© OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap
Moving to
Gardere.
Gardere is an unincorporated community in East Baton Rouge 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 Gardere
Gardere is an unincorporated community in Louisiana with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, and a growing population. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Gardere deals with household incomes below the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, a poverty rate above the national average, and hot summers.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Growing population
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Air quality concerns
- High poverty rate
- Hot summers
- Very rainy — 61" of rain per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Gardere compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Gardere
Based on Gardere's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,314
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $46,280 a year
- 49% of Gardere renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$48,660
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $24,330
- Homes cost 4.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 18% below US
$1,157/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,157 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $243,300. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $243,300 · 49% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.2% county unemployment
Unemployment in East Baton Rouge Parish is 4.2%, 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.
East Baton Rouge Parish (county-wide)
Safety
255 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Gardere doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 2546/100k · Policed by East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
28 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 27.8 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 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 90°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 42°F. It's a wet climate overall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 14% below US
31% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 31% 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
3 public schools inside the boundary
There are 3 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park (69 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Gardere's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,157/mo) equals 25% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget.
Other places near Gardere
All Louisiana guides →Not sure Gardere is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.