Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A typical home costs 2 years of the Monroe metro’s $52K median household income.
Bernice’s best subject grade is a B+ for cost of living; its weakest is a D− for incomes. 28% of residents live below the poverty line in Bernice, above both Louisiana’s towns (20%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 22 of Louisiana’s 250 towns score lower on incomes. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 96% of the country. Bernice has 5 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them R. T. Moore House and Alabama Methodist Church. Bernice's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 81% of U.S. towns. Bernice has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Bernice beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
1,689 counted in 2010 and 1,356 in 2020; an estimated 1,305 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Louisiana), ordered by how far Bernice is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 781 in 1910, a peak of 1,956 in 1980, 1,356 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1951 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bernice, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Bernice.
50% of adults have high blood pressure in Bernice, where Louisiana’s towns sit at 44% and U.S. towns at 35%. 33% of adults worry about having enough food in Bernice. Bernice beats the Louisiana average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 15.
| Bernice | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 50% | 44% | 35% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 26% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 27% | 19% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 42% | 36% |
| What stands out | Bernice | LA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 13.9% | 16.9% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.7% | 7.5% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 18.8% | 12.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical Bernice home is worth about $103,000, down 1.7% in a year, 52% below the Louisiana typical home. The median rent in Bernice is $695 a month.
| Bernice | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $695 a month | $990 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 68% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most working residents leave Bernice for work: only 5% work in town. Jobs based in Bernice fell to 178 in 2023, 77 fewer than in 2013. Bernice’s average trip to work is 21 minutes.
| Bernice | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.7% | 9.8% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Bernice has mild winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 93°, January nights drop to 35° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Among 55 Louisiana towns, just 1 have a lower property crime rate than Bernice. Bernice's reported crime rate is well below Louisiana's. Among 55 Louisiana towns, just 3 have a lower violent crime rate than Bernice.
| Bernice | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2022) | 1.5 per 1,000 residents | 28.1 | 14.1 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2022) | 0.8 per 1,000 residents | 5.2 | 1.9 |
FBI crime data, 2022 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 54% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Serenity Gardens | 0.2 mi | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Bernice; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Bernice residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Louisiana.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
7 notable people were born in Bernice.
Town in Louisiana, United States
Bernice is a town in Union Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2020 census, Bernice had a population of 1,356. It is part of the Monroe Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
7 notable people were born here, including Orlando Woolridge and Robert Finley.
