What it's like to live in Zachary
Zachary is a small city in Louisiana with home prices that remain within reach, a growing population, 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. Zachary deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, hot summers, and very rainy.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- High rent burden for renters
- Hot summers
- Very rainy — 62" of rain per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Zachary compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Zachary
Based on Zachary's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,054
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $61,080 a year
- 57% of Zachary renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$51,820
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $25,910
- Homes cost 3.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,527/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,527 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $259,100. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $259,100 · 57% 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▼ 12% below US
291 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 1966/100k · Zachary Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
28 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 27.7 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; 7% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 92°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 43°F. It's a wet climate overall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
33% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 33% 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
7 public schools inside the boundary
There are 7 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Natchez National Historical Park (62 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Zachary's strongest points are home prices that remain within reach and a growing population; 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 ($1,527/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. Whether it fits comes down to the specifics: the neighborhood, the job, and what matters most in the move.
Other places near Zachary
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