Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Public schools that outperform most of Louisiana.
On CDC health estimates it is near the bottom nationally. Overall it grades C−, 103rd among Louisiana's 161 graded towns. Its public schools beat 75% of Louisiana towns on state tests and graduation. Its weakest subject is hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 92% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. Only 4 of Louisiana’s 49 towns score higher on safety. The median household income is $50K, and 23% of residents live below the poverty line. On the outdoors, just 22 of Louisiana’s 255 towns do worse.
Where Patterson beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Hattie A. Watts Elementary School | PK–4 | 601 |
| Patterson Junior High School | 5–8 | 374 |
Idlewild| Widest gap | Patterson | LA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing food insecurity | 32.4% | 22.5% |
Where Patterson’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Louisiana), ordered by how far Patterson is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,998 in 1910, a low of 1,800 in 1940, 5,931 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 1988 and 5 maps from 1941 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Patterson, 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 Patterson.
Patterson fares better on crime within Louisiana than nationally, has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns and looks healthier within Louisiana than nationally.
Within Louisiana it is less healthy than 78% of the 161 graded towns: much of Louisiana scores lower on these measures.
Patterson beats the Louisiana average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 19. 41% of adults feel lonely in Patterson, above both Louisiana’s towns (37%) and U.S. towns (33%). 18% of Patterson adults have diabetes.
| Patterson | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 37% | 33% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 26% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 27% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 12% |
| What stands out | Patterson | LA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.7% | 7.5% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 32.4% | 22.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the St. Mary Parish school district. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hattie A. Watts Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 601 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within LA on state tests and graduation
69 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 12 properties have flooded more than once.
Since 1978, 69 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Patterson.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Patterson has 601 jobs for its 2,072 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. Jobs based here fell from 926 in 2013 to 601.
Most working residents leave Patterson for work: only 7% work in town. Patterson’s average trip to work is 31 minutes, where Louisiana’s towns sit at 24 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Jobs based in Patterson fell to 601 in 2023, 325 fewer than in 2013.
| Patterson | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $50,000 | $56,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 6.7% | 9.8% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The median property tax bill is $455, against $1,180 across Louisiana, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Patterson home is worth about $157,000, up 5% in a year, 27% below the Louisiana typical home. 56% of households own their home in Patterson.
| Patterson | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 56% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $878 a month | $992 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
January nights average 44.3°, milder than in 96% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 90.3°. The Morgan City weather station, 8 miles away, records that about 53 days a year reach 90°: more than most of the country, but fewer than 95% of Louisiana places with climate records.
Patterson has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Patterson’s January low is 44°F. Only 5 of the 162 Louisiana towns we compare have a lower July high than Patterson.
| Patterson | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 44°F | 42°F | 22°F |
| July high | 90°F | 92°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
At 14.2 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 91% of Louisiana’s graded towns.
The property crime rate in Patterson is 2.5 per 1,000 residents.
| Patterson | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.5 per 1,000 residents | 24.2 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2 per 1,000 residents | 4.4 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
None within 15 miles of Patterson; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Patterson residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Louisiana.
10 notable people were born in Patterson.
City in Louisiana, United States
Patterson is a city in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2020 census, Patterson had a population of 5,931. It is part of the Morgan City Micropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Patterson grades C− overall, better than 20% of U.S. towns and #103 of 161 in Louisiana. It grades D− for health, B for safety and A− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
That is 3 years of the area's median household income ($52,576 across the Morgan City, LA 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 Ike Hilliard and Kenny Hilliard.