Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Public schools that outperform most of Louisiana. The town has 2,954 residents and lies in Louisiana.
A strong record with one exception. With a B overall, South Vacherie is better than 62% of U.S. towns and ranks 14th of 161 in Louisiana. Where it does best is schools (A−): its schools rank ahead of 81% of Louisiana towns. It is strong on incomes as well (A−): the median household earns $81K. Homes run about $235K for a typical one, 3.7 times the New Orleans metro’s $63K median household income. The catch is hazard risk (D−) — FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 99% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. The town has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Desire Plantation House and Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 83% of U.S. towns.
Figures: schools, state test and graduation results · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · FEMA National Risk Index · home values, Zillow · National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Louisiana), ordered by how far South Vacherie is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Where South Vacherie beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Census counts: 3,462 in 1990, 3,388 in 2020. The archive holds 6 maps from 1892 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →2 places in South Vacherie on the National Register of Historic Places.
Coastal flooding makes up 37% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
Ordered by what stands out in South Vacherie.
South Vacherie pairs an A− for schools with modest home prices, has a longer frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns and looks healthier within Louisiana than nationally.
Households in South Vacherie have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2021. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 40% come from hurricanes and 37% from coastal flooding. Flood insurance has paid out on 39 claims here since 1985.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
That grade comes with a B for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $235K.
Its one school is below. The St. James Parish school district runs its public schools. South Vacherie’s only public school teaches 364 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vacherie Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–3 | Grades PK–3 | 364 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within LA on state tests and graduation
1.6 miles of trail. South Vacherie’s trail density is 0.3 miles per square mile, near both the Louisiana town median (0.2) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4).
| South Vacherie | Typical Louisiana town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.5% | 1.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
South Vacherie has 91 jobs for its 1,501 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
The top destinations are Lutcher (6%), New Orleans (5%) and Thibodaux (4%). The average trip to work for South Vacherie is 32 minutes. Also worth knowing: the town had 91 jobs in 2024, down 82 from 2014. 2.5% of South Vacherie working residents work locally, where Louisiana’s towns sit at 9.8% and U.S. towns at 7.9%.
| South Vacherie | Typical Louisiana town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3.7% | 20% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.5% | 9.8% | 7.9% |
| Median household income | $81,000 | $56,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2024 · ACS
In South Vacherie, 26% of residents are 65 or older. Among 161 Louisiana towns, just 5 have a higher median age than South Vacherie. The bachelor’s-degree share among adults 25 and older is 25%, against 27% across Louisiana.
| South Vacherie | Typical Louisiana town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 49.3 years | 37.8 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 26% | 16% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 17% | 24% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 25% | 20% | 29% |
57% women, 43% men
About 77 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±4.9 points). Across Louisiana, 51.1% of residents are women.
| South Vacherie | LA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.9% | 12.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 4.2% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.4% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.1% | 13.3% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.2% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.2% | 11.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.1% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.7% | 10.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.7% | 12.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 39.9% | 32.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 14.8% | 20.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.8% | 7.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.4% | 17% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 4.5% | 10.1% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,000, single groups can be off by several points
The Reserve weather station, 10 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 308 days, longer than in 95% of U.S. towns. January nights average 43°, milder than in 96% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 92°.
Snowfall is close to zero. Precipitation in South Vacherie totals about 64 inches in a normal year.
| South Vacherie | Typical Louisiana town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 43°F | 42°F | 22°F |
| July high | 92°F | 92°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Within Louisiana it is healthier than 84% of the 161 graded towns: much of Louisiana scores lower on these measures.
39% of adults have obesity in South Vacherie. Of 32 CDC measures, South Vacherie beats the Louisiana average on 14 and trails it on 1. In South Vacherie, 15% of adults worry about having enough food, and 43% have high blood pressure. Only 8 of the 161 Louisiana towns we compare have a lower share of adults who report frequent mental distress than South Vacherie.
| South Vacherie | Typical Louisiana town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 84% | 82% | 79% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 26% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 44% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 12% |
| What stands out | South Vacherie | LA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 8.1% | 12.4% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 14.8% | 22.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 8.9% | 7.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Among 161 Louisiana towns, just 2 have a higher share of homes lived in by their owners than South Vacherie. In South Vacherie, the going rate for rent is $1,325 a month.
| South Vacherie | Typical Louisiana town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 93% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,325 a month | $989 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around South Vacherie. Close and well known come first.
Big draw36 mi Stadium & arenaCaesars Superdome
Big draw39 mi LakeLake Pontchartrain
7 mi MuseumWhitney Plantation Historic District
37 mi MuseumNational World War II Museum707K visitors a year
39 mi Stadium & arenaLakefront Arena
36 mi City parkCity ParkCaesars 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 · Lakefront Arena: Spatms, CC BY-SA 4.0 · City Park: Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY 2.5
South Vacherie is unincorporated, so St. James 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.
Where South Vacherie’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2024
1 within 15 miles of the center of South Vacherie
About 3 of every 100 South Vacherie residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Louisiana.
Census-designated place in Louisiana, United States
South Vacherie is a census-designated place (CDP) in St. James Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2020 census, South Vacherie had a population of 3,388. In French, the name defines a cattle range for grazing.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. South Vacherie grades B overall, better than 62% of U.S. towns and #14 of 161 in Louisiana. It grades C+ for health and A− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
The typical home is worth about $235,000, 10% above the Louisiana typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
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