Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 4,252, settled in 1901.
Jonesboro gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $80K for a typical one, or 1.8 years of the county’s $45K median household income. It grades C− overall, 100th among Louisiana's 161 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. Residents are less healthy than 97% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates, and the median household income is $42K, and 35% of residents live below the poverty line. 35% of residents live below the poverty line in Jonesboro, against 20% in Louisiana’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Jonesboro's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 93% of U.S. towns. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 84% of U.S. towns.
4,704 counted in 2010 and 4,106 in 2020; an estimated 4,252 in 2025.
The decline has turned around: up 3.6% since 2020, after a 12.7% drop 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 Jonesboro is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,134 in 1910, 4,106 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 4 maps from 1949 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Jonesboro, 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 Jonesboro.
Jonesboro carries less natural-hazard risk than most of Louisiana (mostly inland flooding), trades workers with Ruston and other neighbors and looks healthier within Louisiana than nationally.
Within Louisiana it is less healthy than 67% of the 161 graded towns: much of Louisiana scores lower on these measures.
32% of adults worry about having enough food in Jonesboro. Jonesboro beats the Louisiana average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 13. 38% of adults get no exercise outside work in Jonesboro.
| Jonesboro | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 26% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 34% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 44% | 35% |
| What stands out | Jonesboro | LA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.6% | 7.5% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 26.7% | 18.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Jackson Parish school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jonesboro-Hodge Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 291 | D− |
| Jonesboro-Hodge High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 198 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within LA on state tests and graduation
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 89% of Louisiana towns; that rating is what its B+ for hazard risk is built on.
The FEMA risk score in Jonesboro is 29 of 100. Since 2007, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Jonesboro.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
January nights average 35.5°: milder than most of the country, but colder than 91% of Louisiana places with climate records; July afternoons average 92.9°.
Jonesboro has mild winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. Jonesboro’s July high is 93°F. Only 9 of the 162 Louisiana towns we compare have a lower January low than Jonesboro.
| Jonesboro | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 93°F | 92°F | 85°F |
| January low | 36°F | 42°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jonesboro has about as many jobs (1,630) as working residents, but only 320 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 18.3 minutes, against 25.7 across Louisiana.
About one in 4 of Jonesboro’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Jonesboro grew to 1,630 in 2023, 298 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Ruston (10%), Monroe (6%) and East Hodge (4%).
| Jonesboro | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 23% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $42,000 | $56,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
None within 15 miles of Jonesboro; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Jonesboro residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Louisiana.
10 notable people were born in Jonesboro.
Town & Parish seat in Louisiana, United States
Jonesboro () is a town in and the parish seat of Jackson Parish in the northern portion of the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population was 4,106 in 2020.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Jonesboro grades C− overall, better than 20% of U.S. towns and #100 of 161 in Louisiana. It grades D− for health and B+ 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+.
10 notable people were born here, including James P. Pope and Bob Hopkins.