RANK #273 / 1001 NAT · #9 / 21 LA · POP 51,353
1YR FORECAST: +0.2%
5YR OUTLOOK: +32%
St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, often called "Where Cajun Began," is deeply rooted in Cajun and Creole culture, evident in its music, cuisine, and historic towns like St. Martinville, the parish seat, and Breaux Bridge, known as the "Crawfish Capital of the World." Located in the Acadiana region, the parish is about two hours west of New Orleans and Baton Rouge. The community offers a blend of rural tranquility and cultural activity, with the Atchafalaya Basin, Bayou Teche, and Lake Martin providing opportunities for fishing, hiking, and swamp tours. Life in St. Martin Parish is characterized by a strong sense of local heritage and a family-oriented atmosphere. The public school system includes 15 schools, with some elementary schools like Stephensville and Parks Primary performing above state averages. The local economy is supported by agriculture and commerce, with efforts to attract new businesses through initiatives like the Louisiana Economic Development Certified Sites program. The parish also benefits from its location near major interstates, offering access to regional airports and a workforce training program.
St. Martin Parish's data profile doesn't fit any single market profile cleanly — its housing, labor, and demographic signals pull in different directions (home prices +3.9% YoY, population -0.4%, wages +4.3%). About 414 U.S. counties show this kind of mixed-signal pattern.
See all 414 Idiosyncratic Markets counties →Overvalued relative to economy
Below-average climate & terrain
Above national median (15x)
Housing looks overvalued at 12.2x — home prices are high relative to local economic output. The typical U.S. county is 4–6x.
Estimated local headcount ranges. Larger employers shown as floor + "+"; smaller employers show exact counts where reported.
Bars show trailing 12-month growth. The dashed Forecast bars are the model's next-12-month projection; the whisker marks the ±1% range (cooling–accelerating).
Source: Redfin · Census BPS — Browse sales on Redfin →
Source: CDC/NCHS vital statistics via County Health Rankings (2020–2022 avg). Rates per 100,000 population. Grade based on homicide rate relative to national average (~6.3). Learn more →
Source: EPA Air Quality System (2021–2023). Grade based on 3-year average median AQI. Learn about AQI →
Bars show percentile rank among all 1001 counties.
With a Boom Town Index score of 73/100, St. Martin Parish sits in the upper half of all 1001 ranked counties. and median household income stands at $55,960 — indicators that suggest solid fundamentals even if it's not among the fastest-growing counties in LA.
Housing in St. Martin Parish is roughly in line with national affordability norms. The median home costs $164,200 and the income-to-home-value ratio sits at 0.34, with rents averaging $870/month. Not a bargain, but not a stretch for most local earners either.
Population and employment in St. Martin Parish are both close to flat — population -0.4% YoY and jobs -0.1%. Home values shifted +3.9% over the past 12 months. A steady-state county, neither expanding quickly nor shrinking.
Not particularly — 1.91% of St. Martin Parish's population moved in from another state, which is below the national average. Most residents are long-term locals rather than recent transplants.