CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

29.94° N · 90.23° W · GEOID 2279100

Waggaman

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

LouisianaWaggaman, LAWaggamanWaggaman

The short answer

Waggaman is home to 11,330 people. Median household income is $68,374 a year and median rent is $1,510 a month, 26.5% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is moderate. The median home is valued at $170,400, about 2.5x annual median household income.

Waggaman's housing market sets it apart. Owning with a mortgage costs only about $57 a month more than the median rent, a smaller gap than in 93% of places its size. Also notable: 74% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a higher share than in 97% of places its size.

8OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Weak

Waggaman scores better than 8% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 71st of 95 in Louisiana.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%52
Economy 20%22
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%28
Education 10%16
Commute 10%24
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
$1,510
11% above the median place
Median household income
$68,374
15% below the median place
Median home value
$170,400
47% below the median place
Unemployment
8.5%
74% above 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 Waggaman

  • HousingHomeowners pay a median of about 0.5% of home value a year in property tax, less than in 92% of the 2,101 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Waggaman

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
4.7% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.1% from another state. County figure.
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
$60,400 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,510 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,567 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $170,400.
Getting to work
30 minutes each way on average; 6.3% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Bridge City, TX matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Net movers per 1,000 people7
-14.0
below the median place (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7
$54,398
23% below the median place
Moved from another state1
1.1%
47% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureWaggamanAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure4.7%18% below
Moved from another state1County figure1.1%47% 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

Rent is about 25% higher than we would expect for a place with these incomes, education levels, housing age and household types in the same metro area. The premium usually reflects location, amenities or schools that these figures do not capture.

Waggaman26.5%
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
$60,400
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
26.5%
30% above the median place
Home price to income
2.5x
34% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
27%
just under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$53,100
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Waggaman, $1,510 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 Waggaman, but easier on the budget

Places that match Waggaman 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
Bridge City, TX9519.3% vs 26.5%$22,900Compare
Safford, AZ9419.2% vs 26.5%n/aCompare
Petal, MS9316.8% vs 26.5%$13,200Compare
Kilgore, TX9218.3% vs 26.5%$4,100Compare

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Waggaman? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
73.6%
46% above the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$811
75% below the median place
Property tax rate1
0.5%
47% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureWaggamanAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,51011% above
Rent to income126.5%30% above
Property tax rate10.5%47% below
Home price to income12.5x34% below
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$81175% below
Median home value1$170,40047% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure2.3%29% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure21.6%58% below
Homeownership170.2%6% above
Renters paying 30%+173.6%46% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,56716% below
Vacant homes16.3%10% below
Median year built119830% above
03

Work and pay

Poverty rate is 24.5%, 127% above the median place.

Poverty rate1
24.5%
127% above the median place
Unemployment1
8.5%
74% above the median place
Works from home1
6.3%
49% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Income per person$29,827 −26%
Mean commute30 min +19%
Median household income$68,374 −15%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureWaggamanAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$68,37415% below
Income per person1$29,82726% below
Unemployment18.5%74% above
Average annual pay6County figure$66,2830% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.9%5% above
Jobs6County figure186,10124% above
Poverty rate124.5%127% above
Mean commute130 min19% above
Works from home16.3%49% below
Commutes by transit1County figure0.8%0% above
04

Who lives here

Born abroad is 2.2%, 75% below the median place.

Born abroad1
2.2%
75% below the median place
Median age1
33.0
15% below the median place
High school or higher1
82.7%
10% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Household size3.0 +19%
Bachelor's or higher17.9% −44%
No health insurance4.8% −25%
Homes with broadband90.8% −2%
All 8 people measures
MeasureWaggamanAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population111,3303737th largest
Median age133.015% below
Bachelor's or higher117.9%44% below
High school or higher182.7%10% below
Household size13.019% above
Born abroad12.2%75% below
No health insurance14.8%25% below
Homes with broadband190.8%2% below
05

Life in Waggaman

OpenStreetMap shows 0 grocery stores per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 93% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 95 Louisiana places we track.

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

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents6.2 −39%
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%
Libraries per 10k0.9 +1%
Named paths and bike trails10 km 5.2×
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 10 miles
  • Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve 14 miles
  • Natchez National Historical Park 130 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.

Public schools12
1
89% below the median place
Public school students12
466
90% below the median place
Nearest National Park Service site10
10.2
67% below the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureWaggamanAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12189% below
Public school students1246690% below
Students per teacher1213.711% 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 10k96.239% below
Playgrounds per 10k90.0below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k90.0below (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k90.91% above
Named paths and bike trails910.4above (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1010.267% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles1020% above
National Register listings11County figure28115% above
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 Waggaman. 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
MeasureWaggamanAmong 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

Waggaman in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 27% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 27% 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, Waggaman does better than 52% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 61%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,510/mo (2024)$1,940/mo$1,590 to $2,370/mo+4.3%
Median household income$68,374 (2024)$88,000$74,500 to $104,000+4.3%
Median home value$170,400 (2024)$246,000$179,000 to $339,000+6.3%

The median home would be worth 2.8 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.5 now.

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

09

Places like Waggaman

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

PlaceRentIncome
Clifton Heights, PA$1,430$70,931Compare
Gloucester City, NJ$1,484$64,938Compare
Sauk Village, IL$1,502$69,973Compare
Mesquite, TX$1,513$72,537Compare
Mesquite, TXSauk Village, ILGloucester City, NJClifton Heights, PAWaggaman, LAWaggamanClifton HeightsSauk VillageMesquiteWaggamanSauk VillageMesquite

Places built like Waggaman

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 Waggaman performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Waggaman, LA26.5%8.2%/yrn/a
Bridge City, TX19.3%1.2%/yr2.5%Compare
Robinson, TX17.1%4.4%/yr4.8%Compare
Woodmere, LA21.9%6.9%/yrn/aCompare
Kilgore, TX18.3%3.2%/yr1.4%Compare
Beeville, TX25.1%8.4%/yr-4.4%Compare
Glenpool, OK20.7%3.3%/yr7.4%Compare

Common questions

Is Waggaman a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 8 out of 100, better than 8% of the places we rate and 71st of 95 in Louisiana. Homeowners pay a median of about 0.5% of home value a year in property tax, less than in 92% of the 2,101 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 61 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Waggaman expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 26.5% 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 $170,400.

What salary do you need to live in Waggaman?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $60,400 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Waggaman?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Clifton Heights, PA, Gloucester City, NJ, Sauk Village, IL and Mesquite, TX.

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

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

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