Best Counties in Louisiana — 2026 Rankings
64 of 64 counties scored across 12 dimensions
64
64 scored
52/100
composite score
70/100
23.5—70
lowest to highest
State Overview
Understanding County Scores in Louisiana
Louisiana Performs Just Above the National Median
Louisiana earns a composite livability score of 53.0, placing it slightly ahead of the national median of 50.0. The state ranks competitively by offering localized pockets of high value across its 64 parishes.
Exceptional Tax Efficiency and Low Living Costs
The state's primary draw is its tax score of 89.7, which indicates a significantly lighter tax burden than the national average. This financial advantage is paired with a solid cost score of 63.0, making the state one of the more affordable regions for housing and essentials.
Addressing Income Gaps and Environmental Risks
Relatively low income and health scores of 31.2 and 36.4 present the most significant hurdles for the state's overall ranking. Additionally, a risk score of 37.6 reflects persistent environmental and climate-related challenges that residents must navigate.
Top-Performing Parishes Lead the Way
Cameron Parish secures the top spot with a 75.1 composite score, fueled by high marks in income and affordability. LaSalle and Assumption parishes follow closely, both leveraging elite tax scores above 92.0 to maintain their status as the state's most livable areas.
A Haven for Budget-Conscious Residents
Louisiana is a prime destination for retirees or families who prioritize low taxes and a high degree of affordability over urban proximity. The state offers a unique value proposition where low cost of entry balances out the structural challenges in health and income.
All County Rankings in Louisiana
Search, sort, and filter all 64 ranked counties
Showing 1–25 of 64 counties
| Rank | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Assumption Parish | 70 | 95.1 | 79.2 | 14.2 | 97.5 | 32.6 | 67.7 | 29.7 | 86 | 30.2 | 76.1 | 40.6 | |
| 2 | LaSalle Parish | 69.2 | 89.8 | 79.7 | 58.6 | N/A | 35.8 | 72.6 | 87.9 | N/A | 39.5 | 38.4 | 28.1 | |
| 3 | West Carroll Parish | 67.9 | 99.7 | 88.8 | 10.2 | 79.3 | 26 | 62.7 | 84.6 | 16.8 | 41.8 | 48.9 | 44.5 | |
| 4 | Claiborne Parish | 67.7 | 90.8 | 95.3 | 0.4 | 72.5 | 28.4 | 78.8 | 58.3 | 18.7 | 49.8 | 23 | 32.3 | |
| 5 | Allen Parish | 67.4 | 99.3 | 85.8 | 7.2 | 77.2 | 33.2 | 73.4 | 49.3 | 18.9 | 33.3 | 33.4 | 19.1 | |
| 6 | Cameron Parish | 66.7 | 87.9 | 37.5 | 73.8 | 71.7 | 66.7 | 96.3 | 66.4 | 2.3 | 29.3 | 92.6 | 40.2 | |
| 7 | Red River Parish | 66.4 | 91.7 | 85.3 | 10.4 | 97.5 | 29.4 | 42 | 83.4 | 3.1 | 34.3 | 48.2 | 47.2 | |
| 8 | De Soto Parish | 66.1 | 95.9 | 88.3 | 9.2 | 54.4 | 40.1 | 88.2 | 58 | 5.2 | 35 | 32.2 | 29.1 | |
| 9 | Winn Parish | 65.9 | 98.2 | 85.3 | 9.8 | 80.6 | 27.5 | 62.7 | 70.5 | 0.9 | 36.6 | 41 | 30.3 | |
| 10 | Union Parish | 65.7 | 88.1 | 83.9 | 4.3 | 94.4 | 32.3 | 56.1 | 50.4 | 1.2 | 42.6 | 24.4 | 28 | |
| 11 | East Carroll Parish | 65 | 98.9 | 91.3 | 0.6 | 54.5 | 22.5 | 87.3 | 78.4 | 4.9 | 42 | 50.9 | 37.3 | |
| 12 | West Feliciana Parish | 64.5 | 68.1 | 36.8 | 77.8 | 88.5 | 56.6 | 74.5 | 65.3 | 62.8 | 24.8 | 56.3 | 43.2 | |
| 13 | Jackson Parish | 64.4 | 98 | 87.5 | 5.7 | 75.9 | 36.7 | 44.2 | 73.8 | 3 | 39 | 24.2 | 39.4 | |
| 14 | Bienville Parish | 64.2 | 98.1 | 97.7 | 0.8 | 39.5 | 26 | 94 | 71.4 | 2.3 | 37.3 | 26.1 | 28.8 | |
| 15 | Vernon Parish | 64.2 | 81.5 | 55.7 | 26.5 | 97.5 | 42.3 | 69.7 | 31.1 | 36.3 | 30.1 | 26.6 | 25.3 | |
| 16 | Natchitoches Parish | 63.1 | 90.2 | 73.2 | 7.1 | 97.5 | 30.1 | 51.3 | 43.6 | 5.6 | 32.5 | 40.1 | 31 | |
| 17 | Sabine Parish | 62.9 | 93.7 | 88.9 | 12.4 | 97.5 | 26.7 | 28.4 | 39 | 1.8 | 34.9 | 24 | 26.9 | |
| 18 | Tensas Parish | 59.5 | 99.3 | 92.4 | 1.2 | 53.9 | 21.7 | 50.5 | 85.5 | 1.7 | 32.9 | 49.3 | 37.6 | |
| 19 | Iberia Parish | 58.9 | 95.4 | 57.2 | 25.8 | 94.8 | 28.4 | 43.1 | 9.4 | 33.5 | 26.9 | 71.8 | 27.9 | |
| 20 | Avoyelles Parish | 58.7 | 99.7 | 84.5 | 2 | 64.7 | 22 | 51.7 | 27 | 27 | 30 | 56.5 | 31.6 | |
| 21 | East Feliciana Parish | 58.2 | 99.9 | 60.7 | 69.4 | 64.3 | 41.3 | 27 | 43.6 | 51.3 | 40 | 52.1 | 33.2 | |
| 22 | Webster Parish | 58.2 | 95.5 | 80.5 | 2.8 | 66.6 | 23.8 | 51.6 | 30.5 | 23.1 | 37 | 26.4 | 27.8 | |
| 23 | Beauregard Parish | 57.2 | 95.6 | 69.2 | 50.7 | 37 | 38.5 | 62 | 44.4 | 44.8 | 30.6 | 29.9 | 21.6 | |
| 24 | Catahoula Parish | 57.1 | 97.3 | 77.2 | 12.3 | 46.4 | 30.3 | 49.3 | 83 | 25.7 | 37.5 | 45.3 | 33.5 | |
| 25 | Richland Parish | 57.1 | 98.7 | 63.3 | 18.6 | 92.9 | 26.2 | 16.1 | 63.3 | 9.8 | 33.3 | 55.1 | 28.1 |
Assumption Parish
LaSalle Parish
West Carroll Parish
Claiborne Parish
Allen Parish
Cameron Parish
Red River Parish
De Soto Parish
Winn Parish
Union Parish
East Carroll Parish
West Feliciana Parish
Jackson Parish
Bienville Parish
Vernon Parish
Natchitoches Parish
Sabine Parish
Tensas Parish
Iberia Parish
Avoyelles Parish
East Feliciana Parish
Webster Parish
Beauregard Parish
Catahoula Parish
Richland Parish
Frequently Asked Questions about Counties in Louisiana
Common questions about county rankings and scores in Louisiana.
What is the best county in Louisiana?
Assumption Parish is the top-ranked county in Louisiana with a CountyScore of 70/100. It leads the state across the available scoring dimensions, which include Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, Weather & Climate.
How many counties are ranked in Louisiana?
Louisiana has 64 counties in total. Of those, 64 have been ranked with a composite score based on available data dimensions. The remaining 0 counties do not yet have enough data for a full score.
What factors determine a county's score?
Each county is scored 0–100 across up to nine baseline data dimensions: Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, and Weather & Climate. The composite score is a weighted average of whichever baseline dimensions have data. Currently available baseline dimensions are: Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, Weather & Climate. Higher scores are always better — a score of 100 represents the best possible performance for that dimension.
What is the average county score in Louisiana?
The average composite CountyScore across all ranked counties in Louisiana is 52/100. The national average is 50/100, so Louisiana counties score 2 points above the national average.
How does Louisiana compare to other states?
Louisiana's average county score of 52/100 is 2 points above the national average of 50/100. You can compare Louisiana counties to counties in any other state using the county detail pages or the CountyScore compare tool.
Explore County Data by Category
Dive deeper into specific dimensions for counties in Louisiana.
Best counties in other states
Data: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, FBI UCR, CDC, FEMA NRI, NCES, EPA SDWIS, 2019–2023 ACS — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.