Should I Move To
New Orleans, Louisiana is home to about 380,408 people. On cost of living, it lands in the affordable band — 10% below the national average. The median renter pays around $1,162 a month against a typical household income of $51,116. Our composite UrbRank Score lands at 34 out of 100 (grade F), putting it at #910 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
New Orleans's composite cost-of-living index lands at 90 (100 = US average), which puts it in the affordable band. At $1,162/mo against $51,116 in median household income, the typical renter spends about 27% of income on housing — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Median home value sits around $281,500.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Climate is four-season — summer averages around 91°F, winter averages around 48°F. Precipitation totals about 63 inches a year. Almost entirely car-dependent. Sidewalks exist; they just don't connect to where you need to go. Crime runs notably high by national standards. As always, neighborhood-level data tells a more nuanced story than the citywide figure. AQI runs about 45 — a "good" reading.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
New Orleans doesn't obviously fit families. The profile-weighted score is 47/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is affordability (78/100); the soft spot is walkability (0/100).
New Orleans doesn't obviously fit retirees. The profile-weighted score is 43/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is affordability (78/100); the soft spot is walkability (0/100).
New Orleans doesn't obviously fit remote workers. The profile-weighted score is 49/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is affordability (78/100); the soft spot is walkability (0/100).
New Orleans doesn't obviously fit young professionals. The profile-weighted score is 29/100 — a F. Its standout dimension is affordability (78/100); the soft spot is walkability (0/100).
Our overall score for New Orleans is 34/100 — a F, sitting at #910 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, New Orleans sits at 90 — affordable, 10% below the national average. Median renter pays around $1,162 a month.
New Orleans runs four-season on the weather. Summer's near 91°F, winter's near 48°F; 63 inches of precipitation annually.
Walk Score: 0/100. Almost entirely car-dependent. Sidewalks exist; they just don't connect to where you need to go.
Roughly 380,408 people live here, with 41% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 38.
Drop New Orleans into the comparison tool with any other US city and you'll get housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life data lined up side by side. Profile-specific leaderboards (families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals) are linked from the navigation.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare New Orleans with other Louisiana cities scored on UrbRank.
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