New Orleans, Louisiana
Cost of living, housing, income, commute, climate, and safety — compiled for relocators researching New Orleans.
Key figures
Each metric shows how New Orleans compares with the U.S. baseline (ACS/BLS nationals where available; catalog-city averages for crime, climate, and commute). Income, housing, population, and crime are for the incorporated city (city limits), not the broader metro/MSA — unemployment is county-level (BLS LAUS).
- Population
- 376,035City limits · not metro/MSA
- Median household income
- $55,339Incorporated place (ACS)30% below U.S. avgU.S. $78,538
- Housing cost index
- 94ACS home+rent vs U.S. (100 = avg)6% below U.S. avgU.S. 100
- Median home value
- $296,400City limits (ACS)Near U.S. avg ($303,400)U.S. $303,400
- Median rent
- $1,211City limits (ACS)10% below U.S. avgU.S. $1,348
- Unemployment
- 4.8%County LAUS · not city-onlyNear U.S. avg (4.2 pts)U.S. 4.2 pts
- Avg commute
- 24 minNear U.S. avg (25 min)U.S. 25 min
- Walk Score
- 5829% above U.S. avgU.S. 45
- Violent crime rate
- 1144.7annualized per 100k · citywide90% above U.S. avgU.S. 602.7
- Property crime rate
- 5292.5annualized per 100k · citywide72% above U.S. avgU.S. 3084.9
- Summer high
- 93°F6.0°F above U.S. avgU.S. 87°F
- Winter low
- 49°F15.0°F above U.S. avgU.S. 34°F
- Annual rainfall
- 64.6 in96% above U.S. avgU.S. 32.9 in
- Sunny days
- 2516% below U.S. avgU.S. 266
Compare New Orleans with another city
New Orleans (pop. 376,035) sits in Louisiana. Households here report a median income near $55,339; our housing-derived cost index is about 94 (below the national housing-cost baseline). Ownership is a high bar — typical values near $296,400 push many newcomers toward renting first.
Gulf moisture, festival culture, and floodplain risk are everyday considerations. With about 64.6 inches of rain a year, wet-season drainage and mold checks are worth asking about. Commutes average near 24 minutes one-way, with walkability near 58/100. BLS LAUS puts recent unemployment around 4.8% for the surrounding county. FBI CDE violent-offense rates run comparatively high (~1144.7 per 100k annualized), so block-by-block due diligence is especially important.
New Orleans is compact enough that a single wrong neighborhood choice is easy to feel day to day — visit at commute hour before signing. Figures on this page are merged from Census ACS, BLS LAUS, FBI Crime Data Explorer, and NOAA Climate Normals — use them to compare New Orleans with nearby alternatives before you relocate.
Nearby & similar cities
Continue researching with these internal links — each page is a full data profile.
Sources
- Census / ACS: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 5-year (New Orleans city, 1600000US2255000)
- BLS: BLS LAUS LAUCN220710000000003 (Orleans Parish, May 2026)
- Crime: FBI CIUS Table 8 (2019) city offenses known to law enforcement — rates per 100k; CDE API unavailable at enrich time
- Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 Monthly Normals (USW00012930 NEW ORLEANS AUDUBON)
Last updated 2026-07-28