New Orleans, LA
Census place 2255000 · pop 371,853
Birthplace of jazz and home of Mardi Gras, the French Quarter, and Bourbon Street.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.55 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-4.9% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
22.6% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
19.4% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
51.2% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
86.5% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
97/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$56,631 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
4.3% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
15.5% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
26.5% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$315,700 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,689/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
34.0% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
8.7% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
23 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.83% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
41 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
1 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
42.4% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities
0 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities
0 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
Frequently asked
- Is New Orleans, LA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, New Orleans scores 47/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is property crime rate and its weakest is income inequality. Louisiana overall ranks #46 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is New Orleans, LA?
- New Orleans reports 0 violent crimes per 100k and 0 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is New Orleans, LA expensive to live in?
- New Orleans has a median home value of $315,700 and typical rent around $1,689/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in New Orleans, LA?
- Its weakest measured area is income inequality (0.55) — 2/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is New Orleans, LA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is property crime rate (0/100k) — 97/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Birthplace of jazz and home of Mardi Gras, the French Quarter, and Bourbon Street.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.