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Louisiana›St. Landry Parish
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LawtellLA

Population 1,171: a town settled in 1911.

Population
1,171
Census survey, 2020–24
Median age
49.8
years
Jobs based here
43
A commuter town

Is Lawtell a good place to live?

The best of Lawtell’s subject grades is a B for schools; the weakest is a D for health. Lawtell’s median age is 49.8 years, against 37.8 years in Louisiana’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. On the outdoors, just 3 of Louisiana’s 255 towns do worse. Lawtell has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.

WeakestDHealthC−Hazard risk
Small town

1,171 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns
Opelousas · 6 miChurch Point · 8 miChataignier · 9 miWashington · 10 miSunset · 10 miGrand Coteau · 10 mi

How Lawtell grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Louisiana), ordered by how far Lawtell is from typical.

How grading works

HealthOpelousas General Health System 6.8 miles awayDOpen →Hazard riskInland flooding tops the listC−Open →SchoolsBetter than most of the towns comparedBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 3.9 of 20; 13.8% of households have no car; 8.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksD−Open →History1 notable person born hereD−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Who lives here13% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Getting set up

Moving to Lawtell: who provides what

Lawtell is unincorporated, so St. Landry Parish and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerSouthwest Louisiana E M C11.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLawtell Water Works District No 11 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers92% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesSt. Landry ParishSt. Landry Parish provides services here
SchoolsSt. Landry Parish School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES
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.gov
Who runs elections hereSt Landry Parish Registrar of VotersSt. Landry Parish; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2015
ZIP codes70570, 7055070570 79% · 70550 21%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 Lawtell.

HealthD

Lawtell is less healthy than 95% of U.S. towns

For adults 18 to 64 in Lawtell, the share who have no health insurance is 11%. Among 162 Louisiana towns, just 9 have a lower share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Lawtell. 50% of adults here have high blood pressure; 31% say their health is fair or poor.

5%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
LawtellLouisiana townsU.S. towns
Diabetes (CDC PLACES)20%16%12%
High blood pressure (CDC PLACES)50%44%35%
Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES)31%27%19%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)18%16%14%
32 measures vs. Louisiana
0 better18 too close to call14 worse
What stands outLawtellLA
More adults who have had a stroke5.9%4.3%
More older adults who have lost all their teeth23.5%18.1%
More adults with heart disease9.7%7.5%
Opelousas General Health System
6.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
Full pageLawtell’s health reportOpen the page
Everyday habitsMore smokersHospitals & doctors nearby6.8 miles to an ER · Opelousas General Health SystemHow adults are doingMore adults in fair or poor healthEvery CDC estimateBetter than LA on 0 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

SchoolsB

Public schools in Lawtell beat 60% of Louisiana districts

The St. Landry Parish school district runs its public schools. Its one school is below. Lawtell’s only public school teaches 567 students.

60%of LA districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
SchoolLevelStudentsLetter
Lawtell Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8Grades PK–8567C
Full pageLawtell’s schools pageOpen the page
The districtsSt. Landry ParishEvery school1 school · Lawtell Elementary SchoolQuestions“Are Lawtell’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts · graded within LA on state tests and graduation

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−

Lawtell faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding

Lawtell’s natural-hazard score from FEMA is 79 of 100. FEMA puts just over two fifths of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 15% to hurricanes. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Lawtell after 8 declared disasters, most recently in 2026.

79risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
79High riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingHurricanesTornadoes
8
federal disasters paid out here
Full pageLawtell’s hazards pageOpen the page
What it facesHigh riskFlood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on recordPast disasters8 federal disasters · Paid out in LawtellGet ready1.4 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Work & commute

Lawtell has 0.1 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out

The top destinations are Opelousas (17%), Lafayette (17%) and Baton Rouge (3%). Lawtell: just over a fifth of residents live below the poverty line. Half the trips to work are shorter than 21 miles.

0%work in town
LawtellLouisiana townsU.S. towns
Below the poverty line22%20%9.6%
Average trip to work22 minutes25 minutes25 minutes

Where working residents work

In Lawtell0%
Opelousas17%
Lafayette17%
Baton Rouge3%
Church Point3%
21 mi
median commute distance
43
jobs based in Lawtell
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 47% of U.S. towns
Full pageLawtell’s work & commute pageOpen the page
The jobs here43 jobs based here · A commuter townWhere people work0% work in LawtellCommute times22 minutes · The average commuteHow far they goHalf commute less than 21 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Climate

Expect mild winters and hot summers in Lawtell

July afternoons reach 92°, January nights drop to 41° and snow is almost unheard of.

92°summer high

Typical low → high °F

Winter43–63°
Spring58–79°
Summer72–91°
Fall58–80°
Nov 23
typical first frost
Feb 28
typical last frost
+0.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
92°
typical summer high
Full pageLawtell’s climate pageOpen the page
A year of weatherJuly highs 92°, January lows 41°Rain & snow61″ of rain a year · Snow is almost unheard ofHeating & coolingBoth heating and coolingThen and now+0.5° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Lawtell

16pages on Lawtell
The big questions
SchoolsBBeat 60% of LA districts · 1 schoolHealthDBetter than LA on 0 of 32 CDC measuresWork & commute43 jobs hereNatural hazardsC−FEMA risk higher than 79% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
PlacesAttractions16 nearby · Louisiana State Arboretum 21 miLibraryOpelousas Public LibraryColleges
The story
HistoryD−Settled 1911Famous people1 born in LawtellClimate92° summer highs
Day to day
NewsWeatherHandbookZIP code 70550Town SquareNeighbors
After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of Lawtell; the nearest are

Louisiana State University-EuniceCommunity college · Public · Eunice15.2 mi$4,730 in-state tuitionUniversity of Louisiana at LafayetteUniversity or college · Public · Lafayette22.9 mi$10,418 in-state tuition

About 3 of every 100 Lawtell residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Louisiana.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

A shrinking town

Lawtell has shrunk 11% from 2010 to 2020

1,198 counted in 2010 and 1,066 in 2020.

1,1982010
1,0662020

U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts

About Lawtell

Unincorporated community in Louisiana, United States

Lawtell is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2020 census, Lawtell had a population of 1,066. The name is a portmanteau of the names of its two founders: Lawler and Littell. State Representative Dustin Miller is a native of and a businessman in Lawtell.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area
4.1 sq mi
Elevation
59 ft
ZIP code
70550