Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,636, settled in 1923.
Golden Meadow’s best subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A− for schools; its weakest is a D− for hazard risk. On cost of living, just 10 of Louisiana’s 253 towns do better. Residents are less healthy than 90% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. No town among the 55 in Louisiana we compare has a lower violent crime rate than Golden Meadow. Golden Meadow's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 94% of U.S. towns. Golden Meadow High School is on the National Register of Historic Places. Golden Meadow has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Golden Meadow beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Meadow Lower Elementary School | PK–2 | 155 |
| Golden Meadow Upper Elementary School | 3–5 | 125 |
| Golden Meadow Middle School | 6–8 | 318 |
2,101 counted in 2010 and 1,761 in 2020; an estimated 1,636 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 Golden Meadow is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,820 in 1950, 1,761 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1997 and 2 maps from 1894 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Golden Meadow, 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 Golden Meadow.
The typical Golden Meadow home is worth about $85,000, down 8.9% in a year, 60% below the Louisiana typical home. Golden Meadow’s median rent is $693 a month, below both the Louisiana town median ($990 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). 77% of households own their home in Golden Meadow.
| Golden Meadow | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $693 a month | $990 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 77% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Lafourche Parish school district. One of its 3 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Meadow Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 318 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within LA on state tests and graduation
30% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Golden Meadow, above both Louisiana’s towns (27%) and U.S. towns (23%). 19% of Golden Meadow adults binge drink. Golden Meadow beats the Louisiana average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4.
| Golden Meadow | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 27% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 43% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 17% |
| What stands out | Golden Meadow | LA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 8.9% | 12.4% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 13.5% | 16.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 8.5% | 7.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 94% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 223 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Golden Meadow.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents leave Golden Meadow for work: only 3% work in town. Jobs based in Golden Meadow fell to 213 in 2023, 909 fewer than in 2013. Golden Meadow’s average trip to work is 22 minutes.
| Golden Meadow | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 9.9% | 20% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.3% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $72,000 | $56,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Golden Meadow has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Only 3 of the 163 Louisiana towns we compare have a lower July high than Golden Meadow.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Golden Meadow's reported crime rate is below Louisiana's. The property crime rate in Golden Meadow is 20.6 per 1,000 residents. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
0.0 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The biggest park or preserve is Oak Ridge Community Park, at 45 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Oak Ridge Community Park | — | 45 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Golden Meadow; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Golden Meadow residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Louisiana.
Where Golden Meadow’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Town in Louisiana, United States
Golden Meadow (French: Canal de Yankee) is a town along Bayou Lafourche in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,761 in 2020. It is part of the Houma–Bayou Cane–Thibodaux metropolitan statistical area. Its main source of revenue is the oil and gas industry. The fishing and seafood industries also have strong economic impacts, with charter fishing, restaurants, and lodging actively serving patrons. The town was once known as a speed trap, but it has since been bypassed by Hwy 3235 and city traffic has been reduced to mostly locals; however, the speed limit is reduced to 50 mph on Hwy 3235 and said highway is still patrolled heavily. As in other places in Louisiana,…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Golden Meadow.
| Town | LA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Meadow | — | — | A+ | — | A− | D |
| Galliano | #44 | C+ | A | — | A− | D− |
Golden Meadow has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Golden Meadow and Galliano report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Golden Meadow with a neighbor →
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+.