re: Ranking the 5 best cities in Louisiana for raising families or retirement

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Ruston
Blanchard
Lafayette
Bossier
Stonewall

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you really need to get out of northwest LA

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Politics and drugs have destroyed a once great state

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Can you retire anywhere in the country and there not be drugs?


They have been doing drug busts at these senior living places.

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1) Mandeville
2) Lafayette

5) Central City

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I can see these in most people's top 5-10.

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3) Grand Isle

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I haven't been there in 20+ years and know nothing about it, really.

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4) Bossier City

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Say what???? Bossier? No way, baw! Minden or Ruston is the closest I would consider in that part of the state! Bossier is kinda trashy.

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Am I missing something about Youngsville? I’ve been through there several times & it just appears to be a bunch of nice hoods surrounded by sugar cane, super congested roads & a nice sports complex. So just….sprawl?

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It's definitely not a bad place, just blowing up super fast and not the sleepy cane field town it used to be. I'd still rank it near the top of places to live in this state, but it's getting full.

Downfall of St Tammany is DR Horton

Hold my Beer,

New Orleans East

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I'm pretty sure it's called the City of Central, not Central City. Central City is the ghetto neighborhood in New Orleans north of St. Charles around Louisiana Ave.

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thats what i thought too

I have never heard of central, the town near BR, referred to as Central city. City of Central or just Central...sure.

only thing i have ever heard called central city is the neighborhood in NOLA that is ghetto AF that you mentioned

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Toledo is a perennial top 5 bass lake over the past decade and id love to see one ranking with Caney even top 10.

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Latest rankings from the LAWLF website

Caney is back and has been for 5 years or so. Bussy is also as good or better than Toledo over that same span. D'arbonne is consistently rated the best sacalait lakes in the country and is on the rotation to hold the 'Crappie' National Championship every few years.
Top 25 Sacalait Lakes in the Country


2024 rankings has Bussy as the only lake in Louisiana in the top 10.
2024 Top Bass Lakes in the US

That triangle of lakes around Monroe/Ruston can easily be argued as one of the top freshwater spots in the country with 3 top 25 lakes all within a 45 minute drive. Toledo is great, but it hasn't been the best lake in the state in several years. Bussy and Caney both have at minimum performed to the point they are in the argument, and D'arbonne isn't far behind.

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I'd argue for fishing because of the access to Grand Isle, the Rigolets and other inshore areas.

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With salt water/brackish fishing comes coastal issues like higher insurance, flood insurance, and hurricanes that I think would factor in to places to raise a family or retire.

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Tensas, Madison, and East Carroll

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I don't disagree. His argument was that Ruston and West Monroe had the best hunting in the state. My argument was the surrounding parishes provide access to the best hunting, but people from those areas go to the three parishes I listed to hunt. Just arguing semantics with Mingo for the sake of arguing. The Choudrant/Calhoun area is a great area, but the outdoor amenities other than golf are from the surrounding parishes. His point stands that within 45 minutes you can be in one of the top fishing spots or hunting spots in the state. Are there arguably better? Yes, but not close to any of the areas being mentioned as good places to live, and when people say Ruston or West Monroe, most often they are referencing Choudrant and Calhoun.

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Ok bud, in the past 12 months I've been to Hawaii, San Deigo and South Beach. When I lived in Florida I went to the keys 4 times. I've been to Costa Rica and the Bahamas.

If you're argument is that the white sands and emerald water in the Destin area isn't some of the most beautiful beaches in the country then I don't know how to argue with you about anything.

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The water clarity, and sand quality of the 30A area is the best I've seen, and I too have been to Hawaii, Miami, The Keys, California coast, Mexico, etc...

Now, the atmosphere, surrounding geography, etc... are obviously much better at other beaches, but if you're basing it solely on the water and sand, that area is hard to beat.

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I think safety is a wash between Lincoln Parish and St Tammany. The grambling area is rough and Monroe has some bad spots.

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man imo alot of it comes down to culture. If you like South LA culture...you would prolly hate the ruston area. Lots of great people up there but its two different worlds imo.

I personally prefer south LA culture. to me north shore gets a huge leg up being so close to world class beaches too, easy 3 hour drive that can be done on longer weekends easily.