | 28,561 | 38.9 | 29.0% | 31.5% |
| 22 | Sulphur, LA | 20,775 | 38.0 | 30.0% | 33.0% |
| 23 | Baker, LA | 12,253 | 33.5 | 27.0% | 35.0% |
| 24 | Mandeville, LA | 12,946 | 43.7 | 34.0% | 33.5% |
| 25 | Gonzales, LA | 13,108 | 38.9 | 31.0% | 29.2% |
| 26 | Broussard, LA | 14,322 | 35.1 | 44.0% | 38.3% |
| 27 | Minden, LA | 11,455 | 38.5 | 26.0% | 33.4% |
| 28 | Bogalusa, LA | 10,468 | 40.0 | 23.0% | 33.1% |
| 29 | Covington, LA | 11,658 | 39.0 | 30.0% | 33.5% |
| 30 | Carencro, LA | 11,619 | 32.8 | 40.0% | 38.9% |
| 31 | Central, LA | 29,783 | 40.4 | 45.0% | 34.5% |
| 32 | Youngsville, LA | 17,427 | 34.8 | 47.0% | 46.1% |
| 33 | Zachary, LA | 19,952 | 38.3 | 40.0% | 35.1% |