Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,393, settled in 1869.
Colfax’s best subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A− for schools and walkability; its weakest is a D− for incomes. 37% of residents live below the poverty line in Colfax, where Louisiana’s towns sit at 20% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. On walkability, just 15 of Louisiana’s 252 towns do better. Residents are less healthy than 97% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Colfax has 5 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them McNeely House and Earl Roberts House. Colfax has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Colfax beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Louisiana), ordered by how far Colfax is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 40 in 1870, a peak of 1,934 in 1960, 1,428 in 2020. The archive holds 3 maps from 1932 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Colfax, 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 Colfax.
48% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Colfax, above both the Louisiana town median (42%) and the median of U.S. towns (36%). 52% of adults have high blood pressure in Colfax. Colfax beats the Louisiana average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17.
| Colfax | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 48% | 42% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 52% | 44% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 33% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 27% | 19% |
| What stands out | Colfax | LA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 13.3% | 16.9% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.3% | 78.8% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 26% | 18.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
About one in 5 of Colfax’s working residents works in town. The median household income in Colfax is $26,000. Since 2013, Colfax has added 90 jobs, to 1,246 in 2023.
| Colfax | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $26,000 | $56,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Colfax’s median rent is $499 a month. Typical home values rose 5.3% in the year to September 2026. 53% of Colfax households own their home.
| Colfax | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 53% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $499 a month | $990 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 76% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 19 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Colfax.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Colfax has mild winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 93°, January nights drop to 38° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Colfax Town Park | — | 4 |
| 2. Colfax Walking Trail | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Colfax; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Colfax residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Louisiana.
Where Colfax’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
5 places in Colfax on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in Louisiana, United States
Colfax is a town in and the parish seat of Grant Parish, Louisiana, United States, founded in 1869. Colfax is part of the Alexandria, Louisiana metropolitan area. The largely African American population of Colfax was 1,428 at the 2020 census. The town was the site of the 1873 Colfax massacre.
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 A+.
