FreeportSulphurPlaquemines35, 1935
Port Sulphur’s story
92 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1935.
- 1934Port Sulphur is settled
Port SulphurLA
A town of 1,593, settled in 1934.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Michael Maples, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · Public domain
Population
1,593
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$132K
−7% in a year
Household income
$52K
median
Median age
40.6
years
Jobs based here
1,163
A job hub
Is Port Sulphur a good place to live?
Port Sulphur’s best subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A for schools; its weakest is a D− for health. On cost of living, just 1 of Louisiana’s 253 towns do better. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 97% of U.S. towns. Of the 163 Louisiana towns we compare, none has a lower July high than Port Sulphur. Only 2 of Louisiana’s 254 towns score lower on history. Port Sulphur has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Port Sulphur stand out
Where Port Sulphur beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Typical home value
Port Sulphur$132K
Louisiana$214K
Cost of livingA+
2.1 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 99% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Plaquemines Parish schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| South Plaquemines Elementary School | PK–6 | 205 |
SchoolsA
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
32 measures vs. Louisiana
1 better13 too close to call18 worse
| Widest gap | Port Sulphur | LA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 31.9% | 18.1% |
Worth knowing · HealthD−
Less healthy than 99% of U.S. towns
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
A job hub
Every workday, about 1,037 people come to Port Sulphur for work
Where Port Sulphur’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,163jobs based in Port Sulphur
18%of working residents work in town
35 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Port Sulphur grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Louisiana), ordered by how far Port Sulphur is from typical.
Cost of livingA+Open →HealthNear the bottom of U.S. towns on CDC estimates; West Jefferson Medical Center 32 miles awayD−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4 of 20; 4.5% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitD−Open →Hazard riskhurricanes tops the listD−Open →Jobs & income$52K median household incomeDOpen →SchoolsAOpen →
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.
ClimateMild winters, 89° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 40.6; 9% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Port Sulphur: who provides what
Port Sulphur is unincorporated, so Plaquemines Parish and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerEntergy Louisiana11.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPort Sulphur Water District23 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesPlaquemines ParishPlaquemines 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 herePlaquemines Parish Registrar of VotersPlaquemines Parish; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code7008370083 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 Sulphur.
HealthD−
Near the bottom of U.S. towns on CDC estimates
Port Sulphur beats the Louisiana average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 18. 20% of Port Sulphur adults have diabetes, against 16% in Louisiana’s towns and 12% across U.S. towns. 36% of adults worry about having enough food in Port Sulphur.
1%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
| Port Sulphur | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 16% | 12% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 26% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 49% | 44% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 27% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Louisiana
1 better13 too close to call18 worse
| What stands out | Port Sulphur | LA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.1% | 7.5% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 31.9% | 18.1% |
West Jefferson Medical Center
32 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: primary care
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsA
Public schools in Port Sulphur beat 85% of Louisiana districts
Its public schools are run by the Plaquemines Parish school district. Its one school is below.
85%of LA districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Plaquemines Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 205 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within LA on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Port Sulphur has 1.7 jobs for every working resident, and 1,037 people commute in
Most working residents leave Port Sulphur for work: only 18% work in town. Since 2013, Port Sulphur has lost 560 jobs, to 1,163 in 2023. 11% of Port Sulphur residents live below the poverty line, where Louisiana’s towns sit at 20% and U.S. towns at 9.6%.
18%work in town
| Port Sulphur | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 18% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 20% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Port Sulphur18%
Luling9%
New Orleans9%
Belle Chasse8%
Empire6%
35 mi
median commute distance
1,163
jobs based in Port Sulphur
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
D−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 3% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Port Sulphur faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by hurricanes
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 91% of U.S. communities. Since 1988, 428 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Port Sulphur.
91risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Hurricanes
428
paid flood claims since 1988
8
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade A+
A typical Port Sulphur home is worth about $132K
The typical Port Sulphur home is worth about $132,000, down 7% in a year, 38% below the Louisiana typical home. 89% of Port Sulphur households own their home.
$132KZillow home value
Typical home value
Port Sulphur$132K
Louisiana$214K
−7%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Port Sulphur stands out in Louisiana and nationally, with a typical January night milder than most
The January low in Port Sulphur is 47°F. Port Sulphur has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain.
89°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter49–64°
Spring62–76°
Summer76–89°
Fall65–79°
Dec 28
typical first frost
Feb 3
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
89°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
0.7%conserved
| Port Sulphur | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.7% | 1.2% | 4.3% |
0.7%
conserved · 40 of 5,367 acres
1.0 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Plaquemines Park Project Port Sulphur | 0.2 mi | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Port Sulphur
18pages on Port Sulphur
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Port Sulphur; the nearest are
University of Holy CrossUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · New Orleans31.9 mi$16,576 tuitionNunez Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Chalmette33.5 mi$4,255 in-state tuitionLouisiana State University Health Sciences Center-New OrleansUniversity or college · Public · New Orleans37.4 mi
About 2 of every 100 Port Sulphur residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Louisiana.
About Port Sulphur
Place in Louisiana, United States
Port Sulphur is an unincorporated community on the West Bank of the Mississippi River in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, United States. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined the community as a census-designated place (CDP) which at the 2020 census, it had a population of 1,677.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 8.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 3 ft
- ZIP code
- 70083
Port Sulphur’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Port Sulphur.
EmpirePort Sulphur
How the neighbors grade
| Town | LA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port Sulphur | — | — | A+ | — | A | D− |
| Empire | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Port Sulphur has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Port Sulphur reports no FBI crime data of its own. Empire isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Port Sulphur with a neighbor →
Questions about Port Sulphur
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Port Sulphur, 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 A+.
What is Port Sulphur, LA known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Rodney Bartholomew and Bradley Sylve.