Last updated 2026-06-15 ยท MovePlan Editorial Team
Incredible food, live music, affordable living, and a culture found nowhere else in America.
1. New Orleans: Best overall
2. Baton Rouge: Best for jobs
3. Lafayette: Best for culture and value
4. Shreveport: Best for affordability
5. Mandeville: Best for families
6. Lake Charles: Best for industry jobs
7. Monroe: Best small city
8. Covington: Best north-shore town
Louisiana offers a culture, cuisine, and music scene unlike anywhere else, paired with a low cost of living. The trade-offs are summer heat and hurricane risk along the coast, so smart movers plan around both. Here are the 8 best places to live in Louisiana, ranked.