Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
It counts 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Reserve’s weakest subject is health: CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 96% of the country. The town ranks 148th of 161 in Louisiana, with a D− overall. Nationally, it does better than 5% of U.S. towns. It also trails on hazard risk — FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 95% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. Cost of living is its strong suit: a typical home costs about $169K, 2.7 years of the New Orleans metro’s $63K median household income. Its National Register listings include Godchaux-Reserve Plantation House and Our Lady of Grace Church. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 70% of U.S. towns.
Figures: home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · health, CDC PLACES · FEMA National Risk Index · National Register of Historic Places.
Where Reserve beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
9,766 counted in 2010 and 8,541 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Louisiana), ordered by how far Reserve is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 4,465 in 1950, 8,541 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1938 and 5 maps from 1892 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Reserve is unincorporated, so St. John the Baptist 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 Reserve.
Reserve has a longer frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns, looks healthier within Louisiana than nationally and has home values still below their peak.
Within Louisiana it is less healthy than 61% of the 161 graded towns: much of Louisiana scores lower on these measures.
In Reserve, nearly half of adults have high blood pressure, where Louisiana’s towns sit at 44% and U.S. towns at 35%. For adults locally, the share who sleep under 7 hours is 45%. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Reserve is ahead of Louisiana on 1 and behind on 12.
| Reserve | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 49% | 44% | 35% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 26% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 42% | 36% |
| What stands out | Reserve | LA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 14% | 16.9% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 31.4% | 22.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Of its 5 schools, two are listed below, each with the reason. The largest public high school is East St. John High School, with 1,293 students. Public schools: the St. John the Baptist Parish school district.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| East St. John Preparatory AcademyLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 318 | D |
| East St. John High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,293 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within LA on state tests and graduation
Households in Reserve have drawn federal disaster aid in 6 declared disasters, most recently in 2024. Expected losses in Reserve break down as 61% from hurricanes and 14% from inland flooding. Flood insurance has paid out on 918 claims in the town since 1980.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical value, about $169K, is 15% below its May 2022 peak. The median property tax bill is $570, against $1,180 across Louisiana, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical home value in Reserve is about $169,000, about the same as a year ago, 21% below the Louisiana typical home. The town’s rent at the middle of the market stands at $1,381 a month. In Reserve, 71% of households live in a home they own, close to both Louisiana’s towns (68%) and U.S. towns (73%).
| Reserve | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,381 a month | $989 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The Reserve weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 308 days, longer than in 95% of U.S. towns. January nights average 42.7°, milder than in 96% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 91.7°.
For Reserve, the January low is 43°F. Snowfall is close to zero.
| Reserve | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 43°F | 42°F | 22°F |
| July high | 92°F | 92°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Just just over a tenth of the town’s working residents have a job in town. For Reserve, the median household income is $55,000. The share of residents in Reserve who live below the poverty line: 19%. Employers in Reserve added 279 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 4,143.
| Reserve | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 20% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $55,000 | $56,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 9.8% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Walkers can cover 3.5 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Reserve has one park or preserve, 13 acres in all.
| Reserve | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.2% | 1.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Regala Park | — | 13 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Reserve. Close and well known come first.
Big draw30 mi Stadium & arenaCaesars Superdome
Big draw28 mi LakeLake Pontchartrain
6 mi MuseumWhitney Plantation Historic District
30 mi MuseumNational World War II Museum707K visitors a year
28 mi City parkCity Park
30 mi Stadium & arenaLakefront ArenaCaesars Superdome: Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake Pontchartrain: Mersh13, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Whitney Plantation Historic District: Bill Leiser, CC BY-SA 4.0 · National World War II Museum: Nolabob, CC BY-SA 3.0 · City Park: Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY 2.5 · Lakefront Arena: Spatms, CC BY-SA 4.0
None within 15 miles of Reserve; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Reserve residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Louisiana.
3 places in Reserve on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in Reserve.
Place in Louisiana, United States
Reserve is an unincorporated community in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is located on the east bank of the Mississippi River. As of the 2020 census, Reserve had a population of 8,541. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Reserve as a census-designated place (CDP).
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Reserve.
| Town | LA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reserve | #148 | D− | B | — | C+ | D− |
| Laplace | #143 | D | C+ | — | C+ | D |
| Garyville | — | — | A− | — | C+ | D |
| Edgard | — | — | A | — | C+ | C+ |
Garyville and Edgard have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Reserve, Laplace, Garyville and Edgard report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Reserve with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Reserve grades D− overall, better than 5% of U.S. towns and #148 of 161 in Louisiana. It grades D− for health and C+ 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.
4 notable people were born here, including Jared Butler and Patrick Lewis.
