Central, LA vs Gonzales, LA

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricCentral, LAGonzales, LA
Population29,78313,108
Median Household Income$89,554$75,451
Median Rent$1,309/mo$1,497/mo
Median Home Value$288,700$225,800
Cost of Living (US = 100)9191
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income53.9%31.7%
Poverty Rate5.4%9%
Unemployment Rate3.5%3.6% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k—*519
Property Crime Rate /100k—*3,205
Median AQI5133
Good AQI Days /yr181348
Summer Highs92°F90°F
Winter Lows43°F44°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute29 min24.9 min
Hospitals—1
Avg Hospital Rating——
Students per Teacher14.513.4
College Degree Rate35.3%28.1%
Foreign-Born %1.3%6.6%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+2.5%+15.2%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.
* Rate of the agency that polices Central (the city has no police department of its own), so it isn’t scored.