National Public Lands Day 2009 039 - Norco Louisiana 2009, 2009
Norco’s story
96 years in pictures
Census counts: 4,682 in 1960, 2,984 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1930Norco is settled
NorcoLA
A town of 2,781, settled in 1930. Public schools that outperform most of Louisiana.
Population
2,781
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$215K
+9.4% in a year
Household income
$71K
median
Median age
38.7
years
Jobs based here
2,313
A job hub
TownGrade
C+
#43 of 161 in LA
Is Norco a good place to live?
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 93% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. Overall it grades C+, 43rd among Louisiana's 161 graded towns. Its public schools beat 87% of Louisiana towns on state tests and graduation. On the outdoors, just 9 of Louisiana’s 255 towns do better. Norco’s January low is 43°F, where Louisiana’s towns sit at 42°F and U.S. towns at 22°F.
What makes Norco stand out
Where Norco beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A job hub
Every workday, about 2,213 people come to Norco for work
Where Norco’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
2,313jobs based in Norco
7%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Norco grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Louisiana), ordered by how far Norco is from typical.
Hazard riskhurricanes tops the listD−Open →SchoolsAOpen →HealthSt. Charles Parish Hospital 5.4 miles awayCOpen →Cost of livingCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 9.2 of 20; 2.2% of households have no car; 1.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →Jobs & income$71K median household incomeB−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.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 38.7; 17% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 54 attractions →Caesars Superdome and 39 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Norco. Close and well known come first.
Big draw20 mi Stadium & arenaCaesars Superdome
Big draw22 mi LakeLake Pontchartrain
20 mi MuseumNational World War II Museum707K visitors a year
15 mi MuseumWhitney Plantation Historic District
19 mi GardenCity Park
21 mi Stadium & arenaLakefront ArenaSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Caesars 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 · Whitney Plantation Historic District: Bill Leiser, CC BY-SA 4.0 · City Park: Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY 2.5 · Lakefront Arena: Spatms, CC BY-SA 4.0
Getting set up
Moving to Norco: who provides what
Norco is unincorporated, so St. Charles Parish and regional agencies provide most services.
WaterSt Charles Parish Dept of WaterworksNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesSt. Charles ParishSt. Charles 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 hereSt Charles Parish Registrar of VotersSt. Charles Parish; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2015
ZIP code7007970079 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 Norco.
Norco draws workers from Metairie and beyond, has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns and looks healthier within Louisiana than nationally.
OutdoorsB
0.7% of Norco is conserved land
2.5 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The trail density in Norco is 0.6 miles per square mile.
#15for trails in LA
| Norco | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.7% | 1.2% | 4.3% |
0.7%
conserved · 18 of 2,575 acres
2.5 mi
of trails · 0.6 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Norco Park | 0.4 mi | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsA
For schools, Norco earns an A
Its public schools are run by the St. Charles Parish school district. Its one school is below.
87%of LA districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norco Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 501 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within LA on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Most working residents commute out of Norco
2,313 jobs are based in Norco, 1.7 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. Jobs based here fell from 3,308 in 2013 to 2,313.
Most working residents leave Norco for work: only 7% work in town. Jobs based in Norco fell to 2,313 in 2023, 995 fewer than in 2013. 15% of residents live below the poverty line in Norco.
7%work in town
| Norco | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 20% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $71,000 | $56,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 7.2% | 9.8% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Norco7%
Luling10%
Metairie10%
New Orleans9%
Kenner6%
14 mi
median commute distance
2,313
jobs based in Norco
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 64% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Norco faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by hurricanes
Since 1978, 717 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Norco.
93risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesInland floodingTornadoes
717
paid flood claims since 1978
7
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthC
Norco is less healthy than 69% of U.S. towns
Within Louisiana it is healthier than 77% of the 161 graded towns: much of Louisiana scores lower on these measures.
Norco beats the Louisiana average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 20% of Norco adults binge drink.
31%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Norco | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 16% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 27% | 23% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 26% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 44% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Louisiana
6 better26 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Norco | LA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 8.6% | 12.4% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 16.3% | 22.5% |
St. Charles Parish Hospital
5.4 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
77th
percentile among LA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Norco has mild winters and hot summers
January nights average 43.4°, milder than in 96% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 91.7°.
Norco has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Norco’s July high is 92°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
92°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter45–65°
Spring59–79°
Summer74–91°
Fall60–80°
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
92°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade C
Norco’s typical home value is about $215K
92.2% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 54.8% across Louisiana.
The typical Norco home is worth about $215,000, up 9.4% in a year, close to the Louisiana typical home.
$215KZillow home value
| Norco | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 80% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,081 a month | $989 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Norco$215K
Louisiana$214K
+9.4%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Norco
18pages on Norco
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Norco
About 4 of every 100 Norco residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Louisiana.
Famous people from Norco
3 notable people were born in Norco.
About Norco
Census-designated place in Louisiana, United States
Norco is a census-designated place (CDP) in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,984 at the 2020 census. The community is home to a major Shell/Valero manufacturing complex. The CDP's name is derived from the New Orleans Refining Company.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 4.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 10 ft
- ZIP code
- 70079
- Area code
- 985
Norco’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Norco.
New SarpyHahnvilleNorco
How the neighbors grade
New Sarpy has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Norco, New Sarpy and Hahnville report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Norco with a neighbor →
Questions about Norco
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Norco, LA a good place to live?
Norco grades C+ overall, better than 42% of U.S. towns and #43 of 161 in Louisiana. It grades C for health and A for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Norco, LA expensive?
That is 3.4 years of the area's median household income ($62,655 across the New Orleans-Metairie, LA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
What is Norco, LA known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Damaris Johnson and Gary Smith, Jr..