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Place dossier plate
SheetLA-GONZALES-LA · Gonzales, LA 12,748 pop · income 45th pct
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 Gonzales
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Gonzales on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
West Monroe · lowest
46,663
West Monroe · lowest
46,663 median HH income
34.4% of the leader · rank #1
Fort Myers Sh… · near
66,150
Fort Myers Sh… · near
66,150 median HH income
48.7% of the leader · rank #2
Kittitas · near
66,150
Kittitas · near
66,150 median HH income
48.7% of the leader · rank #3
Gonzales · this city
66,152
Gonzales · this city
66,152 median HH income
48.8% of the leader · rank #4
Rebersburg · near
66,154
Rebersburg · near
66,154 median HH income
48.8% of the leader · rank #5
North Syracuse · near
66,158
North Syracuse · near
66,158 median HH income
48.8% of the leader · rank #6
Manorville · highest
135,695
Manorville · highest
135,695 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 Gonzales 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: 12,748.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Gonzales - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Gonzales places in the 45th percentile for household income and the 6th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
45th
percentile, household income
46th
percentile, home value
16th
percentile, median rent
6th
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: Gonzales, LA
Gonzales is a small town in Louisiana, home to 12,748 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Gonzales brings in $66,152 a year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 7.5%. Home values in Gonzales run a median of $212,800, and the median resident age is 41.2 years. Educational attainment runs 26.5% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 57.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 103 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Slowing), down 18% from five years earlier. Gonzales's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 4299.0 in FBI UCR data, above the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Living costs in Louisiana run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Louisiana scores 88.2 (Well Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,007 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Louisiana run around $212, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 62.4 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Moderate).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Gonzales'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 comparison shortlist to population change to reported crime to schools and households to housing and income to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Gonzales, city-specific coverage includes annual population history, FBI reported-crime rates, matched public-school count, local building permits, commute-mode shares.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Comparison shortlist
Which cities make useful reference points for Gonzales?
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 West Monroe (12,837 residents, $46,663 income); Claiborne (12,647 residents, $69,173 income); Mandeville (12,931 residents, $89,122 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Greenville, OH (12,748 residents); Emeryville, CA (12,756 residents); Sandy, OR (12,738 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.
Is Gonzales growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +1,782 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +14.7% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 103 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 upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Gonzales?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 4299.0 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 89% 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.
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 8 public schools within the city match. 26.5% 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.
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.
Housing and income
How far does income reach against housing in Gonzales?
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 3.2 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 7.5%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Value / income
3.2×
Home value
$212,800
Household income
$66,152
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
What does the journey to work look like in Gonzales?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 76.7%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
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.
Drive alone
76.7%
Work from home
5.6%
Public transit
0.0%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 5,832 workers age 16+.
Below median income · poverty 7.5% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
88.2 (US=100)
Very affordable · BEA RPP 2024, Louisiana average
C-
City profile score · Gonzales, LA
52/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
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 C-
26.5%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Poverty rate C-
7.5%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Household income D
$66,152
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Violent crime F
365 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Gonzales profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 92/100 (A+) · 88.2 index
Bachelor's+ share: 52/100 (C-) · 26.5%
Poverty rate: 50/100 (C-) · 7.5%
Household income: 44/100 (D) · $66,152
Violent crime: 24/100 (F) · 365 /100k
Where Gonzales sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Gonzales'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 - Gonzales highlighted among 8 peers.Read the chart values
Gonzales, LA (this city): home $212,800, crime 4,299/100k
Emeryville, CA : home $598,300, crime 14,719/100k
Sandy, OR : home $450,200, crime 1,580/100k
Branson, MO : home $237,900, crime 6,494/100k
Woodhaven, MI : home $221,200, crime 1,655/100k
West Monroe, LA : home $174,400, crime 7,042/100k
Mandeville, LA : home $363,300, crime 1,364/100k
Baker, LA : home $146,700, crime 2,145/100k
How does Gonzales compare to other US cities?
Where Gonzales sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income45% higher than other cities
Home value46% pricier than other cities
Median rent16% pricier than other cities
Safety6% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Louisiana, Gonzales ranks #45 of 60 Louisiana cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Gonzales 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 Gonzales near the bottom of Louisiana's cities
Among the 477 Louisiana cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Gonzales ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Gonzales only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#122 of 426
71st percentile in Louisiana
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 477
0th percentile in Louisiana
Median Home Value
#91 of 419
78th percentile in Louisiana
Poverty Rate
#349 of 475
26th percentile in Louisiana
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#86 of 477
82nd 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
45th percentile nationally for median household income · 6th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Gonzales's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Gonzales'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 Gonzales's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$212,800Among the most affordablemore affordable than 54% 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
Gonzales's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.2×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#7,772 of 15,516
More affordable than 50% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#1,199 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 3.2×, Gonzales sits in the moderate band:
national rank #7,772 of 15,516 and #1,199 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
$66,152Gonzales, LA median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Gonzales, 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 Gonzales, LA.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)26.5%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)7.5%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)57.0%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
12,748
Median Income
$66,152
Median Home Value
$212,800
Median Age
41.2
Poverty Rate
7.5%
Labor force participation
57.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
26.5%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
4299.0
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
364.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
3934.4
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.
Schools
Total Schools
8
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Gonzales's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
12,148 residents
2021
12,462 residents
2022
12,943 residents
2023
13,652 residents
2024
13,753 residents
2025
13,930 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
🏗️ Slowing
Total Permits (2024)
103
housing units authorized
Single-Family
103
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
8.1
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
126
126
0
$23.7M
2020
183
183
0
$37.1M
2021
260
260
0
$54.9M
2022
392
125
267
$58.2M
2023
53
53
0
$9.4M
2024
103
103
0
$16.7M
Permit volume decreased 18% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
76.7%
Carpool
17.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
5.6%
Other
0.7%
Based on 5,832 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 Gonzales. 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 Gonzales 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 Gonzales sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Gonzales 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, 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.