Guest, Sign inJoin
Compare towns

Bernice vs Simmesport

137 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (2× in Bernice) and trails (3× in Simmesport).

×
Bernice, LAOne of the healthiest townsLouisiana · 1,355 people
×
Simmesport, LAOne of the healthiest townsLouisiana · 1,625 people
Swap order
Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

BerniceOne of the healthiest towns
Health96% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Housing$110K typical home49% below the LA typical home HistorySettled in 18995 places on the National Register All about Bernice →
SimmesportOne of the healthiest towns
Health99% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates HistorySettled in 18112 places on the National Register SchoolsBetter than 70%of LA districts All about Simmesport →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Property tax bill2×
Tax bills are bigger in Bernice
Bernice $393Simmesport $199
Trails3×
Simmesport has more miles of trail
Simmesport 1.8 miBernice 0.6 mi
Average commute14 min
Bernice has the shorter commute
Simmesport 36 minBernice 21 min
Growth since 2010+12.4 pts
Bernice has grown faster since 2010
Bernice -19.7%Simmesport -32.1%
Jobs per worker2.3×
Simmesport is more of a job hub
Simmesport 0.82Bernice 0.36
Work in town+12.1 pts
More of Simmesport’s workers stay in town
Simmesport 16.8%Bernice 4.7%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $270 more a month in Bernice

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Bernice$620/mo
Typical home $110K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.49% · or rent about $695/mo · Housing →
Simmesport$350/mo
Typical home $63K (Census) · tax rate 0.32% · or rent about $619/mo · Housing →

The difference: $270 a month, about $3,300 a year, between Bernice and Simmesport.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Louisiana ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Schools
–BerniceNot graded B+SimmesportBetter than 70% of districts in the state
Health
D−BerniceHealthier than 4% of U.S. towns D−SimmesportHealthier than under 1% of U.S. towns
Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
BerniceSimmesport
Snow a year1″0″
January low—39°F
July high—93°F
Growing season (days)—270d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)46th77th
Outdoors & history
BerniceSimmesport
Trails1 mi2 mi
Conserved land0%0%
Settled18991811
National Register places52
Archive photos54
Famous people born here103
Community
BerniceSimmesport
Library hours a week—28 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

137 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BerniceLASimmesportLA
Bernice ↔ Simmesport137 miles apart
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

BerniceSimmesport
People
Population 1,355Lowest 1,625Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -19.7%Highest LA: +2.7% -32.1%Lowest LA: +2.7%
Median age 41.8±14.4Highest 10% above LA 40.1±8.8Lowest 6% above LA
Bernice and Simmesport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 21%±9.1Lowest LA: 23.5% 24.4%±6.9Highest LA: 23.5%
Simmesport and Bernice are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 17.1%±5.5Lowest LA: 16.7% 19.6%±3.8Highest LA: 16.7%
Simmesport and Bernice are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 7.8%Highest LA: 27% 3.4%Lowest LA: 27%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.7%±5.4Highest LA: 5.8% 2.8%±3.2Lowest LA: 5.8%
Bernice and Simmesport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $26,399±$15kLowest 57% below LA $29,712±$13kHighest 51% below LA
Simmesport and Bernice are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $80,300±$20kHighest 63% below LA $63,100±$9kLowest 71% below LA
Bernice and Simmesport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $695±$168Highest 35% below LA $619±$180Lowest 42% below LA
Bernice and Simmesport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $393Highest 67% below LA $199Lowest 83% below LA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 58.9%±22.5Lowest LA: 54.8% 69.4%±26.5Highest LA: 54.8%
Simmesport and Bernice are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 28.1%Lowest LA: 18.9% 37.6%Highest LA: 18.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 68.4%Highest LA: 67.4% 61.9%Lowest LA: 67.4%
Typical home builtmedian year 1977Highest 6 yrs older than LA 1975Lowest 8 yrs older than LA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 21 minLowest 17% below LA 36 minHighest 38% above LA
Work from home 1.1%±1.2Lowest LA: 8.1% 1.3%±2.2Highest LA: 8.1%
Simmesport and Bernice are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 4.7%Lowest 16.8%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 26.8 miHighest 19.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.36Lowest 0.82Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Farmerville (11%)Marksville (12%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in SimmesportFew work in Bernice
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.6 miLowest 1.8 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 0.8 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 42.1Lowest 52.8Highest
Schools
School district —Avoyelles Parish
High school in town —None in town
Louisiana average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Bernice neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Bernice’s Town Square.

Simmesport neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Simmesport’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Bernice and Simmesport

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Towns like Bernice

+ Compare
Ringgold1,405 people · $93K homes
P
+ Compare
Pine Prairie934 people
O
+ Compare
Olla1,179 people · $119K homes
+ Compare
Duson1,282 people · $54K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Post to Bernice

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in