Desiard Street, Lakeshore, Louisiana 01, 2026
Lakeshore’s story
Lakeshore in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2026 and 5 maps from 1935 on.
Explore the history →
LakeshoreLA
Some 3,437 people live in this town, in Louisiana.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Ktkvtsh · CC BY 4.0
Population
3,437
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$167K
Census ACS
Household income
$48K
median
Median age
29.3
years
Jobs based here
339
A commuter town
TownGrade
C−
#112 of 161 in LA
Is Lakeshore a good place to live?
A town with more to fix than most. Where it falls short is health: on CDC estimates, its residents' health ranks in the bottom 2% nationally. Lakeshore’s overall grade, C−, puts it better than 18% of U.S. towns. Its place in the ranking is 112th of 161 in Louisiana. It lags on incomes as well — the median household income is $48K, and 24% of residents live below the poverty line. On schools it is strong: its schools outperform 80% of the state's. Homes run about $167K for a typical one, 3.2 times the Monroe metro’s $52K median household income. Only 10 of Louisiana’s 255 towns score lower on the outdoors.
Figures: schools, state test and graduation results · health, CDC PLACES · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · home values, Zillow · USGS PAD-US.
What makes Lakeshore stand out
Where Lakeshore beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Natural hazardsA
Lower risk than 90% of U.S. communities
Very low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
Ouachita Parish schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Lakeshore School | PK–5 | 532 |
SchoolsA−
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
32 measures vs. Louisiana
1 better8 too close to call23 worse
| Widest gap | Lakeshore | LA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 38.2% | 18.1% |
Worth knowing · HealthD−
Less healthy than 99% of U.S. towns
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Lakeshore for work
Where Lakeshore’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
339jobs based in Lakeshore
2%of working residents work in town
5 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Lakeshore grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Louisiana), ordered by how far Lakeshore is from typical.
Its grades run from A for hazard risk (better than 93% of comparable towns) to D− for health (better than 1%), so the C− overall blends very different results.
HealthNear the bottom of U.S. towns on CDC estimates; FMOL Health St. Francis 5.3 miles awayD−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 10% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listAOpen →SchoolsIn the top fifth of the towns comparedA−Open →Jobs & incomeBased on what households earn, poverty and workCOpen →Cost of livingHomes are harder to afford than in most townsCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 9.2 of 20; 0% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+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.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Lakeshore: who provides what
Lakeshore is unincorporated, so Ouachita Parish and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerClaiborne Electric Coop13.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterGowc East Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesOuachita ParishOuachita 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 hereOuachita Parish Registrar of VotersOuachita Parish; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code7120371203 100%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 Lakeshore.
Lakeshore carries less natural-hazard risk than nearly all of Louisiana (mostly inland flooding), has commutes shorter than most of Louisiana and has milder winter nights than most of the country, though not than most of Louisiana.
HealthD−
Near the bottom of U.S. towns on CDC estimates
For adults in Lakeshore, the share who smoke cigarettes is 27%. The town does better than the Louisiana average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 23.
1%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
| Lakeshore | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 27% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 19% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 16% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Louisiana
1 better8 too close to call23 worse
| What stands out | Lakeshore | LA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 13% | 16.9% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 38.2% | 18.1% |
FMOL Health St. Francis
5.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
9th
percentile among LA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsA−
Lakeshore earns an A− for schools
The Ouachita Parish school district runs its public schools. Its one school is below. 532 students attend Lakeshore’s public school.
80%of LA districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeshore SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 532 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within LA on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Compared with most of Louisiana and the rest of the country, the FEMA risk score in Lakeshore is lower
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 99% of Louisiana towns; that rating is what its A for hazard risk is built on.
Of the losses FEMA expects in Lakeshore, 27% come from inland flooding and 26% from tornadoes.
10risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesHeat waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
A smaller share of residents in Lakeshore are 65 or older than in the typical Louisiana or U.S. town
Lakeshore’s age of the median resident is 29.3 years, where Louisiana’s towns sit at 37.9 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years. Nearly a quarter of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 27% across Louisiana. The share of residents in Lakeshore who are under 18: 23%.
29.3median age · LA 38
| Lakeshore | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 6.8% | 17% | 18% |
| Median age | 29.3 years | 37.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 24% | 20% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 23% | 24% | 22% |
LakeshoreLouisianaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
25%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma9%
High school34%
Some college27%
Associate’s6%
Bachelor’s8%
Graduate16%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 32% and 67% women
The Census survey reached too few of Lakeshore’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±17.5 points. Across Louisiana, 51.1% of residents are women.
| Lakeshore | LA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 18.5% | 12.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 4.6% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 11.7% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 25.1% | 13.3% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 17.1% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.5% | 11.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 4.7% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 3.6% | 10.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.2% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.1% | 12.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 33.9% | 32.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 27% | 20.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.1% | 7.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 7.8% | 17% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 16.1% | 10.1% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,400, single groups can be off by several points
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
About half of Lakeshore’s working residents commute to Monroe
The average commute for its 674 working residents takes 19.3 minutes, against 25.7 across Louisiana.
For half of commuters, work is under 5 miles away. Lakeshore’s mean commuting time comes in at 19 minutes. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Lakeshore dropped by 62, to 339. 1.9% of working residents work locally here.
2%work in town
| Lakeshore | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 24% | 20% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.9% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $48,000 | $56,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Lakeshore2%
Monroe50%
West Monroe7%
Shreveport4%
Baton Rouge3%
5 mi
median commute distance
339
jobs based in Lakeshore
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 41% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
The climate in Lakeshore brings mild winters and hot summers
January nights average 35.9°: milder than most of the country, but colder than 87% of Louisiana places with climate records; July afternoons average 93°.
In Lakeshore, the January low is 36°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
93°summer high
| Lakeshore | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 93°F | 92°F | 85°F |
| January low | 36°F | 42°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter38–59°
Spring53–77°
Summer71–92°
Fall54–78°
Nov 15
typical first frost
Mar 8
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
93°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade C
The median home in Lakeshore sells for about $187K
53% of Lakeshore households own their home. Its midpoint rent stands at $1,061 a month.
$187Kmedian sale price
| Lakeshore | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 53% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,061 a month | $989 a month | $1,185 a month |
2
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 10 attractions →Watson Brake and 7 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Lakeshore. Close and well known come first.
13 mi Ancient siteWatson Brake
37 mi National MonumentPoverty Point National Monument
2 mi MuseumChennault Aviation and Military Museum
6 mi GardenBiedenharn Museum and Gardens6 mi Zoo & aquariumLouisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo
35 mi TheatreDixie Center for the ArtsSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Watson Brake: Herb Roe, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Poverty Point National Monument: Unknown, Public domain · Chennault Aviation and Military Museum: Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Biedenharn Museum and Gardens: Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Dixie Center for the Arts: Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lakeshore
16pages on Lakeshore
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Lakeshore
University of Louisiana at MonroeUniversity or college · Public · Monroe2.4 mi$9,190 in-state tuitionLouisiana Delta Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Monroe2.7 mi$4,159 in-state tuition
About 10 of every 100 Lakeshore residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Louisiana.
About Lakeshore
Unincorporated community in Louisiana, United States
Lakeshore is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2020 census, Lakeshore had a population of 1,988. The community is located on the south bank of Bayou Desiard, east of Monroe.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 79 ft
Lakeshore’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Lakeshore.
MonroeLakeshore
How the neighbors grade
Lakeshore reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Lakeshore with a neighbor →
Questions about Lakeshore
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lakeshore, LA a good place to live?
Lakeshore grades C− overall, better than 18% of U.S. towns and #112 of 161 in Louisiana. It grades D− for health and A− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Lakeshore, LA expensive?
The typical home is worth about $167,000, 22% below 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.