The 10 Worst Small Towns In Louisiana For 2024


The worst small towns in Louisiana are Oil City and Banks Springs for 2024 based on Friday Night Science.

Most Americans have never been to small town Louisiana. However, as the Louisianian who live there know, small town Louisiana is an awesome place to call home.

But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, Louisiana has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using Saturday Night Science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Pelican State. Don’t freak out, we will use data to show which places have high crime, poverty, and unemployment.

After analyzing more than 164 of Louisiana’s smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in Louisiana where you’d never want to live:


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


These are the worst small towns in Louisiana for 2024:

  1. Oil City
  2. Banks Springs
  3. Natalbany
  4. Mansura
  5. Ringgold
  6. Port Sulphur
  7. Richwood
  8. Greensburg
  9. Haynesville
  10. White Castle

Worst Small Towns To Live In Louisiana Map

So what is the worst small town to call home in Louisiana for 2024? According to the most recent census data, Oil City is the worst small town to live in Louisiana.

While many of these small towns have seen better days, they have wonderful communities and people. This report in no way means to knock the folks that call towns like Oil City home. Everyone

Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.

And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in Louisiana or the worst places to live in Louisiana.

If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.

The 10 Worst Small Towns In Louisiana For 2024

1. Oil City

Source: Public Domain
Overall SnackAbility

/10

Population: 1,093
Median Home Value: $91,473
Median Income: $18,790
Unemployment Rate: 12.9%

2. Banks Springs

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,485
Median Home Value: $53,170
Median Income: $24,656
Unemployment Rate: 19.1%

3. Natalbany

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 3,074
Median Home Value: $134,784
Median Income: $29,047
Unemployment Rate: 12.9%

4. Mansura

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,376
Median Home Value: $133,242
Median Income: $21,173
Unemployment Rate: 23.2%

5. Ringgold

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,686
Median Home Value: $61,564
Median Income: $21,761
Unemployment Rate: 14.1%

6. Port Sulphur

Overall SnackAbility

2
/10

Population: 1,593
Median Home Value: $134,743
Median Income: $31,325
Unemployment Rate: 20.3%

7. Richwood

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 3,847
Median Home Value: $68,648
Median Income: $28,594
Unemployment Rate: 12.0%

8. Greensburg

Overall SnackAbility

2
/10

Population: 1,096
Median Home Value: $163,329
Median Income: $42,957
Unemployment Rate: 21.5%

9. Haynesville

Haynesville, LA

Source: Wikipedia User Billy Hathorn | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 2,287
Median Home Value: $89,253
Median Income: $26,867
Unemployment Rate: 15.7%

10. White Castle

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 2,394
Median Home Value: $120,486
Median Income: $22,574
Unemployment Rate: 18.7%

Methodology: How do you decide if a small place in Louisiana is lousy or not?

To rank the worst small towns to live in Louisiana, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. Assuming that people like low crime, solid education, things to do, and a stable economy isn’t a stretch.

We then analyzed the criteria using Saturday Night Science, the thinking you’d use at a bar. It seems like even your crazy Uncle would agree that a town with high crime is worse than a town with low crime; all else the same.

Using FBI crime data and the Census’s 2018-2022 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:

  • Population Density (The lower, the worse)
  • Highest Unemployment Rates
  • Low housing costs (meaning there’s no demand)
  • Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
  • Education (Number of high school dropouts)
  • High Crime

We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which there were many – 164 to be exact.

We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets them from the cities. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.

We base all our research on facts, which is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2024, which is our tenth time ranking the worst small places to live in Louisiana.

There You Have It – The Worst Small Towns In Louisiana

If you’re analyzing teeny places in the Pelican State with the worst economic situations, where there’s high crime and there’s not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.

The worst small towns in Louisiana are Oil City, Banks Springs, Natalbany, Mansura, Ringgold, Port Sulphur, Richwood, Greensburg, Haynesville, and White Castle.

If you’re curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in Louisiana, according to science:

  1. Montz (Pop. 2,074)
  2. Paulina (Pop. 2,051)
  3. Bayou Country Club (Pop. 1,271)

For more Louisiana reading, check out:

Worst Small Towns In Louisiana

Rank Town Population Unemployment Rate Home Value Median Income
1 Oil City 1,093 12.9% $91,473 $18,790
2 Banks Springs 1,485 19.1% $53,170 $24,656
3 Natalbany 3,074 12.9% $134,784 $29,047
4 Mansura 1,376 23.2% $133,242 $21,173
5 Ringgold 1,686 14.1% $61,564 $21,761
6 Port Sulphur 1,593 20.3% $134,743 $31,325
7 Richwood 3,847 12.0% $68,648 $28,594
8 Greensburg 1,096 21.5% $163,329 $42,957
9 Haynesville 2,287 15.7% $89,253 $26,867
10 White Castle 2,394 18.7% $120,486 $22,574
11 Montegut 1,347 0.9% $99,444 $32,989
12 Vivian 3,086 10.2% $64,933 $23,875
13 Bunkie 3,362 11.2% $96,310 $21,888
14 Mansfield 4,675 15.8% $64,152 $33,072
15 Bayou L’ourse 2,039 11.8% $79,202 $45,777
16 Kentwood 1,932 15.8% $147,556 $29,856
17 Minorca 1,398 8.9% $82,418 $43,438
18 Bawcomville 2,654 5.6% $62,819 $30,636
19 Simmesport 1,308 7.3% $67,844 $19,592
20 Ferriday 3,192 23.2% $76,890 $26,513
21 Amelia 2,000 8.5% $0 $45,333
22 Chauvin 2,511 10.5% $85,204 $49,280
23 Erwinville 2,759 26.4% $171,571 $71,250
24 Zwolle 1,860 9.7% $166,304 $29,464
25 Homer 2,739 5.2% $72,184 $20,723
26 Arnaudville 1,522 7.0% $128,634 $24,219
27 Pine Prairie 1,414 14.9% $156,092 $32,244
28 Coushatta 2,053 0.9% $77,594 $27,841
29 Springhill 4,740 10.7% $81,728 $27,868
30 Logansport 1,972 7.9% $113,576 $37,550
31 Lake Providence 3,542 13.6% $51,789 $25,614
32 Jackson 4,600 13.7% $186,804 $40,642
33 Basile 2,353 25.8% $122,377 $38,500
34 Henderson 1,677 6.9% $101,280 $39,635
35 Colfax 1,632 7.1% $110,402 $27,847
36 Rayville 3,343 12.5% $153,043 $23,292
37 Olla 1,329 7.1% $112,521 $34,333
38 Many 2,566 8.3% $99,806 $22,260
39 North Vacherie 1,740 6.8% $123,527 $35,000
40 Bernice 1,206 3.5% $90,954 $24,375
41 Gueydan 1,220 19.8% $124,115 $24,375
42 Brownsville 4,198 10.6% $71,764 $33,819
43 Kraemer 1,128 13.4% $143,428 $63,403
44 Independence 2,258 16.5% $172,154 $41,071
45 Duson 1,441 6.4% $196,884 $30,302
46 Kinder 1,934 10.1% $140,366 $39,097
47 Jonesville 1,252 7.9% $104,188 $40,875
48 Cottonport 1,734 3.3% $115,077 $31,676
49 Glenmora 1,574 6.8% $126,988 $34,865
50 Avondale 4,870 10.5% $124,130 $53,144
51 Jean Lafitte 2,517 17.9% $148,923 $59,225
52 Winnsboro 4,823 11.9% $122,785 $31,821
53 Jonesboro 4,135 1.5% $88,750 $28,963
54 Fifth Ward 1,147 5.3% $138,704 $49,207
55 Delhi 2,630 10.0% $129,117 $43,348
56 Winnfield 4,124 8.1% $100,889 $37,477
57 Mamou 2,918 16.2% $97,071 $23,310
58 Deville 1,083 10.5% $195,307 $1,000
59 Church Point 4,182 7.2% $144,515 $44,185
60 Dubach 1,026 2.9% $108,032 $31,953
61 Farmerville 3,371 8.8% $166,656 $24,337
62 Roseland 1,237 8.0% $117,994 $43,693
63 Lake Arthur 2,617 9.4% $103,359 $43,625
64 Labadieville 1,546 12.7% $148,958 $55,250
65 Vinton 3,314 1.4% $123,901 $40,859
66 Franklinton 3,638 4.2% $177,569 $31,645
67 Elton 1,284 0.8% $94,892 $35,828
68 Baldwin 2,065 0.8% $107,646 $29,473
69 Sibley 1,323 2.4% $95,786 $31,359
70 Ossun 2,545 6.4% $95,484 $39,559
71 Urania 1,219 7.2% $84,529 $54,375
72 Fort Polk North 2,075 12.0% $0 $39,771
73 Oberlin 1,676 1.7% $109,186 $35,673
74 Iota 1,518 5.6% $176,663 $37,778
75 Berwick 4,717 10.3% $156,834 $52,458
76 Poydras 2,513 0.0% $116,692 $50,403
77 Kaplan 4,335 9.0% $137,912 $38,505
78 Vienna Bend 1,666 12.6% $110,561 $42,754
79 Golden Meadow 2,053 3.7% $73,629 $55,917
80 Port Barre 2,181 7.1% $127,671 $37,000
81 Charenton 1,051 4.1% $133,880 $50,282
82 Livonia 1,290 1.5% $191,573 $48,523
83 Oak Grove 1,531 1.1% $69,620 $31,875
84 Morse 1,111 1.4% $82,318 $53,393
85 Jeanerette 4,807 4.8% $104,294 $50,987
86 Arcadia 2,725 2.7% $92,874 $37,610
87 Amite City 4,033 3.6% $131,065 $42,415
88 Belle Rose 2,030 6.8% $211,976 $1,000
89 Clinton 1,550 16.0% $209,844 $54,141
90 Vidalia 3,994 11.5% $121,702 $43,684
91 Anacoco 1,066 3.3% $162,612 $70,147
92 Garyville 2,108 3.7% $138,101 $64,261
93 Fordoche 1,060 7.0% $177,903 $57,663
94 Arabi 4,296 10.0% $224,706 $49,071
95 Boutte 2,274 12.4% $173,826 $74,886
96 Rosepine 1,740 6.6% $182,956 $57,333
97 New Llano 2,290 15.6% $116,223 $50,758
98 New Roads 4,508 8.0% $155,810 $47,792
99 Delcambre 2,422 5.7% $116,105 $45,943
100 Leonville 1,442 0.0% $164,435 $1,000
About Nick Johnson

Nick Johnson earned his masters in Business Administration from the Drucker School At Claremont Graduate University. He has written for 39 publications across the country and ran the media relations department at Movoto, a real estate portal based in San Francisco. He has been featured in over 500 publications as an expert in real estate and as an authority on real estate trends.

Nick's the creator of the HomeSnacks YouTube channel that now has over 260,000 subscribers and is an excellent source to learn about different parts of the country.

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