Louisiana's cost of living is relatively low all over the map, but some places in the Pelican State are even less costly than others. If you're exploring the idea of retirement in Louisiana, here are four affordable spots with lots to see and do.
1. Shreveport-Bossier City
In the northwest corner of
Louisiana along the Red River lies Shreveport-Bossier City, which offers something for everyone. Outdoor enthusiasts can swim, fish, and camp at Caldo Lake, Cypress Black Bayou, or Red River National Wildlife Refuge. Culture buffs can get involved with the area's Sci-Port science center, R.W. Norton Art Gallery, or Barksdale Global Power Museum. In the first quarter of 2015, Shreveport-Bossier tied with Hammond as the area with the lowest cost of living in Louisiana, as measured by the national Cost of Living Index (CLI),
KNOE reported.
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2. Lafayette
Located in the state's southwest corner, Lafayette is Louisiana's unofficial Cajun and Creole capital. Cajuns are descendants of people who immigrated to Louisiana during the 1700s, whereas Creoles are of mixed French, Spanish and
African heritage, noted CNN.
Retirees can immerse themselves in the lifestyle at the city's many Cajun and Creole restaurants and Zydeco dance parties and by showing up at the Festivals Acadiens et Creoles, an annual celebration of
Cajun and Creole life, noted MarketWatch. In the CLI rankings for the first quarter, Lafayette ranked as the city with the fourth-lowest cost of living in Louisiana.
3. Monroe
In that same set of numbers, Monroe came in with the sixth-lowest cost of living. Moreover, statewide, this northern Louisiana community is expected to see the largest percentage in job growth during the next two years, because of public-private partnerships and cooperation at the local, regional, state, and federal levels,
according to the city.
This all seems to bode well for the future of Monroe as a retirement destination. Monroe offers restaurants, one-of-a-kind shops, neighborhood parks, and community centers. Also, the city is in a convenient location for a retiree interested in returning to school, since it's within 30 minutes of three state-run universities and a community college. In Louisiana, residents 55 or older get free tuition to any state-operated institution of higher learning.
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4. Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge is another up-and-comer among affordable retirement places in the Pelican State. The capital city of Louisiana offers the second-lowest cost of living in the CLI rankings.
Baton Rouge is currently reviving its city center, where attractions include the USS Kidd floating museum, a riverfront casino, and the Shaw Center for the Arts, which encompasses theaters, an art museum, gallery spaces, and restaurants all in a single space. Baton Rouge is also the site of Louisiana State University and multiple smaller colleges.
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