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Place dossier plate
SheetLA-ALEXANDRIA-LA · Alexandria, LA 44,566 pop · income 16th pct · 39 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Alexandria
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Alexandria on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Monroe · lowest
36,521
Monroe · lowest
36,521 median HH income
31.6% of the leader · rank #1
Healy · near
47,353
Healy · near
47,353 median HH income
41.0% of the leader · rank #2
Alexandria · this city
47,357
Alexandria · this city
47,357 median HH income
41.0% of the leader · rank #3
Guin · near
47,358
Guin · near
47,358 median HH income
41.0% of the leader · rank #4
Atlantic Mine · near
47,361
Atlantic Mine · near
47,361 median HH income
41.0% of the leader · rank #5
Lancaster · near
47,361
Lancaster · near
47,361 median HH income
41.0% of the leader · rank #6
Prairieville · highest
115,610
Prairieville · highest
115,610 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Alexandria on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 44,566.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Alexandria - the verdict
Alexandria ranks in the 16th percentile for household income and the 0th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
16th
percentile, household income
37th
percentile, home value
16th
percentile, median rent
0th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Alexandria, LA
44,566 people live in Alexandria, Louisiana - a small city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Households in Alexandria report a median income of $47,357 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 21.2%. Alexandria's housing stock carries a median value of $182,800, and the median resident age is 37.6 years. 24.2% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 52.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 12 residential building permits were authorized in Alexandria (Construction Slowdown), down 83% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Alexandria's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR figures show 9309.9 crimes per 100,000 residents, above the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Alexandria's yearly average temperature at 66.9°F with 54.5 inches of precipitation per year.
Living costs in Louisiana run below the national norm: the state registers 88.2 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,007 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Louisiana run around $212, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Alexandria report an average commute of 18.8 minutes, with 76.6% driving alone and 4.7% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 62.4 out of 100 (Moderate).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Alexandria's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from work and mobility to housing and income to climate and hazard context to comparison shortlist to schools and households to population change to reported crime to within-city variation; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Alexandria, city-specific coverage includes FBI reported-crime rates, commute-mode shares, within-city Census tract profiles, matched public-school count, local building permits, annual population history.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
Question 1
What does the journey to work look like in Alexandria?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 76.6%. The reported mean trip to work is 18.8 minutes.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
How far does income reach against housing in Alexandria?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.9 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 21.2%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Which cities make useful reference points for Alexandria?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Louisiana, the closest population matches are Monroe (47,241 residents, $36,521 income); Prairieville (35,010 residents, $115,610 income); Houma (32,760 residents, $54,637 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Fairfield, OH (44,597 residents); Bremerton, WA (44,531 residents); Sicklerville, NJ (44,500 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
What can 39 Census tracts reveal inside Alexandria?
PlainCities matches 39 Census tracts to this city.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Climate and hazard context
What physical conditions frame life in Alexandria?
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 66.9°F, with 54.5 inches of precipitation. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Louisiana is 62.4 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
FEMA risk index (state avg)
62.4
Annual precipitation
54.5 in
Mean temperature
66.9°F
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
What does the education layer cover for Alexandria?
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 25 public schools within the city match. 24.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
Poverty estimate
21.2%
Bachelor's degree+
24.2%
Matched public schools
25
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
Is Alexandria growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -2,184 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -4.8% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 12 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.
2020 estimate
45,122
2025 estimate
42,938
Period change
-4.8%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Alexandria?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 9309.9 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 308% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
Total reported rate
9309.9
Violent rate
2713.5
Property rate
6596.3
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living A+
88.2 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Bachelor's+ share D
24.2%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income F
$47,357
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
21.2%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime F
2,714 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Alexandria profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 92/100 (A+) · 88.2 index
Bachelor's+ share: 47/100 (D) · 24.2%
Household income: 17/100 (F) · $47,357
Poverty rate: 11/100 (F) · 21.2%
Violent crime: 0/100 (F) · 2,714 /100k
Where Alexandria sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Alexandria's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Alexandria highlighted among 8 peers.Read the chart values
Alexandria, LA (this city): home $182,800, crime 9,310/100k
Fairfield, OH : home $218,100, crime 1,659/100k
Bremerton, WA : home $409,500, crime 3,249/100k
Fond du Lac, WI : home $161,300, crime 2,491/100k
Cutler Bay, FL : home $420,800, crime 1,511/100k
Burlington, VT : home $400,200, crime 4,769/100k
Monroe, LA : home $174,800, crime 7,626/100k
Slidell, LA : home $207,800, crime 2,541/100k
How does Alexandria compare to other US cities?
Where Alexandria sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income16% higher than other cities
Home value37% pricier than other cities
Median rent16% pricier than other cities
Safety0% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Louisiana alone, Alexandria ranks #60 of 60 Louisiana cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Alexandria against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Louisiana only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Louisiana-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Alexandria near the bottom of Louisiana's cities
Among the 477 Louisiana cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Alexandria ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Alexandria only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#244 of 426
43rd percentile in Louisiana
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 477
0th percentile in Louisiana
Median Home Value
#144 of 419
66th percentile in Louisiana
Poverty Rate
#161 of 475
66th percentile in Louisiana
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#99 of 477
79th percentile in Louisiana
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Louisiana only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
16th percentile nationally for median household income · 0th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Alexandria's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Alexandria's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Alexandria's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$182,800Among the most affordablemore affordable than 63% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Alexandria's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.9×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#10,253 of 15,516
More affordable than 34% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#1,846 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 3.9×, Alexandria sits in the moderate band:
national rank #10,253 of 15,516 and #1,846 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$47,357Alexandria, LA median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Alexandria, LA median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Alexandria, LA.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)24.2%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)21.2%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)52.3%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
44,566
Median Income
$47,357
Median Home Value
$182,800
Median Age
37.6
Poverty Rate
21.2%
Labor force participation
52.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
24.2%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
9309.9
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
2713.5
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
6596.3
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Climate
Avg Temperature
66.9°F
Annual Precipitation
54.5"
Annual Snowfall
N/A
Schools
Total Schools
25
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Alexandria's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
45,122 residents
2021
44,684 residents
2022
43,982 residents
2023
43,588 residents
2024
43,196 residents
2025
42,938 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
12
housing units authorized
Single-Family
12
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.3
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
69
69
0
$18.2M
2020
83
83
0
$21.9M
2021
94
94
0
$24.8M
2022
41
41
0
$11.8M
2023
13
13
0
$4.2M
2024
12
12
0
$6.0M
Permit volume decreased 83% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
18.8 minutes
Drive Alone
76.6%
Carpool
8.8%
Public Transit
3.0%
Walk
0.9%
Work from Home
4.7%
Other
6.0%
Based on 17,976 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Louisiana statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $212
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Louisiana at $212 (electricity about $130 , water and sewer about $42 ).
These are Louisiana statewide averages, not a meter reading for Alexandria. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Louisiana's BEA cost-of-living index is 88.2 (Well Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Alexandria is $1,007/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Louisiana statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 62.4 / 100 (Moderate).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Louisiana statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Alexandria sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Alexandria compares to similar-size Louisiana cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.