ISS015-E-29568 - View of Louisiana, 2007
Elmwood’s story
Elmwood in pictures
Census counts: 4,270 in 2000, 5,649 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 7 maps from 1891 on.
Explore the history →
ElmwoodLA
6,077 people live in this town in Louisiana. A regional job hub with 25,404 jobs.
4 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
6,077
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$441K
+2.4% in a year
Household income
$89K
median
Median age
33.0
years
Jobs based here
25,404
A job hub
TownGrade
B+
#6 of 161 in LA
Is Elmwood a good place to live?
A town of contrasts. Where it does best is health: it is healthier than 80% of U.S. towns. Incomes are a strength too: the median household earns $89K. Homes run about $441K for a typical one, 7 times the New Orleans metro’s $63K median household income. The drawback is hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 93% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. Overall, that makes a B+, good for 6th of 161 in Louisiana. It comes out better than 70% of U.S. towns. Just over three in five adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Elmwood, above both Louisiana’s towns (20%) and U.S. towns (29%).
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · FEMA National Risk Index · home values, Zillow.
What makes Elmwood stand out
Where Elmwood beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A growing town
Elmwood has grown 22% from 2010 to 2020
4,635 counted in 2010 and 5,649 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Elmwood grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Louisiana), ordered by how far Elmwood is from typical.
Hazard riskHurricanes top the listD−Open →HealthOchsner Medical Center Acute 2.6 miles awayA−Open →Jobs & incomeAbove the middle of the towns comparedB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 9.1 of 20; 1.8% of households have no car; 1.7% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →SchoolsBeat 57% of Louisiana districts on tests and graduationBOpen →Cost of livingAbout average among the towns comparedB−Open →
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.
ClimateMild winters, 92° summer afternoons–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 33.0; 61% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 42 attractions →Caesars Superdome and 39 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Elmwood. Close and well known come first.
Big draw6 mi Stadium & arenaCaesars Superdome
Big draw17 mi LakeLake Pontchartrain
7 mi MuseumNational World War II Museum707K visitors a year
4 mi Zoo & aquariumAudubon Zoo
7 mi City parkCity Park
7 mi MuseumThe CabildoSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Caesars Superdome: Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake Pontchartrain: Mersh13, CC BY-SA 3.0 · National World War II Museum: Nolabob, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Audubon Zoo: MeRyan, CC BY 2.0 · City Park: Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY 2.5 · The Cabildo: Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY-SA 3.0
Getting set up
Moving to Elmwood: who provides what
Elmwood is unincorporated, so Jefferson Parish and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerEntergy Louisiana11.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterE Jefferson Ww District 1No health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers94% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesJefferson ParishJefferson Parish provides services here
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.govWho runs elections hereJefferson Parish Registrar of VotersJefferson Parish; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Feb 2022
ZIP codes70123, 7012170123 84% · 70121 16%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Elmwood.
Elmwood is the healthiest town in Louisiana, draws workers from New Orleans and beyond and has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns.
HousingCost of living grade B−
Elmwood stands out in Louisiana and nationally: a smaller share of its households own their home
At 7 years of the New Orleans metro’s $63K median household income, the typical home (about $441K) costs more against local pay than in any other Louisiana town; that ratio is one input to its B− for cost of living.
In Elmwood, the going rate for rent is $1,602 a month. A typical home in the town is worth about $441,000, up 2.4% in a year, about twice the Louisiana typical home.
$441KZillow home value
| Elmwood | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 13% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,602 a month | $989 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Elmwood$441K
Louisiana$214K
+2.4%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
About one in three of Elmwood’s working residents commute to New Orleans
25,404 jobs are based in Elmwood, 10.7 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 17.9 minutes, against 25.7 across Louisiana.
Elmwood’s mean commuting time comes in at 18 minutes. Most people who work leave Elmwood to do it: just 13% work in town. Among residents in the town, 7.7% live below the poverty line. Half of commuters travel less than 6 miles.
13%work in town
| Elmwood | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 7.7% | 20% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $89,000 | $56,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 9.8% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Elmwood13%
New Orleans35%
Metairie15%
Jefferson6%
Kenner5%
6 mi
median commute distance
25,404
jobs based in Elmwood
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 66% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Natural hazards: very high risk in Elmwood, mostly hurricanes
Flood insurance has paid out on 759 claims in Elmwood since 1978. FEMA puts 90% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to hurricanes, and 5% to inland flooding. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Elmwood after 6 declared disasters, most recently in 2024.
93risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesInland flooding
759
paid flood claims since 1978
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthA−
Fewer of Elmwood’s adults smoke cigarettes than in the typical Louisiana or U.S. town
It is the healthiest of the 161 Louisiana towns we grade on the CDC estimates behind the Health Grade. Its widest gap with Louisiana is tooth loss: 7% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 18.1% statewide.
Among 161 Louisiana towns, just 6 have a lower share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Elmwood. 20% of Elmwood adults binge drink. CDC measures, 32 in all: Elmwood beats Louisiana on 22 and trails on 1.
80%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Elmwood | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.9% | 16% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 9.6% | 19% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 34% | 25% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 27% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Louisiana
22 better9 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Elmwood | LA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7% | 18.1% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 4.4% | 8.5% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 73.2% | 78.8% |
Ochsner Medical Center Acute
2.6 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
99th
percentile among LA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
OutdoorsC−
0% of Elmwood is conserved land
Just 0 of its 2,577 acres are conserved, so there is little public open land in Elmwood itself; its outdoors grade is C−.
1.1 miles of trail. Elmwood’s trail network density stands at 0.3 miles per square mile.
#47for trails in LA
0%
conserved · 0 of 2,577 acres
1.1 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
Elmwood has mild winters and hot summers
January nights average 44.2°, milder than in 96% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 91.5°.
For Elmwood, the January low is 44°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
92°summer high
| Elmwood | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 44°F | 42°F | 22°F |
| July high | 92°F | 92°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter46–65°
Spring60–79°
Summer74–91°
Fall61–80°
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
92°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Elmwood
17pages on Elmwood
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
14 within 15 miles of the center of Elmwood
Chamberlain University-LouisianaUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Jefferson2.2 mi$19,975 tuitionDelgado Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · New Orleans5.4 mi$4,279 in-state tuitionLouisiana State University Health Sciences Center-New OrleansUniversity or college · Public · New Orleans6.2 mi
About 9 of every 100 Elmwood residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Louisiana.
A job hub
Every workday, about 25,105 people come to Elmwood for work
Where Elmwood’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
25,404jobs based in Elmwood
13%of working residents work in town
6 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Elmwood
Census-designated place in Louisiana, United States
Elmwood is a census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States, within the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner metropolitan statistical area. The population was 4,635 at the 2010 census, and 5,649 in 2020. Elmwood was part of neighboring Jefferson's census area from 1960 to 1990. The ZIP Code serving Elmwood is 70123.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 4.0 sq mi
Elmwood’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Elmwood.
At #6 in LA, it grades higher overall than all 4 graded towns on its borders; Harahan (B) comes closest.
HarahanJeffersonBridge CityAvondaleElmwood
How the neighbors grade
| Town | LA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elmwood | #6 | B+ | B− | — | B | A− |
| Harahan | #17 | B | C | B+ | B | B |
| Jefferson | #70 | C | C | — | B | C |
| Bridge City | #108 | C− | B | — | B | D− |
| Avondale | #140 | D | B | — | B | D− |
Elmwood, Jefferson, Bridge City and Avondale report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Elmwood with a neighbor →
Questions about Elmwood
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Elmwood, LA a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Elmwood grades B+ overall, better than 70% of U.S. towns and #6 of 161 in Louisiana. It grades A− for health and B for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Elmwood, LA expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.