CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

29.96° N · 90.16° W · GEOID 2238145

Jefferson

Jefferson Parish, Louisiana · part of the New Orleans, LA metro

LouisianaJefferson, LAJeffersonJefferson

The short answer

Jefferson is home to 9,703 people. Median household income is $57,235 a year and median rent is $1,097 a month, 23.0% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $247,700, about 4.3x annual median household income.

Jefferson has an unusual mix of residents. Households average 1.84 people, smaller than than in 98% of places its size. It is the 3rd-lowest of 95 Louisiana places we track. Also notable: Homeowners pay a median of about 0.4% of home value a year in property tax, less than in 92% of places its size.

45OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Average

Jefferson scores better than 45% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 22nd of 95 in Louisiana.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%34
Economy 20%56
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%28
Education 10%57
Commute 10%81
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$1,097
20% below the median place
Median household income
$57,235
29% below the median place
Median home value
$247,700
22% below the median place
Unemployment
2.7%
45% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Jefferson

  • HousingHalf the homes were built before 1958, older housing than in 85% of the 2,479 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 95 Louisiana places we track.
01

Moving to Jefferson

Jefferson Parish loses about 14.0 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in15,033
Moved out19,421
Net−4,388

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Louisiana, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within LouisianaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$54K
Leavers$57K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Jefferson Parish; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
9.6% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.7% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Jefferson Parish report $54,400 a year in income on average; those leaving, $57,200, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$43,900 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,097 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,672 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $247,700.
Getting to work
20 minutes each way on average; 13.6% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Pawcatuck, CT matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
0.7%
65% below the median place
Moved here in the past year1
9.6%
67% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
-14.0
below the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureJeffersonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year19.6%67% above
Moved from another state10.7%65% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-14.0below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$54,39823% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$57,22319% below
02

What it costs to live here

After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $46,900 a year, less than in 82% of the 1,875 places under 10,000 people we track.

Jefferson23.0%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$43,880
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
23.0%
13% above the median place
Home price to income
4.3x
14% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
23%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$46,700
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Jefferson, $1,097 a month, and local prices for everything else (93.9 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Jefferson, but easier on the budget

Places that match Jefferson on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Pawcatuck, CT8817.3% vs 23.0%n/aCompare
Dunbar, WV8519.2% vs 23.0%$2,000Compare
Barrington, NJ8518.1% vs 23.0%$24,300Compare
Reading, OH8318.2% vs 23.0%$5,300Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Jefferson.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Jefferson? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Property tax rate1
0.4%
52% below the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$1,087
67% below the median place
Vacant homes1
16.4%
132% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureJeffersonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,09720% below
Rent to income123.0%13% above
Property tax rate10.4%52% below
Home price to income14.3x14% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure92.68% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,4808% below
HUD area median income4County figure$88,60017% below
Property tax paid (median)1$1,08767% below
Median home value1$247,70022% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure2.3%29% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure21.6%58% below
Homeownership157.3%14% below
Renters paying 30%+159.8%18% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,67211% below
Vacant homes116.4%132% above
Median year built119581% below
03

Work and pay

Unemployment averaged 2.7% over the survey period, lower than in 94% of the 1,242 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-lowest of 66 Louisiana places we track.

Unemployment1
2.7%
45% below the median place
Mean commute1
20 min
20% below the median place
Median household income1
$57,235
29% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Poverty rate16.4% +53%
Works from home13.6% +9%
Income per person$41,624 +4%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureJeffersonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$57,23529% below
Income per person1$41,6244% above
Unemployment12.7%45% below
Average annual pay6County figure$66,2830% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.9%5% above
Jobs6County figure186,10124% above
Poverty rate116.4%53% above
Mean commute120 min20% below
Works from home113.6%9% above
Commutes by transit1County figure0.8%0% above
04

Who lives here

Household size is 1.8, 26% below the median place.

Household size1
1.8
26% below the median place
Median age1
45.4
16% above the median place
Homes with broadband1
88.3%
4% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

No health insurance9.0% +41%
High school or higher89.2% −3%
Bachelor's or higher35.7% +11%
Born abroad7.8% −12%
All 8 people measures
MeasureJeffersonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population19,7034251st largest
Median age145.416% above
Bachelor's or higher135.7%11% above
High school or higher189.2%3% below
Household size11.826% below
Born abroad17.8%12% below
No health insurance19.0%41% above
Homes with broadband188.3%4% below
05

Life in Jefferson

OpenStreetMap shows 2.1 parks per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 89% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.

2 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia

  • Southern Pacific Steam Locomotive #745 listed 1998
  • Young Men's Protective League Union Benevolent Association Hall listed 2026

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents2.1 −80%
Playgrounds per 10k2.1 −78%
Grocery stores per 10k3.1 +46%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k11.3 +2%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −85%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park 5 miles
  • Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve 10 miles
  • Natchez National Historical Park 131 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars25.4 +22%
Shops38.1 +26%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.3 +5%
Doctors' offices and clinics25.8 +28%
Child care centers1.7 −26%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site10
5.2
83% below the median place
Public schools12
5
44% below the median place
Students per teacher12
14.0
9% below the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureJeffersonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12544% below
Public school students122,83042% below
Students per teacher1214.09% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure25.422% above
Shops per 10k8County figure38.126% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure4.35% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure25.828% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure1.726% below
Parks per 10k92.180% below
Playgrounds per 10k92.178% below
Grocery stores per 10k93.146% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k911.32% above
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails90.385% below
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site105.283% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles1020% above
National Register listings11285% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Hurricane risk is 99.8, 41% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Jefferson. Larger places are fetched first.

Hurricane risk14
99.8
41% above the median place
Annual precipitation13
63.5 in
45% above the median place
January average low13
45°F
79% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureJeffersonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure91°F4% above
January average low13County figure45°F79% above
Average temperature13County figure70°F27% above
Annual precipitation13County figure63.5 in45% above
Natural hazard risk14County figure98.77% above
Hurricane risk14County figure99.841% above
Tornado risk14County figure72.211% below
Wildfire risk14County figure27.355% below
Heat wave risk14County figure97.58% above
Median air quality index15County figure479% above
Good air days15County figure62.2%9% below
08

Jefferson in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 23% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 23% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Jefferson does better than 34% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 21%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,097/mo (2024)$1,400/mo$1,150 to $1,710/mo+4.2%
Median household income$57,235 (2024)$72,000$61,000 to $85,500+3.9%
Median home value$247,700 (2024)$348,000$253,000 to $480,000+5.8%

The median home would be worth 4.8 years of the median income in 2030, against 4.3 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Jefferson

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Show Low, AZ$1,110$60,368Compare
Utica, MI$1,131$58,718Compare
Waynesville, NC$1,070$54,923Compare
Canandaigua, NY$1,095$64,929Compare
Canandaigua, NYWaynesville, NCUtica, MIShow Low, AZJefferson, LAJeffersonShow LowUticaWaynesvilleCanandaiguaJeffersonShow LowUticaWaynesvilleCanandaigua

Places built like Jefferson

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Jefferson performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Jefferson, LA23.0%2.3%/yrn/a
Canandaigua, NY20.2%5.7%/yr-0.8%Compare
Nassau Bay, TX22.3%-4.4%/yr-2.6%Compare
Ludington, MI23.3%0.5%/yr-0.8%Compare
Livingston, MT19.1%7.4%/yr7.8%Compare
Grand Haven, MI18.6%0.8%/yr0.3%Compare
Shiloh, OH23.1%4.7%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is Jefferson a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 45 out of 100, better than 45% of the places we rate and 22nd of 95 in Louisiana. Half the homes were built before 1958, older housing than in 85% of the 2,479 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 95 Louisiana places we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 13 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Jefferson expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 23.0% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $247,700.

What salary do you need to live in Jefferson?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $43,880 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Jefferson?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Show Low, AZ, Utica, MI, Waynesville, NC and Canandaigua, NY.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Jefferson with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Jefferson itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/jefferson-louisiana

Citytistics. “Jefferson, Louisiana.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/jefferson-louisiana/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.