Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 7,918, settled in 1914. Public schools that outperform most of Louisiana.
Meraux gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $240K for a typical one, or 3.8 years of the New Orleans metro’s $63K median household income. It grades B− overall, ranked 37th of 161 in Louisiana. The low prices come with trade-offs. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 94% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top, and residents are less healthy than 85% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. On the plus side, its schools rank ahead of 79% of Louisiana towns. Only 10 of Louisiana’s 254 towns score lower on history. Meraux’s average trip to work is 33 minutes, against 24 minutes in Louisiana’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Only 3 of the 162 Louisiana towns we compare have a lower July high than Meraux.
Where Meraux beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
5,816 counted in 2010 and 6,804 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Louisiana), ordered by how far Meraux is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 8,849 in 1990, a peak of 10,192 in 2000, 6,804 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 1951 and 8 maps from 1892 on.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Meraux. Close and well known come first.
Big draw10 mi Stadium & arenaCaesars Superdome
Big draw21 mi LakeLake Pontchartrain
9 mi MuseumNational World War II Museum707K visitors a year
12 mi LandmarkFort Macomb
4 mi National Historical ParkJean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve227K visitors a year
11 mi Stadium & arenaLakefront ArenaCaesars Superdome: Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake Pontchartrain: Mersh13, CC BY-SA 3.0 · National World War II Museum: Nolabob, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Macomb: Infrogmation, CC BY 2.5 · Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve: No machine-readable author provided. Jan Kronsell assumed (based on copyright cl, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lakefront Arena: Spatms, CC BY-SA 4.0
Meraux is unincorporated, so St. Bernard Parish and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Meraux.
Meraux pairs an A− for schools with modest home prices, has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns and looks healthier within Louisiana than nationally.
Since 1978, 2,823 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Meraux.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its A− for schools comes with a B for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $240K.
Its public schools are run by the St. Bernard Parish school district. Its three schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| N.P. Trist Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 767 | B+ |
| Lynn Oaks School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 209 | – |
| Joseph J. Davies Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 593 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within LA on state tests and graduation
Within Louisiana it is healthier than 63% of the 161 graded towns: much of Louisiana scores lower on these measures.
29% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Meraux. Meraux beats the Louisiana average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 18% of adults binge drink in Meraux.
| Meraux | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 27% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 16% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 26% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 44% | 35% |
| What stands out | Meraux | LA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 6.7% | 7.5% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 75.6% | 78.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Meraux has 683 jobs for its 3,177 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. Jobs based here grew from 460 in 2013 to 683.
Most working residents leave Meraux for work: only 4% work in town. 22% of Meraux residents live below the poverty line. Since 2013, Meraux has added 223 jobs, to 683 in 2023.
| Meraux | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 22% | 20% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.5% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $76,000 | $56,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
January nights average 44.3°, milder than in 96% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 90.2°.
Meraux has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The January low in Meraux is 44°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Adults 35 to 64 are 45% of residents (37% statewide); people 65 and older are 11% of residents (17% statewide). 28% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 27% across Louisiana.
| Meraux | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 11% | 17% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 27% | 24% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 28% | 20% | 29% |
| Median age | 38.7 years | 37.8 years | 40.5 years |
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.6 points. Across Louisiana, 51.1% of residents are women.
| Meraux | LA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 15.7% | 12.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.9% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.4% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.1% | 13.3% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 19.8% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.7% | 11.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.3% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.4% | 10.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.7% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 13.8% | 12.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25.1% | 32.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.6% | 20.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.1% | 7.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.8% | 17% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.6% | 10.1% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
The typical value, about $240K, is 8% below its April 2023 peak.
The typical Meraux home is worth about $240,000, about the same as a year ago, 12% above the Louisiana typical home.
| Meraux | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 86% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,055 a month | $989 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
13 within 15 miles of the center of Meraux
About 4 of every 100 Meraux residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Louisiana.
Where Meraux’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Census-designated place in Louisiana, United States
Meraux is a census-designated place (CDP) in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 6,804 in 2020. It is part of the New Orleans–Metairie metropolitan statistical area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Meraux.
It grades higher overall than all 3 graded towns on its borders; Violet (C−) comes closest.
| Town | LA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meraux | #37 | B− | B | — | A− | C− |
| Violet | #97 | C− | B | — | A− | D− |
| Chalmette | #98 | C− | C+ | — | A− | D |
| New Orleans | #159 | D− | D | — | D− | C+ |
Meraux, Violet, Chalmette and New Orleans report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Meraux with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Meraux grades B− overall, better than 46% of U.S. towns and #37 of 161 in Louisiana. It grades C− for health and A− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
