Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Zachary grades C overall, 60th of 161 graded towns in Louisiana, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Its public schools beat 94% of Louisiana towns on state tests and graduation. On the other side, FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 82% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Only 6 of Louisiana’s 254 towns score higher on health. Zachary has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Port Hudson and Port Hudson National Cemetery. On cost of living, just 14 of Louisiana’s 253 towns do worse.
Where Zachary beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Zachary Elementary School | 3–4 | 778 |
| Rollins Place Elementary | 1–2 | 774 |
| Northwestern Elementary School | K | 337 |
| Widest gap | Zachary | LA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 10.2% | 18.1% |
Zachary Railroad Depot14,960 counted in 2010 and 19,316 in 2020; an estimated 20,621 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 6% since 2020, after 29.1% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Louisiana), ordered by how far Zachary is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 465 in 1900, 19,316 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1885 and 4 maps from 1939 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Zachary. Close and well known come first.
18 mi Stadium & arenaTiger Stadium
15 mi MuseumUSS Kidd
17 mi Stadium & arenaPete Maravich Assembly Center24 mi Theme parkBlue Bayou and Dixie Landin'
7 mi Zoo & aquariumBaton Rouge Zoo
19 mi GardenAfton Villa GardensTiger Stadium: Daniel Foster, CC BY-SA 2.0 · USS Kidd: Cobatfor, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pete Maravich Assembly Center: Spatms, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Baton Rouge Zoo: Kkmurray, CC BY 2.5 · Afton Villa Gardens: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Zachary, 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 Zachary.
Zachary has schools in the top 5% of Louisiana and looks healthier within Louisiana than nationally, but it has a long record of flood insurance claims.
Its A ranks #1 of the 162 Louisiana towns we grade for schools.
Its public schools are run by the Zachary Community School District. Three of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Zachary High School, with 1,726 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 841 | A |
| Zachary High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,726 | A |
| Zachary Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades 3–4 | Grades 3–4 | 778 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within LA on state tests and graduation
At 19.8 per 1,000 residents, Zachary’s property crime rate is below Louisiana’s towns (24.2) but above U.S. towns (9.9). The violent crime rate in Zachary is 3.1 per 1,000 residents. Within Louisiana, it does better than 69% of towns.
| Zachary | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 19.8 per 1,000 residents | 24.2 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.1 per 1,000 residents | 4.4 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
363 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 52 properties have flooded more than once.
Since 1978, 363 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Zachary.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Jobs based here fell from 6,955 in 2013 to 5,411.
Most working residents leave Zachary for work: only 10% work in town. 8.5% of residents live below the poverty line in Zachary, below the Louisiana town median (20%) and near the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Jobs based in Zachary fell to 5,411 in 2023, 1,544 fewer than in 2013.
| Zachary | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 8.5% | 20% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $84,000 | $56,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 6.5% | 5.6% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Within Louisiana it is healthier than 96% of the 161 graded towns: much of Louisiana scores lower on these measures. Its widest gap with Louisiana is tooth loss: 10.2% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 18.1% statewide.
21% of Zachary adults get no exercise outside work. Among 161 Louisiana towns, just 4 have a lower share of adults who smoke cigarettes than Zachary. 18% of Zachary adults binge drink.
| Zachary | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 34% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 16% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 19% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 27% | 19% |
| What stands out | Zachary | LA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 10.2% | 18.1% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 5.4% | 8.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The median property tax bill is $1,943, against $1,180 across Louisiana, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Zachary home is worth about $266,000, up 1.2% in a year, 24% above the Louisiana typical home. Zachary’s median rent is $1,527 a month.
| Zachary | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,527 a month | $989 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 80% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Zachary has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 92°, January nights drop to 40° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Adults 35 to 64 are 42% of residents (37% statewide). Zachary has grown 6% since 2020, to 20,621 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 14% of residents are 65 or older in Zachary.
| Zachary | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 14% | 17% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 33% | 20% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 23% | 24% | 22% |
| Median age | 38.3 years | 37.8 years | 40.5 years |
46% women, 54% men
About 119 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.1 points). Across Louisiana, 51.1% of residents are women.
| Zachary | LA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.8% | 12.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.2% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.5% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.7% | 13.3% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 17.9% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.4% | 11.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.5% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.8% | 10.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.1% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.9% | 12.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 31.9% | 32.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.5% | 20.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.1% | 7.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.3% | 17% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.3% | 10.1% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
0.6 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Zachary Youth Park, at 62 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Zachary Youth Park | — | 62 |
| 2. Rita Street Park | — | 12 |
| 3. 39th Street Park | — | 12 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
3 within 15 miles of the center of Zachary
About 4 of every 100 Zachary residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Louisiana.
Where Zachary’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
15 notable people were born in Zachary.
City in Louisiana, United States
Zachary is a city in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies 16 miles (26 km) north of the city of Baton Rouge, and had a population of 14,960 at the 2010 census, up from 11,275 in 2000. At the 2020 census, Zachary's population increased to 19,316.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Zachary.
Central reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Zachary with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Zachary grades C overall, better than 34% of U.S. towns and #60 of 161 in Louisiana. It grades B+ for health, C− for safety and A for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Within Louisiana, it does better than 69% of towns.
Yes. That is 3.8 years of the area's median household income ($69,599 across the Baton Rouge, LA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
15 notable people were born here, including Frank Brian and Leonard Scott.
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