Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Franklin gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $104K, 2 years of the Morgan City area’s $53K median household income. It grades C overall, 69th of 161 graded towns in Louisiana. The low prices come with trade-offs. On CDC estimates, its residents' health ranks in the bottom 2% nationally, and FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 90% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. On the plus side, its public schools beat 75% of Louisiana towns on state tests and graduation. 27% of residents live below the poverty line in Franklin, above both the Louisiana town median (20%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). On history, just 8 of Louisiana’s 254 towns do better.
Where Franklin beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Grevemberg House| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| W.P. Foster Elementary School | PK–5 | 222 |
| LaGrange Elementary School | PK–5 | 221 |
| Franklin Junior High School | 6–8 | 196 |
| Widest gap | Franklin | LA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults who have had a stroke | 6.5% | 4.3% |
Census counts: 891 in 1850, a peak of 9,584 in 1980, 6,728 in 2020. The archive holds 23 old photos and papers going back to 1851 and 3 maps from 1972 on.
11 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Louisiana), ordered by how far Franklin is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Franklin, 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 Franklin.
Franklin pairs an A− for schools with modest home prices, trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and has a longer frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns.
Franklin beats the Louisiana average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 19. 21% of adults have diabetes in Franklin.
| Franklin | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 52% | 44% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 27% | 19% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 26% | 14% |
| What stands out | Franklin | LA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 13.2% | 16.9% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.2% | 78.8% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 6.5% | 4.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its A− for schools comes with a B+ for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $104K.
Its public schools are run by the St. Mary Parish school district. The largest public high school is Franklin Senior High School, with 304 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| W.P. Foster Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 222 | C− |
| Franklin Senior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 304 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within LA on state tests and graduation
Homes are within reach (about $104K for the typical one, B+ for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 22 miles. At 2 years of the Morgan City area’s $53K median household income, the typical home (about $104K) costs less against local pay than in 89% of Louisiana towns; that ratio is one input to its B+ for cost of living.
Franklin’s median rent is $814 a month. The typical Franklin home is worth about $104,000, down 0.9% in a year, 51% below the Louisiana typical home. 61% of Franklin households own their home.
| Franklin | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 61% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $814 a month | $992 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
411 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 60 properties have flooded more than once.
Since 1978, 411 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Franklin.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Franklin 3 Nw weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 303 days, longer than in 95% of U.S. towns. January nights average 44.1°, milder than in 96% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 90°.
Franklin has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The January low in Franklin is 44°F. Only 1 of the 162 Louisiana towns we compare have a lower July high than Franklin.
| Franklin | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 44°F | 42°F | 22°F |
| July high | 90°F | 92°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. City Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Jobs based here fell from 4,688 in 2013 to 3,643.
About one in 4 of Franklin’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Franklin has lost 1,045 jobs, to 3,643 in 2023. The top destinations are Lafayette (7%), Baton Rouge (5%) and New Iberia (4%).
| Franklin | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 26% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $40,000 | $56,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
None within 15 miles of Franklin; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Franklin residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Louisiana.
7,660 counted in 2010 and 6,728 in 2020; an estimated 6,224 in 2025.
The decline has continued: down 7% since 2020, after 12.2% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
11 places in Franklin on the National Register of Historic Places.
16 notable people were born in Franklin.
City in Louisiana, United States
Franklin is a small city in and the parish seat of St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 6,134 as of 2025. The city is located on Bayou Teche, southeast of the cities of Lafayette, 47 miles (76 km) and New Iberia, 28 miles (45 km), and 22 miles (35 km) northwest of Morgan City. It is part of the Morgan City Micropolitan Statistical Area and the larger Lafayette-Acadiana combined statistical area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Franklin grades C overall, better than 32% of U.S. towns and #69 of 161 in Louisiana. It grades D− for health and A− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
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+.
16 notable people were born here, including Murphy J. Foster and Murphy J. Foster.
