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Moving to
Shenandoah.
Shenandoah 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 Shenandoah
Shenandoah is an unincorporated community in Louisiana with rent below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Shenandoah deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, a population that has been shrinking, hot summers, and very rainy.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Highly educated workforce
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- Shrinking population
- Hot summers
- Very rainy — 61" of rain per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Shenandoah compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Shenandoah
Based on Shenandoah's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,402
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $48,040 a year
- 43% of Shenandoah renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$66,220
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $33,110
- Homes cost 3.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 15% below US
$1,201/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,201 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $331,100. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $331,100 · 43% 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
Shenandoah 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
27 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26.6 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; 19% 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▲ 46% above US
53% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park (63 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Shenandoah's strongest points are rent below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and a population that has been shrinking. A year of median rent ($1,201/mo) equals 13% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, remote workers (19% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals.
Other places near Shenandoah
All Louisiana guides →Moving to Prairieville →
7 mi away · pop. 35,238
Rent $1,324/mo · Income $104,923
Compare with Shenandoah →Moving to Baton Rouge →
8 mi away · pop. 222,771
Rent $1,067/mo · Income $49,994
Compare with Shenandoah →Not sure Shenandoah is the one?
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