The 10 Worst Small Towns In Louisiana For 2023


We used Saturday Night Science to determine the worst small towns in Louisiana.

By: Nick Johnson | About HomeSnacks
Last Updated: October 14, 2023

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 170 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:

These are the worst small towns in Louisiana for 2023:

  1. Newellton
  2. Vivian
  3. Richwood
  4. Port Sulphur
  5. Campti
  6. White Castle
  7. Zwolle
  8. Basile
  9. Merryville
  10. Mansura

So what is the worst small town to call home in Louisiana for 2023? According to the most recent census data, Newellton 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 Newellton 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.

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

The 10 Worst Small Towns In Louisiana For 2023

1. Newellton

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,174
Median Home Value: $47,200 (worst)
Unemployment Rate: 20.7% (7th worst)

2. Vivian

Vivian, LA

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

3
/10

Population: 3,153
Median Home Value: $56,800 (5th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 13.7% (28th worst)

3. Richwood

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 4,837
Median Home Value: $60,300 (8th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 13.6% (29th worst)

4. Port Sulphur

Overall SnackAbility

2
/10

Population: 1,749
Median Home Value: $88,200 (49th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 19.9% (9th worst)

5. Campti

Overall SnackAbility

2
/10

Population: 1,180
Median Home Value: $68,500 (19th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 26.0% (2nd worst)

6. White Castle

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 2,258
Median Home Value: $90,000 (5worst)
Unemployment Rate: 21.9% (5th worst)

7. Zwolle

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,963
Median Home Value: $63,000 (10th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 14.9% (23rd worst)

8. Basile

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 2,073
Median Home Value: $59,600 (7th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 17.6% (16th worst)

9. Merryville

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,154
Median Home Value: $78,000 (36th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 7.5% (67th worst)

10. Mansura

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,098
Median Home Value: $76,900 (33rd worst)
Unemployment Rate: 19.0% (11th worst)

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 2017-2021 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 – 170 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 2023, 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.

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

  1. Paulina (Pop. 1,883)
  2. Lafourche Crossing (Pop. 1,896)
  3. Bayou Country Club (Pop. 1,568)

For more Louisiana reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Worst Small Towns In Louisiana

Rank Town Population Unemployment Rate Home Value
1 Newellton 1,174 20.7% $47,200
2 Vivian 3,153 13.7% $56,800
3 Richwood 4,837 13.6% $60,300
4 Port Sulphur 1,749 19.9% $88,200
5 Campti 1,180 26.0% $68,500
6 White Castle 2,258 21.9% $90,000
7 Zwolle 1,963 14.9% $63,000
8 Basile 2,073 17.6% $59,600
9 Merryville 1,154 7.5% $78,000
10 Mansura 1,098 19.0% $76,900
11 Natalbany 2,475 11.3% $109,900
12 Ferriday 3,194 22.0% $76,200
13 Minorca 1,430 8.9% $79,000
14 Henderson 1,732 7.9% $66,100
15 Jackson 4,662 16.0% $112,700
16 Rayville 3,386 9.5% $68,000
17 Ringgold 1,753 10.4% $101,300
18 Mansfield 4,608 14.9% $71,800
19 Colfax 2,010 8.1% $76,100
20 Haynesville 2,402 10.5% $81,500
21 Banks Springs 1,514 9.3% $1,000
22 Chauvin 2,837 11.1% $77,700
23 Bunkie 3,415 20.2% $75,300
24 Arnaudville 1,729 5.7% $82,600
25 Bawcomville 2,700 6.5% $66,100
26 Logansport 1,950 9.2% $91,500
27 North Vacherie 1,650 11.1% $122,300
28 Pine Prairie 1,516 16.5% $133,900
29 Lake Arthur 2,627 10.8% $69,900
30 Homer 2,636 5.3% $58,400
31 Kentwood 2,304 6.4% $85,500
32 Simmesport 1,247 1.8% $55,100
33 Glenmora 1,423 6.1% $64,600
34 Montegut 1,469 9.0% $92,300
35 Jonesville 1,364 6.8% $76,800
36 Duson 1,592 5.2% $71,300
37 Bayou L’ourse 2,150 11.8% $84,200
38 Winnsboro 4,891 9.0% $79,200
39 Amelia 1,995 6.0% $56,400
40 Erwinville 3,130 26.0% $155,800
41 Many 2,337 17.1% $122,900
42 Farmerville 3,382 14.0% $91,100
43 Greensburg 1,101 19.8% $161,100
44 Kraemer 1,053 14.6% $125,500
45 Moreauville 1,071 6.8% $135,000
46 Springhill 4,855 8.7% $80,600
47 Brownsville 4,272 11.1% $73,700
48 Lake Providence 3,288 5.2% $55,200
49 Coushatta 2,217 0.8% $66,700
50 Independence 2,068 13.6% $113,000
51 Roseland 1,262 13.4% $93,700
52 Bernice 1,182 2.3% $82,300
53 Church Point 4,252 10.2% $95,300
54 Vienna Bend 1,535 17.8% $1,000
55 Olla 1,533 4.9% $97,100
56 Gueydan 1,053 12.3% $72,700
57 Mamou 2,979 8.8% $71,900
58 Kinder 1,866 9.0% $95,200
59 Elton 1,377 1.6% $66,700
60 Cottonport 1,965 4.5% $91,200
61 Delhi 2,648 6.5% $126,500
62 Labadieville 1,327 8.3% $111,000
63 Start 1,089 2.0% $108,000
64 Amite City 3,840 14.8% $98,600
65 Port Barre 2,145 10.2% $85,000
66 Jonesboro 4,292 1.0% $75,100
67 Jean Lafitte 2,450 18.2% $181,300
68 Poydras 2,664 1.0% $104,700
69 Avondale 4,969 7.4% $100,100
70 Winnfield 4,172 6.5% $85,000
71 Urania 1,338 1.0% $77,800
72 Edgard 1,290 22.2% $129,900
73 Baldwin 1,797 1.9% $106,300
74 Iota 1,463 6.5% $150,000
75 Vinton 3,364 1.8% $107,700
76 Wallace 1,201 15.9% $183,800
77 Golden Meadow 2,184 4.6% $111,300
78 Oak Grove 1,593 0.7% $74,000
79 Belle Rose 2,413 9.5% $178,500
80 Morse 1,073 1.5% $73,800
81 Lawtell 1,126 6.0% $1,000
82 Leonville 1,742 0.7% $157,900
83 Dubach 1,066 3.2% $96,100
84 Oberlin 1,524 5.1% $80,700
85 Jeanerette 4,892 18.1% $97,200
86 Franklinton 3,646 3.0% $161,600
87 Boyce 1,466 5.9% $61,200
88 Berwick 4,757 7.3% $143,400
89 Arabi 4,080 12.7% $176,800
90 Ossun 2,450 8.1% $90,200
91 Fifth Ward 1,025 4.2% $142,800
92 Tickfaw 1,010 3.7% $174,500
93 Sibley 1,290 1.9% $89,300
94 Erath 2,160 4.7% $114,500
95 Arcadia 2,737 1.7% $64,200
96 New Roads 4,516 6.7% $139,200
97 Kaplan 4,384 9.6% $90,600
98 Rosepine 1,753 7.8% $133,200
99 Charenton 1,407 3.1% $106,700
100 Livonia 1,189 0.2% $169,500
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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