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Moving to
Claiborne.
Claiborne is an unincorporated community in Ouachita Parish, LA. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.
What it's like to live in Claiborne
Claiborne is an unincorporated community in Louisiana with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and a growing population. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Claiborne deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, larger class sizes than the national average, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, and hot summers.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
- Growing population
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
- Hot summers
- Above-average rainfall
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Claiborne compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Claiborne
Based on Claiborne's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,412
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $48,240 a year
- 51% of Claiborne renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$43,840
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $21,920
- Homes cost 3.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 15% below US
$1,206/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,206 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $219,200. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $219,200 · 51% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.5% county unemployment
Unemployment in Ouachita Parish is 4.5%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Ouachita Parish (county-wide)
Safety
497 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Claiborne doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office jurisdiction as a whole, which runs above the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 2065/100k · Policed by Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 25% below US
19 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 19.4 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 10% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 92°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 39°F. It's a wet climate overall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforceNear US average
36% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 36% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
2 public schools inside the boundary
There are 2 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Poverty Point National Monument (46 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Claiborne's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin. A year of median rent ($1,206/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and people who want short commutes.
Other places near Claiborne
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