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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 places 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 helping people find the best places to live in America for years.
So, 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.
After the analytic dust settled, we identified the 10 best counties to live in Pelican State for 2021.
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Louisiana For 2021
St. Charles Parish is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Louisiana. And you might want to avoid Tensas Parish if you can -- at least according to the data.
So if you're thinking of making the move Louisiana, we've got you covered. Keep on reading for a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Louisiana and the cheapest places to live in Louisiana.
The Best Counties To Live In Louisiana For 2021
1. St. Charles Parish
Biggest Place: Luling
Population: 52,773
Median Income: $69,019 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $201,700.0 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 554.6% (19th best)
More on St. Charles Parish: Data
2. St. Tammany Parish
Biggest Place: Slidell
Population: 255,155
Median Income: $68,905 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $218,500.0 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 549.7% (18th best)
More on St. Tammany Parish: Photos | Data
3. West Baton Rouge Parish
Biggest Place: Addis
Population: 26,101
Median Income: $65,385 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $200,000.0 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 448.4% (4th best)
More on West Baton Rouge Parish: Photos | Data
4. Plaquemines Parish
Biggest Place: Belle Chasse
Population: 23,338
Median Income: $57,204 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $190,600.0 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 389.8% (best)
More on Plaquemines Parish: Data
5. Ascension Parish
Biggest Place: Prairieville
Population: 123,114
Median Income: $80,527 (best)
Median Home Price: $207,400.0 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 566.9% (23rd best)
More on Ascension Parish: Photos | Data
6. Livingston Parish
Biggest Place: Denham Springs
Population: 138,928
Median Income: $63,389 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $167,100.0 (12th best)
Unemployment Rate: 425.6% (2nd best)
More on Livingston Parish: Photos | Data
7. Lafayette Parish
Biggest Place: Lafayette
Population: 241,973
Median Income: $56,999 (9th best)
Median Home Price: $185,300.0 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 502.8% (13th best)
More on Lafayette Parish: Photos | Data
8. Bossier Parish
Biggest Place: Shreveport
Population: 126,499
Median Income: $54,268 (12th best)
Median Home Price: $172,400.0 (11th best)
Unemployment Rate: 491.3% (11th best)
More on Bossier Parish: Photos | Data
9. West Feliciana Parish
Biggest Place: St. Francisville
Population: 15,428
Median Income: $59,637 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $229,500.0 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 823.2% (48th best)
More on West Feliciana Parish: Photos | Data
10. St. James Parish
Biggest Place: South Vacherie
Population: 21,308
Median Income: $51,603 (18th best)
Median Home Price: $158,500.0 (14th best)
Unemployment Rate: 608.1% (26th best)
More on St. James Parish: Data
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 need to make some assumptions about what's a "best county" and what isn't. And, for reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you'd make at a bar using facts, don't take this analysis to court.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best sources of data on the internet; the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent time 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, quiet, and best counties to raise a family in the Pelican State.
Read on to see why St. Charles Parish is the best county, while Tensas Parish is probably in contention for being the worst county in Louisiana.
There You Have It - The Best Counties In Louisiana To Call Home For 2018
It turns out living in Louisiana can vary from one part of the state to the next -- who woulda thought?
But now you the know the really good parts and the parts to avoid and that's why you came here to learn at the end of the day. And for that, you are welcome.
Here's a look at the worst counties in Louisiana according to the data:
- Tensas Parish
- Franklin Parish
- Caldwell Parish
For more Louisiana reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Louisiana
- Safest Places In Louisiana
- Best Places To Buy A House In Louisiana
- Best Places To Retire In Louisiana