LAMap-doton-Port Barre, 2004
Port Barre’s story
148 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1878Port Barre is settled
Port BarreLA
A typical home costs 3 years of the Opelousas area’s $44K median household income. A town of 1,741, settled in 1878.
Trash day: ThursdayPopulation
1,741
2025 Census estimate · −0.7% since 2020
Typical home
$134K
−2.5% in a year
Household income
$41K
median
Median age
28.0
years
Jobs based here
375
A commuter town
Is Port Barre a good place to live?
Port Barre’s best subject grades are a B+ for cost of living and a B for schools; its weakest is a D− for health. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 93% of U.S. towns. Only 4 of the 162 Louisiana towns we compare have a lower share of residents 65 or older than Port Barre. The median household income is $41K, and 22% of residents live below the poverty line. Port Barre's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 94% of U.S. towns. Port Barre has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Port Barre stand out
Where Port Barre beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Typical home value
Port Barre$134K
Louisiana$214K
Cost of livingB+
3 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 73% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
32 measures vs. Louisiana
0 better17 too close to call15 worse
| Widest gap | Port Barre | LA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 25.2% | 18.1% |
Worth knowing · HealthD−
Less healthy than 97% of U.S. towns
Trails LA on 15 of 32 CDC measures, beats it on none
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
A shrinking town
Port Barre has shrunk 15% since 2010
2,055 counted in 2010 and 1,751 in 2020; an estimated 1,741 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Port Barre grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Louisiana), ordered by how far Port Barre is from typical.
HealthOpelousas General Health System 7.2 miles awayD−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.9 of 20; 11.5% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Jobs & incomeGraded on incomes, poverty and employmentDOpen →Cost of livingHomes are easier to afford than in most townsB+Open →SchoolsBetter than most of the towns comparedBOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 38% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksC+Open →History1 notable person born hereDOpen →Civic life1.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Port Barre: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Port Barre, and how to reach them.
PowerSouthwest Louisiana E M C11.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSt Landry Wwd 3 Port Barre Area D water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpThursdayTrash dayTown site
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 Landry Parish Registrar of VotersSt. Landry Parish; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2015
ZIP code7057770577 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 Port Barre.
HealthD−
On CDC estimates, Port Barre is less healthy than 96% of U.S. towns
In Port Barre, 19% of adults report frequent physical distress. The share of adults in Port Barre who have diabetes is 17%, against 16% in Louisiana’s towns and 12% across U.S. towns.
4%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
| Port Barre | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 19% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 27% | 19% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 44% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Louisiana
0 better17 too close to call15 worse
| What stands out | Port Barre | LA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 25.2% | 18.1% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.7% | 8.5% |
| More smokers | 23.2% | 17.3% |
Opelousas General Health System
7.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB
On state tests, Port Barre’s schools beat 60% of Louisiana districts
The St. Landry Parish school district runs its public schools. The largest public high school is Port Barre High School, with 354 students. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed.
60%of LA districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port Barre Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 427 | B+ |
| Port Barre High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 354 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within LA on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade B+
A home in Port Barre is worth about $134K, on Zillow’s estimate
For households in Port Barre, the share who are owner-occupiers is 62%. Its median rent stands at $881 a month, below both the Louisiana town median ($990 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home lost 2.5% of its value.
$134KZillow home value
| Port Barre | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 62% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $881 a month | $990 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Port Barre$134K
Louisiana$214K
−2.5%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
With 0.6 jobs for every working resident, most of Port Barre’s workers commute out
The top destinations are Opelousas (19%), Lafayette (13%) and Baton Rouge (3%). Just 4% of Port Barre’s working residents have a job in town. Jobs in Port Barre grew by 24 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 375.
4%work in town
| Port Barre | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $41,000 | $56,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.9% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Port Barre4%
Opelousas19%
Lafayette13%
Baton Rouge3%
Krotz Springs3%
24 mi
median commute distance
375
jobs based in Port Barre
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 7% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
92°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter43–63°
Spring57–79°
Summer72–91°
Fall58–80°
Nov 23
typical first frost
Feb 28
typical last frost
+0.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
92°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Low risk in Port Barre, with inland flooding at the top
Port Barre has had 10 paid flood insurance claims since 1983. On expected storm and flood damage, Port Barre sits below 62% of U.S. communities. FEMA puts 23% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 19% to hurricanes. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Port Barre after 8 declared disasters, most recently in 2026.
38risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesTornadoes
10
paid flood claims since 1983
8
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Port Barre
18pages on Port Barre
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Port Barre; the nearest are
Academy of Interactive EntertainmentCommunity college · Private nonprofit · Lafayette23.8 mi$24,600 tuitionUniversity of Louisiana at LafayetteUniversity or college · Public · Lafayette24 mi$10,418 in-state tuitionSouth Louisiana Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Lafayette24 mi$4,210 in-state tuition
About 7 of every 100 Port Barre residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Louisiana.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Port Barre for work
Where Port Barre’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
375jobs based in Port Barre
4%of working residents work in town
24 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Port Barre
Town in Louisiana, United States
Port Barre (BAH-ree) is a town in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States. The town began in 1760 as an Indian trading post at the place where Bayou Teche flows out of Bayou Courtableau. As of the 2020 census, Port Barre had a population of 1,751. It is part of the Opelousas–Eunice Micropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1898
- Area
- 1.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 23 ft
- ZIP code
- 70577
- Area code
- 337
Questions about Port Barre
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Port Barre, LA expensive?
Not for the 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+.