Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Homer earns a D−, 152nd among Louisiana's 161 graded towns, mostly because of health and incomes. On CDC estimates, its residents' health ranks in the bottom 2% nationally. The median household income is $23K, and 45% of residents live below the poverty line. It also has a long history, with 5 places on the National Register. 45% of residents live below the poverty line in Homer, against 20% in Louisiana’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. On history, just 24 of Louisiana’s 254 towns do better. Homer's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 87% of U.S. towns.
Where Homer beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Claiborne Parish Courthouse| Widest gap | Homer | LA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 30.3% | 12.4% |
3,237 counted in 2010 and 2,747 in 2020; an estimated 2,520 in 2025.
The decline has continued: down 8.3% since 2020, after 15.1% in the decade before.
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 Homer is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 418 in 1850, a low of 80 in 1870, 2,747 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1917 and 4 maps from 1952 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Homer, 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 Homer.
Homer has home values falling while Louisiana’s rise and has a longer frost-free season than most of the country, though not than most of Louisiana; it also has poverty well above the Louisiana rate.
30% of adults in Homer smoke cigarettes; 54% have obesity. Of the 161 Louisiana towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Homer. For adults locally, the share who binge drink is 11%. The town does better than the Louisiana average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 25.
| Homer | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 27% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 19% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 54% | 43% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 16% | 12% |
| What stands out | Homer | LA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.2% | 16.9% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.4% | 78.8% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 30.3% | 12.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Two of its 3 schools are shown below, with the reason for each. Its public schools are run by the Claiborne Parish school district. 3 public schools serve Homer, with 808 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homer Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 339 | D |
| Homer High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 237 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within LA on state tests and graduation
Values fell 26.9% in the past year while the Louisiana typical home rose 2.1%. At about $97K, home values are down 57% in five years, against a rise of 1% across Louisiana.
The median rent for Homer comes to $729 a month. Typical home values fell 27% in the year to September 2026. In Homer, 48% of households own their home.
| Homer | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 48% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $729 a month | $992 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The Homer 1n weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 221 days: longer than most of the country, but shorter than 99% of Louisiana places with climate records. The Homer 1n weather station records that about 74 days a year reach 90°: more than most of the country, but fewer than 86% of Louisiana places with climate records.
July afternoons reach 93°, January nights drop to 34° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The top destinations are Shreveport (9%), Minden (8%) and Arcadia (7%). Among working residents in Homer, 19% work locally. Half the trips to work are shorter than 22 miles.
| Homer | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $23,000 | $56,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 19% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 62% of U.S. communities. Homer has had 17 paid flood insurance claims since 1990. FEMA puts 31% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 16% to tornadoes. Also worth knowing: households here have drawn federal disaster aid in 9 declared disasters, most recently in 2021.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Homer; the nearest are
About 6 of every 100 Homer residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Louisiana.
4 places in Homer on the National Register of Historic Places.
12 notable people were born in Homer.
Town in Louisiana, United States
Homer is a town in and the parish seat of Claiborne Parish in northern Louisiana, United States. As of the 2020 census, Homer had a population of 2,747. Named for the Greek poet Homer, the town was laid out around the Courthouse Square in 1850 by Frank Vaughn. The present-day brick courthouse, built in the Greek Revival style of architecture, is one of only four pre-Civil War courthouses in Louisiana still in use. The building, completed in 1860, was accepted by the Claiborne Parish Police Jury on July 20, 1861, at a cost of $12,304.36, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The other courthouses are in St. Francisville, St. Martinville and Thibodaux.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
It grades D− for health and B for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
That is 2.9 years of the area's median household income ($32,831 across the county).
12 notable people were born here, including Cheryl Ford and Bobby Rush.
