Moving to Lafayette, LA: Complete Guide

Quick Facts About Lafayette, Louisiana 

Webbed by water and steeped in tradition, Lafayette, Louisiana, is a Southern city with a Cajun soul. The town was settled by French-Canadian exiles in the mid-18th century, and much like the cypress trees, those roots have held fast ever since. Without them, the world may never have known the bliss of the beignet, the greatness of gumbo, or what to do with all those crawfish. 

Lafayette’s coastal proximity has made it a center for the energy and transportation sectors, so much so that it’s even earned the moniker of Hub City. The economy has made the city’s job market an enviably diverse one — especially for a city of just 121,000. But one of the biggest economic anchors in this Gulfside city is the UL Lafayette, which has made the city a research hub and bolstered the city’s labor force. And its Ragin’ Cajuns give residents a reason to get rowdy whenever there isn’t a festival going on in town.  

All those festivals — including Mardi Gras — are the heart of Lafayette’s vibrant cultural life, and likely also one of the reasons why the Hub City has also been named America’s happiest. This is a warm and welcoming community, and if you’re moving to Lafayette, its offbeat vibes combined with its deep traditions won’t leave you feeling like a newcomer for long.  

The warmth of Lafayette, though, isn’t just in its spirit — this subtropical city is hardly ever cold, and you can count on hot weather from May through September. If outdoor adventure is on your mind, city parks, state parks and wildlife preserves abound, and you’ll find everything from hiking to mountain biking, swimming, sailing and paddling in the Pelican State.  

If you’re looking for an affordable, near-coastal city in the south that’s high on hospitality and low on woes, Lafayette, Louisiana may be right for you. Learn more about the city in our moving guide to Lafayette, Louisiana, below, where we discuss the cost of living, fun neighborhoods and attractions, the job market and economy, the weather in Lafayette, and — most importantly — the food! 

Cost of Living in Lafayette 

If you’re considering a move to this popular Louisiana parish, you may be wondering, “Is Lafayette expensive?” Well, thanks to affordable real estate costs and other common household expenses, the cost of living in Lafayette is far lower than the national average. The COE index here is just 87.2 compared to the U.S. average of 100 and the New Orleans average of 112.4. Residents of this Cajun capital will find a median home value of just $244,400 and a median gross rent of $972/month, so both owning and leasing could potentially save you hundreds of dollars a month, depending on where you’re living now. At 66%, the home ownership rate in Lafayette is just a couple points behind the U.S. average, too — a solid indication of an approachable market. 

Working in Lafayette 

Like many southern Louisiana parishes, this Cajun capital is also an energy giant, home to companies like Expro, WHC, Offshore Energy Services and Halliburton. With the Port of Louisiana only 100 miles away, and the state capital only an hour’s drive, the economy of Lafayette can easily draw on broader markets in the state, the U.S. and abroad.  

Trade, transportation and utilities are the city’s biggest employment sectors, suppling 37,100 jobs to residents. But newcomers will find Lafayette jobs in almost equal measure in education and health services, where employers like Ochsner Lafayette General, the Lafayette Parish School System and the University of Louisiana Lafayette are some of the city’s top job-providers. The government, leisure and hospitality, and professional and business services each support more than 20,000 jobs apiece in Lafayette. 

Lafayette experienced growth in almost all industries between June of 2024 and 2025, most especially in Construction (+7.1%), Education and health services (+4.5%) and other services (+4.5%). The city’s unemployment rate sat at 4.3%, just above the U.S. average.  

Education and Schools in Lafayette  

One of this Louisiana city’s biggest assets is the University of Louisiana Lafayette. As the second-largest college in the state, UL Lafayette offers more than 240 areas of study, along with 50 graduate programs and 24 fully online programs. More than 15,000 students now call themselves Ragin’ Cajuns, and the NCAA Div-I school is a highly regarded research institution that keeps this city at the forefront of education and culture.  

As far as younger students go, the Lafayette Parish School System serves nearly 30,000 students across 44 campuses, including 10 area high schools, making it the state’s sixth-largest district. The David Thibodeaux STEM Magnet Academy and the Early College Academy are ranked in the top 25 high schools in Louisiana. In addition to public education in Lafayette, private schools abound, from the Episcopal School of Acadiana, which runs from pre-K-12, to Teurlings Catholic High School, John Paul the Great Academy and Ascension. 

Finding a Place to Live in Lafayette 

Looking for the best neighborhoods in Lafayette? There are a lot of great options in this Louisiana parish.  

Downtown Lafayette is a lively mix of business, culture and entertainment, where you’ll find some of the best museums and restaurants right around the corner from your office. You’ll find a mix of apartments, condos, lofts and smaller, single-family homes in this walkable area. 

South of Downtown, the vibrant University of Louisiana Lafayette area offers a wide range of housing styles, from lavish, historic mansions to cheery, contemporary cottages in quiet subdivisions. Thanks to those hungry college students, you’ll never have to hunt for a good place for a quick bite around here. The Parish Biscuit is a morning mainstay of Cajun originals, from the Avoyelles, a pulled pork number with blueberry BBQ sauce, to the Evangeline, which dresses up the classic BE&C with a fried green tomato, bacon jam and pimento cheese. 

Lafayette is known for its architectural treasures, and there are so many in Sterling Grove that it’s been designated a National Historic District. This in-town neighborhood was once the province of Charles Alexandre Homere Mouton, whose grandfather founded the city of Lafayette, and you can still visit his home and many others from the early-mid-19th century.  

Lafayette Parish comprises six municipalities, from sugar cane-rich Youngsville to Carencro, Duson, Scott and Broussard, where the Louisiana governor makes his home. These suburban/rural districts give families who want more space a lot of options to choose from all around the core municipality of Lafayette.  

Getting Around and Commuting in Lafayette 

Having a car makes life a lot easier if you’re living in Lafayette, Louisiana. The Federal Reserve estimates that the average commuter in Lafayette Parish spends around 22.8 minutes getting to work each day — around 4 minutes less than the average American does. Because the parish is spread out over 269 square miles, the fastest way to traverse the terrain is usually in a car. Driving in Lafayette can be less expensive than in other cities because fuel prices in this oil-rich state trend lower, according to AAA. 

But public transit in Lafayette is also less expensive. The standard fare for a single bus ride is just a dollar, and a yearly pass is only $25 — far less than the price of filling up your tank even a single time. But service is more limited than you’ll find in bigger cities. Most routes run only hourly, so if you miss your pickup or the bus is delayed, it’s hard to have a reliable plan B in place.  

Culture and Community in Lafayette 

While there are plenty of mid-sized American cities out there that are searching for their identity, Lafayette isn’t one of them. In this tried-and-true heart of Cajun country, Lafyette history is always front and center. 

The city was founded by French-speaking Canadians (the Acadians) and named for the marquis de Lafayette, and there is a French spin to almost every aspect of the culture of Lafayette, from the food to the Zydeco music to the Southern accents. It’s the reason UL Lafayette shirts read Geaux Cajuns! Although fewer residents speak French now than they did two generations ago, there is a movement underway to revitalize the tradition so critical to Cajun and Creole heritage.  

But French isn’t the only cultural inflection of this Southern city. Lafayette’s culture has been shaped by diverse influences, from its Indigenous inhabitants — the Atakapa — to the Vietnamese, Lebanese and Hispanic communities in the city. Find places to dive deeper into this city’s history in the Things to Do in Lafayette section below. 

Things to Do in Lafayette 

Between the gumbo, the Zydeco and the bayou, Lafayette is a city you’ll never get bored of. This is a place that shines outdoors and in, where exploring the wilds of nature is as rewarding as immersing yourself in the latest exhibit at one of the region’s many museums. Let’s take a look at some of the best sights to see in Lafayette, Louisiana.  

Festivals are a big part of what makes Lafayette tourism such a booming industry. Annual events like Mardi Gras are both big business and big fun here. Because this street party isn’t quite as wild as the New Orleans edition, families turn out in big numbers for all the quirks and quizzications of pre-Lent festivities, from the parades to the balls, which go way beyond Fat Tuesday. Other popular events include the Festivals Acadiens et Créoles, where you can hear traditional Zydeco, and the Festival International de Louisiane, a five-day blowout with music and food from all around the globe.  

When there’s a rare lull in Lafayette’s festival schedule, you can hit the Blue Moon Saloon for live music and cocktails. Downtown Lafayette is a highly walkable area that’s filled with cool art galleries and other cultural destinations, like the Acadiana Center for the Arts, the Lafayette Museum and the Children’s Museum of Acadiana. 

Just a couple miles south of downtown, Moncus Park hosts the Lafayette Farmers & Artisans Market every Saturday, but there are other fun events to attend throughout the year. At the monthly Language Café, you can learn about new cultures over coffee on the Treehouse Deck. There are tai chi pop-ups, family game nights, “Mom Walks” and movie nights here, along with the popular Hikes & Hops series, which pairs a little bit of cardio with some of Lafayette’s best suds.  

In Acadiana Park, you’ll find something you might not expect in this low-lying Louisiana parish —mountain biking trails. But the twists and turns of the bridges and berms on these rugged paths are as adrenaline-inducing as those that you’ll find in parks at higher elevations than 36 feet above sea level. To get to the water itself, you can make the short trip down to Cypremort Point State Park, where manicured beaches welcome you to the shore of Vermillion Bay.  

Closer to town, UL Lafayette’s Cypress Lake is home to all sorts of critters you might like to see but not swim with. Humorously, the lake was first formed by herds of ancient, roving bison and then by squawking swine in the university’s pigpen in the 1900s, but after being converted into an emergency reservoir during WWII, the basin was rewilded, and now everything from egrets to alligators and snapping turtles — some weighing as much as 50 pounds! — have taken up residence in the lake. Cypress Lake is one of the University’s claims to fame — known for its dedication to sustainability, it is the only college campus in America with a managed wetland.  

You can get a guided tour of the region’s famous swamplands at the Nature Conservancy’s Cypress Island Preserve. Part of the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area, this amazing and under-visited region is the perfect spot to go birding and tree-watching — some of the towering and hardy namesake cypress of this preserve are more than 300 years old! Among their branches, you might spy the striking gold feathers of the prothonotary warbler, the outstretched wings of the anhinga or the ancient eye of an alligator surfacing among the lily pads. Keep those hands in the boat at all times! 

The hallmarks of Lafayette cuisine are steeped in local flavor, from the crawfish, shrimp and crabs that make their homes in the waters of southeastern Louisiana to the rich and soulful sauces that bring the state’s signature heat and spice. On the sweet side of the Cajun-Creole palate, Lafayette excels at the region’s signature beignets (try the Black Café), the classic Southern staple — biscuits (try the Parish Biscuit Company), traditional French pastries, like croissants (try Lucía) and — of course — king cakes (try Poupart Bakery).  

But the city is no less a star on the savory side of the plate. From BBQ and étouffée to po’boys and boudin, Lafayette is not a city to eat light in! One of our favorite spots is SoLou, which puts a new spin on some of the tastiest traditional fare. For starters, we’re suckers for their shrimp corn dogs and the boudin queso, but the main dishes are where it’s at. How often do you come across an alligator hotdog? If you said, “pretty often,” you must already live in southern Louisiana. Other popular stops for food in Lafayette are The Cajun Table and Don’s Seafood, a chain that hooked its first customers in Lafayette. 

Recap: Main Benefits of Moving to Lafayette 

We know relocating to Lafayette, LA, is a big decision, and it can be hard to adequately weigh the pros and cons of moving to a new city. So, is Lafayette a good place to live?  

Here are our top reasons to move to Lafayette, Louisiana. 

1. The cost of living in Lafayette is affordable. You don’t have to have deep pockets to enjoy the deep cultural benefits of living in this Louisiana city. 
2. Lafayette’s education system includes two highly rated public high schools in the state and an accessible university in the heart of the city.  
3. There are diverse job options in Lafayette, Louisiana, from energy and construction to business, technology and healthcare. 
4. Lafayette, Louisiana, has a strong sense of community. With amazing Cajun food, art and music festivals and historic architecture, this city’s cultural flavor is imbued in every aspect of life. 

Move to Lafayette with United Van Lines  

United Van Lines can make your move to Lafayette, Louisiana a seamless experience. Since 1928, we’ve helped millions of families move to exciting destinations across the U.S., earning us the distinction of being America’s #1 Mover®.  

Get a moving quote now for Lafayette, Louisiana. 

If you’re moving cross-country to Lafayette, consider going full service. Our full-service moving packages can include custom services like vehicle transport, packing and unpacking, storage services and even removing debris. Our expert long-distance movers will handle your belongings with the utmost care, and a personal move coordinator will keep track of all the details. Information about your move will be available 24/7 through the MyUnited Move Portal. 

What about local moves in Louisiana? If you’re moving within the Pelican State, including moves within Lafayette Parish and its six municipalities, United’s interstate Lafayette, LA agents/movers can provide local moving services independently under their own businesses and brands. 

Need help understanding the types of moving quotes you’ve received? We can help you unpack the average cost of a long-distance move and take the stress out of relocating. Check out our latest tips for an easy move and our digital moving magazine, House Key. 

Weighing the pros and cons of moving by yourself versus hiring the pros? See what a DIY move looks like.  

Lafayette’s not the only cool city to move to. We have moving guides to popular U.S. cities and states. We’ve even got guides to the national parks, so you can plan a vacation after your move.  
 
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