Small City, Big Personality
The heart of Cajun country and an understated star of the South, Lafayette is a small but diverse metro in south Louisiana. This city of 123,000 was founded in the 18th century by exiled Acadians from Nova Scotia. By the 20th century it had become a major distribution center and hub for oil — industries still very much alive today in the 21st century.
Lafayette’s historic influences are numerous, but definitively French-inflected, and these international flavors are felt in every steaming bowl of Gumbo, in every costumed, joyous stomp of the Mardi Gras parades and in the lull of the waters of the Vermillion River. With the Diocese of Lafayette, this small city has an outsize Catholic population, much like New Orleans and Baton Rouge, but you’ll find members of many faiths in this Louisiana parish.
Festivals are a religion of their own in this warm-weather climate — it’s not often that a Lafayette resident turns down an excuse to get together. Whether those gatherings feature the signature drawl of a Zydeco accordion, the high whinny of a fiddle or the visual mystique of a new Southern Gothic film, the atmosphere will be warm and inviting, and the food will always be spicy.
If you’re thinking of moving to Lafayette, Louisiana, and want to know more about the city, our moving guide below will give you all the deets on this popular Southern town, from the cost of living and the job market to the music and food scenes.
It’s the “Hub City” of South Louisiana
Just an hour from the capital — Baton Rouge — Lafayette, Louisiana, is the midway point between Houston, Shreveport and New Orleans, making it convenient for business travel and recreation on the coast. From this cherry location north of the Gulf of Mexico, shipping and distribution companies have found an easy footing for transit by sea, rail, air and road, and many of your new neighbors in Lafayette may work in these industries.
But Lafayette is also a cultural hub, one you needn’t travel far from (or really at all) to immerse yourself in Cajun and Creole life. Avery Island — Tabasco’s birthplace — is less than an hour outside the city. At the namesake museum, you can see everything but the recipe behind this spicy operation, from the blending and bottling process to a salt mine diorama.
The self-declared Crawfish Capital of the World — Breaux Bridge — is less than ten miles outside Lafayette, making it easy to attend their annual crawfish festival every spring and taste their signature invention — crawfish étouffée. And the waters of Lake Martin will give you a definitive introduction to the Bayou, if you’re new to the mystic (if murky) wonders of these waters. Learn more about the best places to experience the outdoors in Lafayette below.
It’s Hot, Humid and Occasionally Stormy
Hot and steamy in the summer and rarely frigid in the winter, Lafayette, Louisiana, is a warm-weather paradise. Summer starts early this close to the Gulf of Mexico, and you can count on temperatures above 80°F by late April and highs in the low 90s F from June through early September. To the amazement/horror of newcomers, Lafayette’s humidity has been known to spontaneously iron dresses, remove wallpaper and steam crawfish.
But the upside of all this hot air is that wintertime is dreamy. With lows above 40 F, you’ll likely never ever see a white Christmas in Lafayette, but you might see Santa cruising down Jefferson Street during the annual Sonic Christmas Parade … unless he gets rained out like he did in 2024. Maybe the man in the red suit should ask himself for a poncho this year.
When storms hit Lafayette, they are no joke. Hurricane season typically runs from June-November, but you’ll have to watch out for strong thunderstorms and flooding throughout the year. Lafayette receives an average of 65 inches of rain annually, so it’s unusual to go more than a week without some precipitation.
It’s More Affordable Than You Think
While many coastal and near-coastal cities can price average Americans out of the game, Lafayette, Louisiana’s housing market is much more approachable. The median home value in the city is $252,100 — $50K below the national median — while the median gross rent in Lafayette is $985/mo.
The overall picture is even rosier. The cost-of-living index in this south Louisiana city is just 87.2 — several points lower than nearby Baton Rouge and far below the cost of living in spendy New Orleans.
But income levels are more subdued here than elsewhere in the nation, and the median household income in Lafayette, Louisiana, is $61,258, a hair above the statewide norm. Fortunately, if you earn retirement benefits from Social Security or a military or state pension, you won’t have to pay state taxes on that income, which is a real perk to some.*
Neighborhoods Are Varied and Full of Character
Teeming with warmth, charm and friendly vibes, Lafayette has dozens of great neighborhoods to live in and visit. Whether you’re looking for an in-town spot with access to the top destinations or a suburban district with room to grow, Lafayette is sure to have something up your alley.
Just a mile from downtown, one of Lafayette’s most famous districts is the Saint Streets neighborhood, a canopied delight that puts you within walking distance of hotspots like the children’s museum, the Acadiana Center for the Arts and the Lafayette Science Museum. Clapboard cottages are the norm in this coveted area, and homes are modestly sized but eminently welcoming.
Southwest of the city, mid-century rules the day in Broadmoor, where single-story single-families offer more spacious floor plans, larger lots and prices averaging between $200K-$300K. Home sizes and prices make a big leap in Bendel Gardens, though, a tony hamlet off the Vermillion, where lavish mansions sometimes offer views of the river to complement well-manicured landscapes of their own. You might fall in love with a 1950’s ranch that’s been thoughtfully refurbished to preserve the original parquet floors, but there are also still vacant lots here, ready for you to build your dream home on.
The Job Market is Diversifying
Like most of south Louisiana, the economy of Lafayette is still dominated by oil, gas and shipping. But the city has made inroads in burgeoning sectors like finance and technology — led by companies like CGI — and further diversification is possible with the right interest and infrastructure.
The largest single sector in the region is trade, transportation and utilities, which supports 37,100 jobs. Education and health services is a close second, with its 34,500 workers, bolstered by institutions like the Lafayette Parish School System, Ochsner Health and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette — a major research institution that just happens to be one of the world’s most eco-friendly colleges, too. The region is also served by the South Louisiana Community College, which provides important education and training for the region’s workforce.
The government employs the third-highest number of workers in the Lafayette region, but it’s closely followed by leisure and hospitality and professional and business services — it seems the age-old quandary of work or play is always neck-and-neck in Lafayette.
The Culture is Deep, Rich and Everywhere
Of all the states in the U.S., southwestern Louisiana truly has — in the immortal words of Tom Petty — its own way of talkin’ — but the Cajun and Creole accent in Lafayette isn’t just present in the singular turns of phrase or the classic tunes of Clifton Chenier.
Cajun French is still spoken in many Lafayette households, and new school immersion programs are keeping important cultural traditions alive.
You might be invited to a fais-do-do dance party, where you’ll be asked to show off your Cajun two-step. Or maybe you’ll shine brighter at a gumbo cook-off, perhaps using goods you scored during the Courir de Mardi Gras, begging door-to-door for ingredients for your stew. No matter where you’re moving to Lafayette from — and no matter how unfamiliar the local customs may be— you’ll soon find yourself right at home here.
It’s the Undisputed Food Capital of Louisiana
Gumbo and po’boys and boudin, oh my! Once named one of the tastiest towns in the South by Southern Living, Lafayette, Louisiana is one of the country’s great Creole and Cajun havens, and locals here aren’t afraid to claim their bragging rights.
Crawfish rule this roost, and these delicious, shrimp-like sea-lubbers could win awards for Best Lobster Impersonation if they weren’t so busy being cooked into étoufées, scrambles and sandwiches.
Lafayette is also known for its BBQ, and Johnson’s Boucanière is unrivaled in smoked meats and boudin — Louisiana’s signature sausage, made with spicy pork, rice and peppers. When you really want to indulge, get yourself the Parrain Special — a grilled cheese stuffed with boudin and topped with the house special barbeque sauce. For dessert, the bread pudding with praline sauce can’t be beat, but take a few Hello Dollies for the road. These coconut-chocolate-pecan cookie bars are so rich, they’ll sell you just half of one.
T-Coon’s is so legendary that they bottle their own Zydeco seasoning, but when you’re dining in, you’ll be treated to a full complement of Southern and Cajun staples. We’re talking crawfish omelets, catfish court bouillon, fried chicken and smothered rabbit. This place is so homey, and you can still order a bran muffin as a side, and you should — make your grammy proud.
Appropriate for the Saints Streets neighborhood, visitors have formed an unbroken march through the doors of Old Tyme Grocery for po’boys and lagniappe since the 1980s. We don’t know why anyone would choose meat over fried shrimp, oysters or crawfish, but if shellfish are verboten, you won’t be missing out when you order Glenn Murphree’s signature meatball or sausage sandwiches. If you visit during Lent, be prepared for lines way out the door — it’s so popular they’ve even made tee shirts about it.
The Music Scene is Alive and Well
As more cities seem to be losing their local flavor, Lafayette keeps tradition alive. When you are in south Louisiana, you will still feel indisputably a part of Cajun and Creole culture, where Zydeco was born and still lives on.
It’s not hard to find a haunt to hear this regional music either. Seven nights a week, you can dance to washboard rhythms at spots like the Blue Moon Saloon or the Hideaway on Lee, which was once a humble abode before the owners transformed the house into the little bar that could. They also host events at the Sidecar — don’t miss the Acadiana Pirate Festival.
In October, the Festivals Acadiens at Creoles puts dozens of Cajun and Creole musicians in the spotlight for a fiddle-bowing, accordion-playing, guitar-thumping extravaganza, accompanied by food and craft fairs. For five days each April, Lafayette brings global music to the fore at the Festival International de Louisiane, drawing more than 300,000 visitors to the city of only 123,000. But so many locals are versed in the music, you’re just as likely to attend an event in your neighbor’s backyard, starring you and your most talented friends.
Nature, Swamps and Sunsets — It’s All Here
Despite the heat, humidity and huge array of sometimes treacherous wildlife, living in a unique ecosystem like Lafayette begs you to get outdoors. You can start slowly at city greenspaces like the Acadiana Nature Station before moving into the deep, sometimes worrisomely murky waters of the Bayou.
At Lake Martin’s Cypress Island Nature Preserve, you can spend the day on a kayak beneath the whispery needles of the cypress trees looking for ibis, egrets and roseate spoonbills. But remember, below the languid surface of these gentle waters are not-so-gentle giants — northern cottonmouths and American alligators — neither of which will be much interested in you unless provoked. Just observe their invisible Do Not Disturb signs and remember that Lake Martin is no swimming hole.
In nearby Henderson, you can take an airboat swamp tour of the Atchafalaya Basin, where the guides are so familiar with the waters they’ve got the gators down by name. Say hey to Hercules and Peanut for us.
If you’re in the mood for a Sunday drive, less than two hours southwest of Lafayette you’ll find the Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge. This protected spot is a favorite of amateur ornithologists, but also for anglers and hunters, some of whom come in search of muskrat and nutria. Be sure to follow all hunting regulations to the letter, including permitting requirements.
Is Lafayette Right for You?
Lafayette certainly offers a lot of advantages if you’re looking for a new place to live: warm weather, a diversifying job market, lower housing costs and tons of fun community activities. But there are a few negatives. It’s prone to hurricanes, income levels are lower and it’s not a huge city, so there aren’t as many cultural institutions as you might find in New Orleans or Houston.
No place is perfect, right? If you’re looking to be near the water in a family-friendly college town with a distinctive cultural identity, Lafayette, Louisiana, is the city for you.
Practical Tips for Moving to Lafayette
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Are you moving locally within Louisiana? If you’re moving to Lafayette from another city in the Pelican State or another part of the greater Lafayette area, Mayflower’s interstate Louisiana agents/movers can assist you with local moves under their own businesses and brands.
Mayflower’s moving blog can help answer all your questions about the moving process and give you helpful moving tips. We’ll cover all the bases, from what’s included in a moving quote to how to help your family settle in after the move. You’ll find our latest advice in Welcome HOME magazine, Mayflower’s exclusive, digital moving guide. Want to get a jumpstart on the process? Here’s how to plan for your move right now.
Still looking around for the best place to move? No sweat. If you’re not completely sold on moving to Lafayette, Louisiana, check out these city guides and state guides to the most popular places to live in the U.S.
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* We are not tax experts and are not offering tax advice, other than you should consider obtaining additional information and advice from your legal and/or financial advisers who are fully aware of your individual circumstances.
Note: If you’re planning to move to Lafayette, it’s important to thoroughly research the neighborhoods and areas in the city where you might be interested in living. Before you decide where you are going to reside, make sure you understand the neighborhood’s cost of living, commute time, tax rates, safety statistics and schooling information.
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