Best Cities for Families in Louisiana

Strong schools, low crime, affordable homes and family-friendly commutes.

Retirees Remote Workers Families Young Professionals Affordability All Rankings →
All United States  ·  Louisiana

How We Score

Each metric is normalized 0-100 across U.S. cities, then weighted and summed. Cities missing any metric are excluded.

Schools · 25% Safety · 20% Home Affordability · 15% Low Poverty · 10% Jobs · 10% Short Commute · 10% Education · 10%

Top 12 Families Cities in Louisiana

Ranked by composite score across 7 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 78.3
Harahan, LA
8,939 residents
Schools 5.7
Safety 105/100K
Home Affordability $309,400
#2
Score 77.7
Erath, LA
1,865 residents
Schools 5.2
Safety 207/100K
Home Affordability $133,700
#3
Score 77.5
Oak Grove, LA
1,328 residents
Schools 4.6
Safety 296/100K
Home Affordability $86,600
#4
Score 77.3
Westwego, LA
8,382 residents
Schools 5.7
Safety 424/100K
Home Affordability $168,600
#5
Score 77.3
Slidell, LA
28,664 residents
Schools 5.7
Safety 260/100K
Home Affordability $207,800
#6
Score 77.2
Thibodaux, LA
15,792 residents
Schools 5.7
Safety 257/100K
Home Affordability $237,400
#7
Score 75.4
Golden Meadow, LA
1,791 residents
Schools 4.9
Safety 0/100K
Home Affordability $140,300
#8
Score 75.1
Gonzales, LA
12,748 residents
Schools 5.7
Safety 372/100K
Home Affordability $212,800
#9
Score 74.8
Haughton, LA
4,473 residents
Schools 5.2
Safety 45/100K
Home Affordability $214,100
#10
Score 74.6
Westlake, LA
4,794 residents
Schools 4.9
Safety 284/100K
Home Affordability $168,200
#11
Score 73.7
Ruston, LA
22,224 residents
Schools 4.9
Safety 427/100K
Home Affordability $226,700
#12
Score 73.3
Walker, LA
6,385 residents
Schools 5.6
Safety 703/100K
Home Affordability $221,500

Full Ranking, Louisiana

Top 50 cities. Click any city to see its full profile.

1 Harahan LA 78.3
2 Erath LA 77.7
3 Oak Grove LA 77.5
4 Westwego LA 77.3
5 Slidell LA 77.3
6 Thibodaux LA 77.2
7 Golden Meadow LA 75.4
8 Gonzales LA 75.1
9 Haughton LA 74.8
10 Westlake LA 74.6
11 Ruston LA 73.7
12 Walker LA 73.3
13 Addis LA 72.9
14 Sulphur LA 72.6
15 Gretna LA 72.5
16 Lake Arthur LA 72.1
17 Springhill LA 71
18 Scott LA 70.8
19 Lake Charles LA 70.4
20 Gramercy LA 70.4
21 Houma LA 69.9
22 Broussard LA 69.6
23 Carencro LA 69.1
24 Greenwood LA 68.9
25 Zachary LA 68.7
26 Patterson LA 68.1
27 Vidalia LA 67.6
28 Lafayette LA 67.6
29 Rayne LA 67.5
30 Blanchard LA 66.6
31 Kenner LA 66.4
32 Church Point LA 66.2
33 Baker LA 65.9
34 Vinton LA 65.5
35 Jennings LA 65.2
36 West Monroe LA 65
37 Brusly LA 64.9
38 Covington LA 64.9
39 Mandeville LA 64.3
40 Lake Providence LA 63.6
41 Winnfield LA 63.3
42 Ponchatoula LA 63.3
43 Minden LA 63.2
44 Natchitoches LA 63.2
45 Jean Lafitte LA 63.1
46 Plaquemine LA 63
47 Port Allen LA 62.3
48 New Iberia LA 61.7
49 Hammond LA 61.5
50 Iowa LA 61.3

Harahan, LA tops the list with a composite score of 78.3 out of 100, followed by Erath and Oak Grove. LA dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for families.

Rankings combine 7 independent metrics: Schools, Safety, Home Affordability, Low Poverty, Jobs, Short Commute, Education. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to families, and any city missing one or more metrics is excluded to avoid artificially inflated rankings.

Explore Other Best Cities Rankings

Best Cities for Retirees
Low crime, warm climate, affordable cost of living and strong healthcare access.
Best Cities for Remote Workers
Strong broadband, affordable rent, low traffic and existing remote-work culture.
Best Cities for Young Professionals
High incomes, educated peers, transit access and an under-35 demographic.
Most Affordable Cities
The lowest cost of living across home prices, rent, services and rent burden.

Related Single-Metric Rankings

Safest Cities → Most Affordable → Most Educated →