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Place dossier plate
SheetLA-HAMMOND-LA · Hammond, LA 20,790 pop · income 9th pct · 31 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 Hammond
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Hammond on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Ruston · lowest
32,765
Ruston · lowest
32,765 median HH income
17.9% of the leader · rank #1
Gaffney · near
41,214
Gaffney · near
41,214 median HH income
22.5% of the leader · rank #2
Bonnetsville · near
41,217
Bonnetsville · near
41,217 median HH income
22.5% of the leader · rank #3
Hammond · this city
41,222
Hammond · this city
41,222 median HH income
22.5% of the leader · rank #4
Walnut Grove · near
41,223
Walnut Grove · near
41,223 median HH income
22.5% of the leader · rank #5
Chester · near
41,231
Chester · near
41,231 median HH income
22.5% of the leader · rank #6
North Bellmore · highest
183,250
North Bellmore · highest
183,250 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
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Hammond on ACS population and median household income
. 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: 20,790.
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Hammond places in the 9th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.
9th
percentile, household income
48th
percentile, home value
16th
percentile, median rent
📝 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: Hammond, LA
Hammond is a small city in Louisiana, home to 20,790 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Hammond households earn a median of $41,222 annually, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 27.8%. Hammond's housing stock carries a median value of $219,400, and the median resident age is 26.4 years. About 30.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 53.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 464 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 139% from five years earlier. NOAA puts Hammond's yearly average temperature at 66.8°F with 64.2 inches of precipitation per year.
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. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Louisiana's average monthly utility costs around $212 (state average). Natural-hazard exposure scores 62.4 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Moderate).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Hammond'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 schools and households to housing and income to work and mobility to comparison shortlist to within-city variation to climate and hazard context to population change; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Hammond, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, annual population history, commute-mode shares, local building permits, within-city Census tract profiles.
No matched row is reported here for FBI reported-crime rates; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
Question 1
What does the education layer cover for Hammond?
The NCES join finds 6 public schools within the city match. 30.6% 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.
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.
How far does income reach against housing in Hammond?
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 5.3 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 27.8%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
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. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
Which cities make useful reference points for Hammond?
Within Louisiana, the closest population matches are Sulphur (21,004 residents, $58,044 income); Harvey (21,710 residents, $43,524 income); Zachary (19,637 residents, $90,507 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Louisville, CO (20,788 residents); North Liberty, IA (20,782 residents); North Bellmore, NY (20,776 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.
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.
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.
PlainCities matches 31 Census tracts to this city.
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.
Work and mobility
What does the journey to work look like in Hammond?
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.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 77.4%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Public transit
0.1%
Work from home
6.6%
Drive alone
77.4%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 8,664 workers age 16+.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 66.8°F, with 64.2 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.
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.
Mean temperature
66.8°F
Annual precipitation
64.2 in
FEMA risk index (state avg)
62.4
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
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.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +4,416 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +22.5% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 464 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
+22.5%
2025 estimate
24,032
2020 estimate
19,616
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
Lowest-decile income · poverty 27.8% (Highest-decile poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
88.2 (US=100)
Very affordable · BEA RPP 2024, Louisiana average
F
City profile score · Hammond, LA
37/100
4 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
30.6%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income F
$41,222
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
27.8%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime N/A
N/A
No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).
Hammond profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 92/100 (A+) · 88.2 index
Bachelor's+ share: 59/100 (C) · 30.6%
Household income: 8/100 (F) · $41,222
Poverty rate: 3/100 (F) · 27.8%
How does Hammond compare to other US cities?
Hammond measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income9% higher than other cities
Home value48% pricier than other cities
Median rent16% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Hammond 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 Hammond near the bottom of Louisiana's cities
Among the 477 Louisiana cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Hammond ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Hammond only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#290 of 426
32nd percentile in Louisiana
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 477
0th percentile in Louisiana
Median Home Value
#83 of 419
80th percentile in Louisiana
Poverty Rate
#105 of 475
78th percentile in Louisiana
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#60 of 477
87th 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
9th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
How Hammond's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$219,400Among the most affordablemore affordable than 52% 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
Hammond's home-value-to-income ratio: 5.3×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#13,350 of 15,516
More affordable than 14% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#2,751 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 5.3×, Hammond sits in the pressured band:
national rank #13,350 of 15,516 and #2,751 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median, a comparison flag, not a verdict on any household.
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
$41,222Hammond, LA median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Hammond, 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 Hammond, LA.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)30.6%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)27.8%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)53.4%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
20,790
Median Income
$41,222
Median Home Value
$219,400
Median Age
26.4
Poverty Rate
27.8%
Labor force participation
53.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
30.6%
Climate
Avg Temperature
66.8°F
Annual Precipitation
64.2"
Annual Snowfall
N/A
Schools
Total Schools
6
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Hammond's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
19,616 residents
2021
20,424 residents
2022
21,462 residents
2023
22,428 residents
2024
23,347 residents
2025
24,032 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
464
housing units authorized
Single-Family
78
detached homes
Multifamily
386
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
22.3
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
194
79
115
$28.2M
2020
570
109
461
$63.0M
2021
684
125
559
$76.2M
2022
662
75
587
$67.6M
2023
562
77
485
$59.4M
2024
464
78
386
$49.8M
Permit volume increased 139% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
77.4%
Carpool
10.9%
Public Transit
0.1%
Walk
4.9%
Work from Home
6.6%
Based on 8,664 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 Hammond. 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 Hammond 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 Hammond sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Hammond 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, 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.