next_migration | Louisiana

Louisiana as a whole is more French- (and Catholic-)influenced than any other state; for example, the state is administratively divided into parishes rather than counties. As noted, southern Louisiana’s heavily French-influenced Cajun culture is unique in the United States; many residents still speak a Louisiana dialect of French as their first language. Most Cajuns are rural, attached to the land, and not wealthy enough to move readily. Sadly, sea level rise plus land subsidence due to fossil fuel extraction is chewing away at the land rural residents need to live on, and many places are heavily poisoned by the chemical industry. Parts of the largest city, New Orleans, are already below sea level; that will become increasingly difficult to manage. Already, after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, poorer neighborhoods were never fully rebuilt. An increasing number of residents will be forced out of their homes in future, and for them, communities farther north in Louisiana will often be the most congenial choice. Out-of-state Anglophones who just like gumbo should perhaps refrain from taking up space in those communities.

Local residents with deep cultural ties may have family in smaller communities outside the red zone; if so, that should guide your choice of destination. If not, larger communities might be better. Unfortunately, most of the population centers are far enough south to be risky. Louisiana is a generally poor and violent state, and even small cities can have very high crime rates, so to save time, just assume that’s true unless otherwise stated. Here are some of the options that seem better.

o Baton Rouge (214,000 people), the capital, is fairly far south, a port city on the Mississippi River, with Cajun influences in the local culture. It is just above the area of highest risk coming from the Gulf, but the river floods relatively often. It is relatively liberal and is the center of the largest metro in the state outside the ultra-high-risk New Orleans (over 850,000 people regionally), so could be of interest to people migrating from New Orleans. The diverse, though polluter-dominated economy includes shipping, oil refining, chemical and high-tech manufacturing industries, health care, higher education, government (including the military), a film industry, and more. It’s the home of multiple colleges and universities, including Louisiana State University, Southern University, and a good-sized community college. There’s a not-so-great bus system and paratransit, Greyhound bus service, and Amtrak thruway service to the line that goes through New Orleans, so long as it does. It is recently reported that the aquifer supplying the city’s currently high-quality drinking water is being overdrawn without limits by powerful industries, especially Exxon, leading to saltwater intrusion that may soon render the water undrinkable.

o Alexandria (45,000 people) is centrally located amid the Kisatchie National Forest on the Red River, which connects to the Mississippi. It has a historical French Acadian influence but is now fairly diverse; there’s a Jewish community with two synagogues. The economy emphasizes manufacturing, shipping (especially of fossil fuels), and health care; poverty is common. There are branch university and technical college campuses. Alexandria is known for its festivals and Mardi Gras celebrations. Cultural amenities include a performing arts center and zoo. There is a bus system and Greyhound service.

o Shreveport (188,000 people) is also located in the Red River, in the northwestern corner of the state, and in the center of a medium-sized metro area. Formerly dominated by the oil industry, it has been in decline for decades, with high unemployment and poverty. Currently, thanks to the Great Resignation, unemployment is relatively low. Shreveport is the site of various corporate headquarters and facilities, with an Amazon fulfillment center (not a source of good jobs...) in the works, and service industries and health care employ many people. Casino gambling is a big business, and there is a film industry presence. There are several institutions of higher education, including public four- and two-year colleges and medical and nursing schools. Religious diversity is fairly high for Louisiana. Shreveport has a town bus system that connects to Bossier City (see below) and there’s Greyhound service and rather irrationally organized thruway service to Amtrak.

o Bossier City (63,000 people) is part of the Shreveport metro area, on the other side of the Red River. It’s slightly better-off and safer than Shreveport, but housing isn’t (or hasn’t been) exorbitant yet. Major employers include the U.S. Air Force, the gambling industry (casinos and a racetrack), healthcare, and retail and other service sectors. Residents consider it to have a small-town feeling, perhaps just by comparison to Shreveport. There are plenty of festivals, arts, and other cultural opportunities.

o Monroe (48,000 people) is in the northeast. Residents are employed in education, health care, banking and finance, insurance, business, telecommunications, retail, and manufacturing; there is a public university branch and a community college. Wages are not high, but cost of living is low. Monroe has a variety of museums and cultural institutions. There is a Muslim community. Monroe has a long-running public transit system and Greyhound service.

o Natchitoches (37,000 people) is in the northern part of the state, northwest of Alexandria. It used to be on the Red River, which channel-shifted and left the town on an oxbow lake that is popular with college rowing teams. The town dates back to 1714 and has an attractive historic district. The economy was terrible for a while but has since greatly rebounded, though some residents still complain of limited jobs and wages. Major industries include tourism, forestry, and shipping. The town hosts a public college, technical college, and state honors college. It is known for its famous Christmas festival and National Fish Hatchery.

These are some of the more promising small towns:

o Minden (12,000 people) is in the north, east of Shreveport; it’s a historic town with little to do, but considered family friendly. Incomes are low and jobs limited, with some manufacturing (Fibrebond, which recently had to threaten to leave to get some bridges rebuilt), health care, and the usual low-wage service jobs predominating.

o Ruston (22,000 people) is a college town, home of the highly-rated Louisiana Tech, which provides cultural and sporting events. The economy includes timber and agriculture (peach farming, with an annual Peach Festival, and livestock) as well as the usual health care, education, etc., and some IT and financial services. There is a community college branch campus, and public schools are well rated. Outdoor recreation is popular. The town has an attractive historic district and an active arts community. Most residents find Ruston pleasant, and it is a popular retirement destination. There is Greyhound bus service.

o Pineville (14,000 people) is part of the Alexandria metro area. Many residents commute to Alexandria for jobs, but there are several manufacturing and health care employers in town. It’s family-friendly and churchy, with alcohol sales in restaurants only recently permitted.

o DeRidder (10,000 people) is toward the western edge of the state, relatively southern. It has notably moderate crime rates by state standards. Residents who don’t mind its Baptist character are generally happy. There’s a historic business district that still has some independent small businesses, and several manufacturing and food processing employers.

o Denham Springs (over 9000 people) is a suburb of Baton Rouge. It’s politically conservative with a small-town feeling and is considered quite nice, with good schools; housing is more reasonable than in Prairieville, another “nice” suburb.

o Eunice (over 9000 people) is south-central, north of Lafayette, which means still fairly close to the red zone. It has a noted Cajun and Creole culture, with an Acadian cultural center and the Cajun Music Hall of Fame. Residents enjoy a variety of cultural events celebrating French and Cajun heritage. The town is a bit poor and seedy, but cheap. Employment will be largely in the usual sort of small-town jobs (construction, retail and hospitality, banking and insurance services, health care). There’s a community college.

Long-distance public transportation is not great in Louisiana, and many of the communities served are in the higher-risk southern third of the state. In many places, a car will be necessary.