What it's like to live in Gretna
Gretna is a small city in Louisiana with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Gretna deals with household incomes below the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, a poverty rate above the national average, and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Air quality concerns
- High poverty rate
- High rent burden for renters
- Hot summers
- Very rainy — 66" of rain per year
How Gretna compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Gretna
Based on Gretna's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,120
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $42,400 a year
- 65% of Gretna renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$51,480
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $25,740
- Homes cost 6.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 25% below US
$1,060/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,060 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $257,400. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $257,400 · 65% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.0% county unemployment
Unemployment in Jefferson Parish is 4.0%, 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.
Jefferson Parish (county-wide)
SafetyNear US average
305 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 2904/100k · Gretna Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25.4 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 8% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 91°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 47°F. It's a wet climate overall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 32% below US
25% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 25%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
9 public schools inside the boundary
There are 9 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park (4 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Gretna'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 ($1,060/mo) equals 30% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
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