LAMap-doton-Gardere, 2004
Gardere’s story
Gardere in pictures
Census counts: 7,209 in 1990, 13,203 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2004 and 7 maps from 1908 on.
Explore the history →GardereLA
A town of 12,223.
Population
12,223
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$243K
Census ACS
Household income
$55K
median
Median age
25.8
years
Jobs based here
1,207
A commuter town
TownGrade
C−
#95 of 161 in LA
Is Gardere a good place to live?
Gardere is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C− overall, 95th of 161 graded towns in Louisiana, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is schools: its schools outperform 53% of the state's. Expect to pay for it: the typical home is worth about $243K, 3.5 years of the Baton Rouge metro’s $70K median household income. 35% of residents live below the poverty line in Gardere, against 20% in Louisiana’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. On the outdoors, just 10 of Louisiana’s 255 towns do better. Gardere has 1 place on the National Register.
A growing town
Gardere has grown 25% from 2010 to 2020
10,580 counted in 2010 and 13,203 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Gardere grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Louisiana), ordered by how far Gardere is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.5 of 20; 15.3% of households have no car; 6.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →Jobs & income$55K median household income; 1,207 jobs based hereCOpen →Cost of livingCOpen →HealthLess healthy than 67% of U.S. towns; Baton Rouge General Medical Center 3.2 miles awayCOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 50% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB−Open →SchoolsB−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 25.8; 31% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 23 attractions →Tiger Stadium and 13 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Gardere. Close and well known come first.
5 mi Stadium & arenaTiger Stadium
7 mi MuseumUSS Kidd
5 mi Stadium & arenaPete Maravich Assembly Center
36 mi MuseumWhitney Plantation Historic District7 mi Theme parkBlue Bayou and Dixie Landin'4 mi MuseumLSU Rural Life MuseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Tiger Stadium: Daniel Foster, CC BY-SA 2.0 · USS Kidd: Cobatfor, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pete Maravich Assembly Center: Spatms, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Whitney Plantation Historic District: Bill Leiser, CC BY-SA 4.0
_at_Baton_Rouge,_Louisiana_(USA),_on_26_August_1988.jpg){kind=link}
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Getting set up
Moving to Gardere: who provides what
Gardere is unincorporated, so East Baton Rouge Parish and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerDixie Electric Membership13.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBaton Rouge Water CompanyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesEast Baton Rouge ParishEast Baton Rouge 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 hereE Baton Rouge Parish Registrar of VotersEast Baton Rouge Parish; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP codes70810, 7082070810 52% · 70820 48%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 Gardere.
Gardere carries less natural-hazard risk than most of Louisiana (mostly inland flooding), has less cancer than most of Louisiana and has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
About two in five of Gardere’s working residents commute to Baton Rouge
Gardere has 1,207 jobs for its 4,386 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
Most working residents leave Gardere for work: only 1% work in town. The average trip to work in Gardere is 28 minutes. The top destinations are Baton Rouge (41%), New Orleans (4%) and Lafayette (2%).
1%work in town
| Gardere | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.3% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $55,000 | $56,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 10% | 5.6% | 11% |
Where working residents work
In Gardere1%
Baton Rouge41%
New Orleans4%
Lafayette2%
Metairie2%
7 mi
median commute distance
1,207
jobs based in Gardere
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 69% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SchoolsB−
Gardere earns a B− for schools
Its public schools are run by the East Baton Rouge Parish school district. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is IDEA Innovation, with 797 students.
53%of LA districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Baton Rouge Charter AcademyLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 819 | D |
| IDEA InnovationLargest public high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 797 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within LA on state tests and graduation
Who lives here
Gardere stands out in Louisiana and nationally: a smaller share of its residents are 65 or older
35.3% of residents live below the poverty line, against 18.9% across Louisiana, which weighs on its C for jobs and income. Only 43% of households own their home, against 67.4% across Louisiana.
5.9% of residents are 65 or older in Gardere. Among 161 Louisiana towns, just 2 have a lower median age than Gardere. 33% of residents are under 18 in Gardere.
25.8median age · LA 38
| Gardere | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 25.8 years | 37.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 33% | 24% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 5.9% | 17% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 31% | 20% | 29% |
GardereLouisianaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
22%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma13%
High school32%
Some college19%
Associate’s5%
Bachelor’s17%
Graduate14%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.4 points. Across Louisiana, 51.1% of residents are women.
| Gardere | LA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 22.4% | 12.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.4% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 15.6% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 19.5% | 13.3% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.1% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.5% | 11.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 7.6% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 4.2% | 10.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 1.6% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 12.9% | 12.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 32.3% | 32.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.8% | 20.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5.3% | 7.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.5% | 17% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.3% | 10.1% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
HealthC
Compared with most of Louisiana and the rest of the country, fewer of Gardere’s adults had a checkup this year
Its widest gap with Louisiana is cancer: 3% of its 9,489 adults have had cancer, against 7.5% statewide. Against the 7,542 U.S. towns with household incomes like Gardere’s, it is healthier than 59%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
78% of Gardere adults had a checkup this year. Gardere beats the Louisiana average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 12% of Gardere adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance.
33%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Gardere | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 42% | 36% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 26% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Louisiana
9 better11 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | Gardere | LA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 3% | 7.5% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 4% | 7.5% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 18.6% | 12.4% |
Baton Rouge General Medical Center
3.2 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
79th
percentile among LA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in Gardere
January nights average 41.1°, milder than in 95% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 91.5°.
Gardere has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Gardere’s January low is 41°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
92°summer high
| Gardere | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 41°F | 42°F | 22°F |
| July high | 92°F | 92°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter43–64°
Spring57–79°
Summer72–91°
Fall58–80°
Nov 26
typical first frost
Feb 28
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
92°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsB
Gardere has set aside 14% of its land for conservation
0.7 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Only 3 of the 123 Louisiana towns we compare have a higher share of conserved land than Gardere.
14%conserved
| Gardere | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 14% | 1.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
14%
conserved · 299 of 2,130 acres
0.7 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hartley/Vey at Gardere | 0.6 mi | 17 |
| 2. Ben Burge Park | 0.1 mi | 17 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade C
A home in Gardere sells for about $310K at the median
$310Kmedian sale price
Market temperature
23
days on market
99.1%
sale-to-list price
15
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Gardere
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 76% of Louisiana towns, with expected losses of about $377 per resident a year; that rating is what its B− for hazard risk is built on.
Since 2001, 89 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Gardere.
50risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesHurricanes
89
paid flood claims since 2001
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Gardere
17pages on Gardere
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
6 within 15 miles of the center of Gardere
Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Baton Rouge3.3 mi$18,310 tuitionLouisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Baton Rouge4.7 mi$11,954 in-state tuitionBaton Rouge Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Baton Rouge6.2 mi$4,321 in-state tuition
About 11 of every 100 Gardere residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Louisiana.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Gardere for work
Where Gardere’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,207jobs based in Gardere
1%of working residents work in town
7 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Gardere
Census-designated place in Louisiana, United States
Gardere is an unincorporated area and census-designated place (CDP) in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States. The area is also known as Riverland. As of the 2020 census, Gardere had a population of 13,203. It is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,300 ft
Gardere’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Gardere.
Baton RougeSt. GeorgeGardere
How the neighbors grade
| Town | LA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gardere | #95 | C− | C | — | B− | C |
| Baton Rouge | #105 | C− | C+ | — | B− | C− |
| St. George | — | — | — | — | B− | — |
Gardere, Baton Rouge and St. George report no FBI crime data of their own. St. George isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Gardere with a neighbor →
Questions about Gardere
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Gardere, LA a good place to live?
Gardere grades C− overall, better than 22% of U.S. towns and #95 of 161 in Louisiana. It grades C for health and B− for schools.
Is Gardere, LA expensive?
The typical home is worth about $243,000, 14% above 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 C.