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Moving to
Metairie.
Metairie is an unincorporated community in Jefferson 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 Metairie
Metairie is a large unincorporated community in Louisiana with rent below the national average, commutes that run shorter than most cities, a highly educated workforce, 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. Metairie deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, hospital ratings below the national average, hot summers, and very rainy.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- Below-average hospital ratings
- Hot summers
- Very rainy — 65" of rain per year
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Metairie compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Metairie
Based on Metairie's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,350
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $47,000 a year
- 47% of Metairie renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$65,500
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $32,750
- Homes cost 4.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 17% below US
$1,175/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,175 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $327,500. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $327,500 · 47% 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)
Safety
263 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Metairie doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Jefferson 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 1921/100k · Policed by Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 17% below US
22 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 21.7 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 11% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 93°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 49°F. It's a wet climate overall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 2.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 14% above US
41% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 41% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
19 public schools inside the boundary
There are 19 public schools inside the boundary and 21 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park (5 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Metairie's strongest points are rent below the national average and commutes that run shorter than most cities; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and hospital ratings below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,175/mo) equals 19% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, people who want short commutes, and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Metairie
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