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Louisiana›St. Mary Parish

Bayou VistaLA

TownGrade
C−
#104 of 161 in LA

Public schools that outperform most of Louisiana. This town in Louisiana has a population of 3,842.

Is Bayou Vista a good place to live?

Bayou Vista grades low on several counts. With a C− overall, Bayou Vista is better than 20% of U.S. towns. That places it 104th of 161 in Louisiana. The weak point is health: CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 98% of the country. A typical home there costs about $145K, 2.8 years of the Morgan City area’s $53K median household income. Where it does best is schools (A−): its public schools beat 75% of Louisiana towns on state tests and graduation. Hazard risk is weaker too (D−): FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 92% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. Its concentration of trails is 1.1 miles per square mile, where Louisiana’s towns sit at 0.2 and U.S. towns at 0.4.

Figures: schools, state test and graduation results · health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenStreetMap.

How Bayou Vista grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Louisiana), ordered by how far Bayou Vista is from typical.

How grading works
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

How TownRatings grades towns →

What makes Bayou Vista stand out

Where Bayou Vista beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Bayou Vista.

Bayou Vista has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns, trades workers with Morgan City and other neighbors and looks healthier within Louisiana than nationally.

OutdoorsB−

Protected land: 1.2% of Bayou Vista

#6for trails in LA

Trails total 2.0 miles in 1 park or preserve. Only 5 of the 123 Louisiana towns we compare have a higher concentration of trails than Bayou Vista. Parks and preserves here: one, of 6 acres.

Bayou VistaLouisiana townsU.S. towns
Miles of trail per square mile1.1 miles per square mile0.20.4
Conserved land1.2%1.2%4.3%
1.2%
conserved · 15 of 1,242 acres
2.0 mi
of trails · 1.1 per sq mi
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. Bayou Vista Park—6

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

SchoolsA−

For schools, Bayou Vista earns an A−

75%of LA districts it outscoresA−School Grade

Its public schools are run by the St. Mary Parish school district. Enrollment at Bayou Vista’s public school: 340 students.

SchoolLevelStudentsLetter
Bayou Vista Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5Grades PK–5340A

NCES · EDFacts · graded within LA on state tests and graduation

HealthD−

For health, Bayou Vista earns a D−

2%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade

Within Louisiana it is less healthy than 75% of the 161 graded towns: much of Louisiana scores lower on these measures.

In Bayou Vista, 45% of adults have high blood pressure. Only 6 of the 161 Louisiana towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Bayou Vista.

Bayou VistaLouisiana townsU.S. towns
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)24%19%14%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)19%16%14%
Depression (CDC PLACES)31%27%23%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)22%20%17%
32 measures vs. Louisiana
0 better19 too close to call13 worse
What stands outBayou VistaLA
More adults with COPD12.1%8.5%
More smokers23.6%17.3%
More uninsured adults11.5%8.9%
Ochsner St. Mary
4.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
25th
percentile among LA towns

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−

Bayou Vista faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by hurricanes

92risk score of 100

Households in Bayou Vista have drawn federal disaster aid in 7 declared disasters, most recently in 2024. FEMA puts 71% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to hurricanes, and 12% to inland flooding.

FEMA risk score
92Very high riskLowerHigher
HurricanesInland floodingTornadoes
7
federal disasters paid out here

FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Climate

Mild winters and hot summers in Bayou Vista

91°summer high

January nights average 44.3°, milder than in 96% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 90.4°. The Morgan City weather station, 5 miles away, records that about 53 days a year reach 90°: more than most of the country, but fewer than 95% of Louisiana places with climate records.

Snowfall is close to zero. Its January low stands at 44°F. Among 162 Louisiana towns, just 10 have a lower midsummer high than Bayou Vista.

Bayou VistaLouisiana townsU.S. towns
January low44°F42°F22°F
July high90°F92°F85°F

Typical low → high °F

Winter46–65°
Spring60–78°
Summer74–90°
Fall61–80°
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
91°
typical summer high

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Work & commuteJobs & income grade C

About one in ten working residents works right in Bayou Vista

10%work in town

Bayou Vista has about as many jobs (1,506) as working residents, but only 164 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 15.5 minutes, against 25.7 across Louisiana.

Among residents in Bayou Vista, 25% live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Morgan City (22%), Franklin (7%) and Berwick (4%). Its average trip to work stands at 16 minutes. Half the trips to work are shorter than 17 miles.

Bayou VistaLouisiana townsU.S. towns
Average trip to work16 minutes25 minutes25 minutes
Below the poverty line25%20%9.6%
Median household income$41,000$56,000$80,000

Where working residents work

In Bayou Vista10%
Morgan City22%
Franklin7%
Berwick4%
Lafayette4%
17 mi
median commute distance
1,506
jobs based in Bayou Vista
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 39% of U.S. towns

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

HousingCost of living grade B

A home in Bayou Vista sells for about $207K at the median

$207Kmedian sale price

Bayou Vista’s rent at the middle of the market is $864 a month. For households locally, the share who live in a home they own is 75%.

Bayou VistaLouisiana townsU.S. towns
Median rent$864 a month$992 a month$1,185 a month
Households that own their home75%68%73%
2
homes sold in September

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Bayou Vista

16pages on Bayou Vista
Getting set up

Moving to Bayou Vista: who provides what

Bayou Vista is unincorporated, so St. Mary Parish and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerCleco Power14.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSt Mary Parish W&s #2 Bayou Vista water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers90% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesSt. Mary ParishSt. Mary Parish provides services here
SchoolsSt. Mary Parish School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn Louisiana you can register online until 20 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.gov
Who runs elections hereSt Mary Parish Registrar of VotersSt. Mary Parish; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code7038070380 100%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.

After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of Bayou Vista; the nearest are

About Bayou Vista

Census-designated place in Louisiana, United States

Bayou Vista is a census-designated place (CDP) in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2020 census, Bayou Vista had a population of 4,213. It is part of the Morgan City Micropolitan Statistical Area.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area
1.9 sq mi
Elevation
699 ft

Bayou Vista’s neighbors

One town shares a border with Bayou Vista.

Explore the map →
How the neighbors grade
TownLA rankOverallCostSafetySchoolsHealth
Bayou Vista#104C−B—A−D−
Berwick#36B−A—A−D

Bayou Vista and Berwick report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Bayou Vista with a neighbor →

Questions about Bayou Vista

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Bayou Vista, LA a good place to live?

Bayou Vista grades C− overall, better than 20% of U.S. towns and #104 of 161 in Louisiana. It grades D− for health and A− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.

Is Bayou Vista, LA expensive?

The typical home is worth about $145,000, 32% below the Louisiana typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.

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