
Louisiana towns and cities are so safe that they still make people drive 55 MPH on the highways.
All jokes aside, we think they must be doing something right in Louisiana in terms of safety.
There are super safe places in The Bayou State, but you'll have to know how to navigate the state's property and violent crime heat map to find them. There are some dangerous places in Louisiana that you might want to avoid.
And that's where HomeSnacks comes in. We looked at the FBI data on crime for places in Louisiana with more than 5,000 residents and created a list of the safest places to live in The Pelican State for 2025.
Our research led us to multiple conclusions. One, there are super safe places throughout Louisiana from Shreveport in the state's northwest region to some neighborhoods in New Orleans in the state's bayou region. And two, you should look at our list of Louisiana's safest places below before deciding where to live.
Want to know more about Louisiana's safest places? Find a sunny spot on the Gulf of Mexico and read on.
So, want to know where you can walk the streets safely, your kids can safely play outside until dark, and you don't have to worry about packages being stolen from your front porch? Look no further than Louisiana's safest place to live for 2025, Harahan.
If you want to see how Louisiana's other amazing safe places faired, take a look at the list below. And if you don't see your favorite there, head to the bottom.
For more reading on safe places to live in and around Louisiana, check out:
Population: 8,596
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 104 (second safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 721 (fourth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Harahan: Data | Real Estate
Harahan, located along the Mississippi River just East of New Orleans, is our safest city in Louisiana. This little river city is super family friendly and virtually crime free. It's one of the safest places to call home on our list.
We think that their town motto should be: 'Feels Like Home'. They are super welcoming; and in true Louisiana fashion, they would be happy to get anyone out of a jam.
Harahan's overall HomeSnacks snackability score was off the hook: a straight up 9/10! Not surprising, considering their safety rating is an 8/10 and percentage of educated residents is 8/10. Busy people = less naughty people. If that doesn't say safe, we don't know what does.
Keep making' The Bayou State proud, Harahan. We all could learn a lot from this Jefferson Parish city.
Population: 6,910
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 72 (safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 882 (fifth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Rayne: Data | Real Estate
Welcome to the "Frog Capital of the World." That's the title given to Rayne, Louisiana. Each year, the community hosts the Rayne Frog Festival, the perfect place to gorge on frog legs and to take in the spectacle of a frog derby.
Rayne has other things going for it as well. For one thing, it's only 25 minutes from the nearby city of Lafayette. But most importantly, it stands as one of the safest communities in the state.
With a population of 6,910, Rayne experienced only 61 over the course of a year. The news is even better when it comes to violence. The number of violent crimes came in at a scant 5. As a result, Rayne can add the title of "Number 2 Safest City in Louisiana" to its designation as the Frog Capital.
Population: 7,797
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 141 (fourth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 692 (third safest)
Murders: 1
Murders Per 100k: 12
More on Addis: Data | Real Estate
Welcome to Addis, our number one safest city in Louisiana. It's so safe in this little city along the Mississippi River, that the alligators are always showing their faces at the same time every evening reminding the residents to get home before dark. Thanks gators!
Located along Louisiana Highway One, Addis offers a safe environment with small town charm that packs a big punch. Not literally, of course. No fighting happens in Baton Rouge Parish; that wouldn't be safe. Not to mention they have the Cajun Navy dialed in if ya know what we mean. #winkwink
With a little over 5,000 residents, the superb quality of life in this little city just outside of Baton Rouge, is the reason that it is our number one safest city in Louisiana for 2025. The residents claim that Addis is where "Your problems will be smaller, You burdens will be few, For Friends are made for helping, And that's just what they do." We think this is definitely why they scored a whopping 8/10 on our snackablity scale with an 8.5/10 safety score. They are always looking out for each other.
Population: 13,053
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 130 (third safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 1,233 (seventh safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Mandeville: Data | Real Estate
Y'all flip on your swamp boat hazards, slap on a life jacket, and read on to find out why Mandeville is our fourth safest city in Louisiana.
It might not be Barney Fife's Mayberry, or maybe it is, but this safe, little Lake Pontchartrain city with a vibrant Cajun community, quiet neighborhoods, and hardworking residents is just as notable and just as safe. Probably why it's one of the most sought after cities outside of New Orleans. It doesn't end there folks. This little Louisiana gem, scored a strong 8.5/10 on our snackability scale, they also scored an 8.5 for job opportunities and an 8.5 for number of educated residents. I think it's safe to say they're the poster city for the rest of the state. And word on the street is that young professionals are starting to take notice and move Mandeville's direction. So don't wait, because the word is out.
And if you want to read more about how great Mandeville is, check out our article: The Best Cities in Louisiana'. Not surprising, this Tammany Parish city also made our top ten. Good work 'Good Neighbor Community'!
Population: 11,641
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 171 (fifth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 1,013 (sixth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Covington: Data | Real Estate
Covington in St. Tammany Parish, famed for its historical roots as an early 19th-century settlement and river commerce hub, is ranked fifth in safety across the state for 2025. Its crime rates, with a violent crime rate of 171/100k people and an even lower property crime rate of 1,013/100k people, reflect the peaceful nature of this suburban community.
Covington stands at fifth safest for violent crime and sixth safest for property crime in the state.
Population: 5,550
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 270 (ninth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 540 (second safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Patterson: Data | Real Estate
Population: 9,517
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 294 (tenth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 1,450 (eighth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on De Ridder: Real Estate
In De Ridder they love their wide open spaces, their parks, their safe neighborhoods, their Cajun cuisine, and their trucks with gun racks. We all know nothing says safe like showing' up to the annual 'Beauregard Watermelon Festival' with your gal by your side and a newly mounted rack, right?
This little piece of heaven in the 337 has every right to be our seventh safest city in Louisiana for 2025. They scored off the charts on our snackability scale with an emphasis on education; and of course, safety.
De Ridder is so safe, that the only crime here is a bad haircut or dipping your crawfish in ranch. Its small city charm delivers big opportunities to all that are searching for a safe place to call home. They claim to be more then prepared to show you the good 'ol hometown pride that makes the south famous and safe. Yes, 'It's that Friendly'.
Population: 14,906
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 194 (sixth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,153 (15th safest)
Murders: 1
Murders Per 100k: 6
More on Broussard: Data | Real Estate
Population: 5,638
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 461 (21st safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 336 (safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Tallulah: Data | Real Estate
Of course Tallulah is safe. It's the small city where the big idea for Delta Air Lines originated. You can't build planes without safety in mind, right? You also can't be dumb. Probably why they also have a large number of educated residents, and probably why they are our ninth safest city in Louisiana. Safe and smart?! Good work Tallulah!
This is the quintessential Madison Parish city located just East of the Mississippi River. Not surprising, they received an 8.5/10 safety score and an 8.5/10 amenities score. The neighborhoods are safe and there's a ton of stuff to do.
Whether it's strolling their Cajun inspired downtown or buying crawfish at the local seafood shop, nothing says safe like a community that creates opportunities to get to know anything and everything about each other.
Population: 28,449
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 256 (seventh safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,284 (16th safest)
Murders: 1
Murders Per 100k: 3
More on Slidell: Data | Real Estate
While there are surveys and public polls on what cities in Louisiana are the safest, we wanted to rely on something other than speculation and opinion. Instead, we looked at the hard numbers from the FBI's most recent crime report in Louisiana.
Specifically, we used Saturday Night Science to analyze the FBI's Uniform Crime Report, which summarizes the number of property and violent crimes in each city annually. We used two criteria:
For example, there were 71 crimes committed in Harahan, with a reported population of 8,596. That means the number of crimes per capita is 0.0083, which translates into a 1 in 121 chance of being the victim of a crime.
We only looked at Louisiana cities that have populations of more than 5,000. This filter left us with 39 of the biggest cities in Louisiana to rank.
We ranked each city for each criterion from 1 to 39 where 1 in any particular category is the safest.
Next, we averaged each place's two criteria to create a Safety Index. We crowned the place with the lowest overall Safety Score, "The Safest Place In Louisiana," with any ties going to the bigger city.
The safest city in Louisiana, based on our criteria, is Harahan. The most dangerous city in Louisiana? Alexandria, where residents had a 1 in 10 chance of being the victim of a crime.
This article has been update for 2025. This report marks our tenth time ranking the safest places to live in Louisiana. All the data comes from the FBI's Crime In The USA 2024 report.
Looking at the data, you can tell that Harahan is as safe as they come in Louisiana, according to science and data.
But as most Louisiana residents would agree, almost every place here has its safe and not safe parts. So just make sure you're informed ahead of time.
The safest places in Louisiana are .
Here's a look at the most dangerous cities in Louisiana according to the data:
| Rank | City | Population | Violent Crimes Per 100k | Property Crimes Per 100k | Murders Per 100k | Murders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harahan, LA | 8,596 | 104 | 721 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Rayne, LA | 6,910 | 72 | 882 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Addis, LA | 7,797 | 141 | 692 | 12 | 1 |
| 4 | Mandeville, LA | 13,053 | 130 | 1,233 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Covington, LA | 11,641 | 171 | 1,013 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Patterson, LA | 5,550 | 270 | 540 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | De Ridder, LA | 9,517 | 294 | 1,450 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Broussard, LA | 14,906 | 194 | 2,153 | 6 | 1 |
| 9 | Tallulah, LA | 5,638 | 461 | 336 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Slidell, LA | 28,449 | 256 | 2,284 | 3 | 1 |
| 11 | Zachary, LA | 20,142 | 332 | 2,020 | 4 | 1 |
| 12 | Baker, LA | 11,933 | 402 | 1,743 | 8 | 1 |
| 13 | Carencro, LA | 13,985 | 414 | 2,023 | 7 | 1 |
| 14 | Thibodaux, LA | 15,562 | 257 | 2,975 | 6 | 1 |
| 15 | Westwego, LA | 8,021 | 423 | 2,094 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Ponchatoula, LA | 7,784 | 449 | 1,978 | 38 | 3 |
| 17 | Kenner, LA | 62,377 | 344 | 2,832 | 9 | 6 |
| 18 | Scott, LA | 8,917 | 661 | 1,637 | 11 | 1 |
| 19 | Sulphur, LA | 19,955 | 375 | 2,916 | 10 | 2 |
| 20 | Lake Charles, LA | 77,982 | 612 | 2,469 | 16 | 13 |
| 21 | Ruston, LA | 22,259 | 426 | 2,956 | 13 | 3 |
| 22 | Morgan City, LA | 10,701 | 551 | 2,831 | 9 | 1 |
| 23 | Gonzales, LA | 14,259 | 364 | 3,934 | 14 | 2 |
| 24 | Minden, LA | 11,050 | 796 | 2,533 | 27 | 3 |
| 25 | Gretna, LA | 16,788 | 428 | 3,800 | 11 | 2 |
| 26 | Walker, LA | 6,398 | 703 | 3,188 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | New Iberia, LA | 26,653 | 1,009 | 3,125 | 33 | 9 |
| 28 | Bossier City, LA | 62,750 | 913 | 3,679 | 11 | 7 |
| 29 | Jennings, LA | 9,230 | 1,007 | 3,347 | 10 | 1 |
| 30 | Plaquemine, LA | 5,925 | 1,215 | 3,291 | 33 | 2 |
| 31 | Natchitoches, LA | 16,945 | 891 | 4,384 | 29 | 5 |
| 32 | Lafayette, LA | 121,471 | 1,066 | 4,347 | 14 | 18 |
| 33 | Bogalusa, LA | 10,252 | 1,131 | 4,213 | 9 | 1 |
| 34 | Shreveport, LA | 175,092 | 1,228 | 3,990 | 26 | 47 |
| 35 | West Monroe, LA | 12,368 | 1,156 | 5,886 | 8 | 1 |
| 36 | Opelousas, LA | 15,263 | 1,369 | 5,018 | 39 | 6 |
| 37 | Bastrop, LA | 8,792 | 1,421 | 4,833 | 22 | 2 |
| 38 | Monroe, LA | 46,290 | 1,892 | 5,733 | 15 | 7 |
| 39 | Alexandria, LA | 42,933 | 2,713 | 6,596 | 37 | 16 |
Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.
He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.
If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.
You can find out more about him on LinkedIn.
We founded HomeSnacks to provide insights your real estate agent would neglect to mention.
By presenting data from presentable sources and utlizing Saturday Night Science, we provide detailed insights into cities and neighborhoods.
Learn more about Nick and Chris.

HomeSnacks is based in Durham, NC.
We aim to deliver bite-sized pieces of infotainment about where you live.
We use data, analytics, and a sense of humor to determine quality of life for places across the nation.