Real Estate in the Top 4 Louisiana Public School Districts

When you choose a place to settle and raise your kids, one of the most important factors on your mind is finding an area with an excellent school system. For Louisiana real estate buyers, there are several top notch school districts to choose from. The top four based on test scores and other indicators in order are Zachary Community School District, St. Tammany Parish, West Felician Parish, and Livingston Parish. Here is what you need to know about real estate in those areas.

Number 1 - Zachary Community School District
Zachary, LA is a small town about 14 miles north of Baton Rouge and 80 miles northwest of New Orleans. It is one of the wealthiest areas in the state with lots of college graduates and a high median income. There are lots of new homes in the town and the property taxes are among the more affordable in the nation. The median house price is slightly more expensive than the state price, but a good realtor can lead you to some well equipped homes within your budget range.

Number 2 - St. Tammany Parish
The main city serviced by the St. Tammany Parish school district is Slidell, LA. It is a modest town of about 30,000 people, located roughly 30 miles north of New Orleans. The family size here is about twice the national average and the town has a great population mix of children and families, singles and senior citizens. Compared with the state, Slidell is a rich town with very few people living under the poverty line. Much of the available real estate in this city is also quite new, providing great homes for new families moving into the area. Homes are mostly owner-occupied with a small renting population and the property taxes are low by national standards, but among the highest in the state. The median house price is also higher than the state price but not quite as high as real estate in Zachary.

Number 3 - West Feliciana Parish
This top rated school district serves the tiny town of St. Francisville, LA. The town of 1,600 people is located 30 northwest of Baton Rouge and about 100 miles northwest of New Orleans. Real estate in St. Francisville is really affordable as the town's median income is close to the state median but home prices are below state averages. Additionally the property taxes are still very reasonable on a national and statewide basis. The town is surprisingly full of young, eligible singles and only about half of the homes are owner occupied. St. Francisville is a great place to buy real estate, not only because of the excellent school district but because of its extremely low crime rates.

Number 4 - Livingston Parish
You might also consider using a realtor to help you find and buy property in Livingston, LA, the home of the fourth best school district in the state. Livingston is another very small town (the population is only about 1300 people), and it is centrally located just 20 mile east of Baton Rouge and 55 northwest of New Orleans. The homes there tend to be newer and very affordable, with prices below the state median price. It is a very family friendly town with lots of well-educated people and low poverty rates.