10 Places in Louisiana for a Couple To Live on Only a Social Security Check
On the positive side, the Pelican State offers low living costs and taxes, mild winters, an abundance of outdoor recreation, famous cuisine and a ton of rich, unique culture.
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On the not-so-positive side, the summers can be brutally hot and humid, natural disasters such as hurricanes are not uncommon, and crime rates are high in many parts of the state.
For couples living on Social Security alone, Louisiana offers many affordable destinations. GOBankingRates has rounded up the state’s best blends of Social Security-only affordability and livability.
To come up with our list, we’ve analyzed data from Zillow, AreaVibes, the U.S. Census, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Sperling’s Best Places. You can find our full methodology at the end of the story.
Most of the destinations in our list offer average monthly rents around $1,000, and total average monthly living costs below $3,000. That comes in handy for couples living off of an average combined Social Security benefit of about $3,580.
You won’t find New Orleans on our list, but you will find affordable destinations in a range of sizes. Here they are, in reverse order, from No. 10 to No. 1.
10. DeRidder
Average rent: $1,127.99
Average total monthly cost of living: $2,953.51
Livability score: 70
You’ll find DeRidder in western Louisiana, about an hour north of Lake Charles by car. Home to about 10,000 people, DeRidder offers nine park spaces and multiple sites in the National Register of Historic places. A retired couple can buy a month’s worth of groceries here for about $364 a month.
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9. Ruston
Average rent: $1,012.19
Average total monthly cost of living: $2,801.81
Livability score: 66
Home to Louisiana Tech University, Ruston has the lowest percentage of residents age 65 and up in our top 10 (about 11 percent). About 22,000 people live here overall. Cost-conscious retirees may enjoy its average monthly rent of near $1,000. Ruston’s location in northern Louisiana means access to hunting, fishing and various other outdoor activities.
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8. Westlake
Average rent: $1,269.45
Average total monthly cost of living: $2,988.65
Livability score: 65
Westlake’s livability score is the second lowest in our top 10, but it’s a relatively inexpensive place to live with a high concentration of seniors – about 21% of its 5,000-ish population. Westlake is just north of St. Charles in western Louisiana. Attractions include nearby Sam Houston Jones State Park.
7. Bossier City
Average rent: $1,342.94
Average total monthly cost of living: $3,018.07
Livability score: 70
Bossier City has the highest average monthly rent and total cost of living in our list, but both still come in below national averages. Located across the Red River from Shreveport, Bossier City has about 63,000 residents, an aquarium, outlet stores and proximity to the Cypress Park recreation area.
6. Leesville
Average rent: $1,037.61
Average total monthly cost of living: $2,765.77
Livability score: 68
Another small city in western Louisiana, Leesville is 70 miles north of Lake Charles. Leesville is home to about 5,700 residents near the Fort Johnson U.S. Army installation. A couple living on Social Security alone might fare well here financially, with a month’s worth of groceries costing just $362 on average — the lowest in our top 10.
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5. Shreveport
Average rent: $1,109.97
Average total monthly cost of living: $2,774.05
Livability score: 59
Shreveport has the lowest livability score in our list, coming in at 59. Crime is an issue, with rates well above national averages. That said, Shreveport offers more medium-city amenities than other towns on the list, and it’s affordable. A month’s worth of groceries will cost a retired couple about $363 here, and utilities come in at $328 a month. Healthcare is significantly less expensive than the other spots in our top 10, with monthly costs around $603. About 188,000 people live here.
4. New Iberia
Average rent: $934.92
Average total monthly cost of living: $2,782.12
Livability score: 73
Average monthly rents under $1,000 are becoming rare in the United States, making New Iberia’s $934.92 attractive for cost-conscious retirees. The city’s livability score of 73 lands it in the middle of the pack on our list. Located in the heart of Cajun country about 20 miles southeast of Lafayette, New Iberia is home to Louisiana Brand Hot Sauce and about 29,000 residents.
3. Lake Charles
Average rent: $1,088.07
Average total monthly cost of living: $2,784.08
Livability score: 68
Lake Charles bills itself as “Louisiana’s playground.” Located in the southwestern part of the state, it combines Cajun culture with the influence of nearby Texas. Attractions include casinos, museums, a large Mardi Gras celebration and outdoor recreation opportunities. It is also an inexpensive place to live, with reasonable average monthly costs for groceries ($371) and utilities ($317). Lake Charles has a population of about 83,000.
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2. Thibodaux
Average rent: $1,034.17
Average total monthly cost of living: $2,865.96
Livability score: 82
Located in the heart of Cajun country in southern Louisiana, Thibodaux has the highest livability score on our list. Budget Travel named Thibodaux one of its coolest small towns for 2022. Attractions include a charming downtown, Cajun cuisine and numerous historical sites. Rent in the $1,000 range and an average monthly cost of living below $3,000 make it attractive for budget-conscious retirees.
1. Sulphur
Average rent: $1,017.06
Average total monthly cost of living: $2,722.19
Livability score: 70
Our top city is located about 12 miles west of Lake Charles. Sulphur offers retirees on tight budgets the lowest overall total cost of living in our top 10, along with the third-lowest rent. Visitors and the city’s 21,000 residents have easy access to the Creole Nature Trail, local history via the Brimstone Museum and golf at the Frasch Golf Course.
Methodology: To find the best places in Louisiana for a couple to live on only Social Security benefits, GOBankingRates gathered populations for cities in Louisiana through the US Census American Consumer Survey. For each city, GOBankingRates checked cost-of-living indexes from Sperling’s Best Places across multiple expenditure categories including groceries, healthcare, utilities, transportation and miscellaneous. Each cost-of-living index was multiplied by each expenditure category’s national average cost as sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2022 consumer expenditure survey to find the expenditure costs in each city. The average rent for each city was sourced from the Zillow Observed Rental Index. Adding those figures to monthly expenditure costs provides the total monthly cost for living in each city. The average Social Security benefits per month were sourced from the Social Security Administration Monthly Statistical Snapshot and doubled to find a couple’s average social security benefits. Every city’s total monthly cost above the monthly Social Security benefits for a couple was removed. The livability index was sourced from AreaVibes. The livability index was scored and weighted at 1.50, and the total monthly cost was scored and weighted at 1.20. Those scores were combined and sorted to find the best places in Louisiana for a couple to live on Social Security benefits alone. All data was collected and is up to date as of November 6, 2023.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 10 Places in Louisiana for a Couple To Live on Only a Social Security Check
