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.

Down paymentRate%

Franklin$560/mo

Typical home $104K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.24% · or rent about $814/mo · Housing →

Kaplan$750/mo

Typical home $141K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.13% · or rent about $826/mo · Housing →

The difference: $190 a month, about $2,300 a year, between Kaplan and Franklin.

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

Franklin places higher on 10 of 20 LA lists

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

A−FranklinBetter than 77% of districts in the state AKaplanBetter than 91% of districts in the state

Health

D−FranklinHealthier than 1% of U.S. towns D−KaplanHealthier than 1% of U.S. towns

10Franklin

9Kaplan

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most walkableOutdoors · 163 towns #120#1 Best schoolsSchools · 153 towns #122#25 Lowest depressionHealth · 163 towns #46#144 Most conserved landOutdoors · 147 towns #5#61 Most remote workersWork · 158 towns #79#135 Fastest growingGrowth · 163 towns #145#103 Lowest obesityHealth · 163 towns #138#109 Most affordableCost of living · 163 towns #28#54

Left end = #1 in Louisiana. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Franklin’s rankings →

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

FranklinKaplan

Snow a year0″0″

January low44°F —

July high90°F —

Growing season (days)303d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)90th 90th

Outdoors & history

FranklinKaplan

Trails1 mi —

Conserved land12.6%—

Settled1808 1902

National Register places11 —

Archive photos11 6

Famous people born here21 5

Community

FranklinKaplan

Library hours a week49 hrs 35 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

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

49 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

FranklinLA KaplanLA

Franklin ↔ Kaplan49 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.

Only big differences vs Louisiana average

FranklinKaplan

People

Population 6,461Highest 4,238Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -12.2%Lowest LA: +2.7% -5.4%Highest LA: +2.7%

Median age 37.7±4.9Lowest about the LA average 39.3±10.9Highest 3% above LA

Kaplan and Franklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 28.2%±5.1Highest LA: 23.5% 26.5%±7.5Lowest LA: 23.5%

Franklin and Kaplan are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 18.8%±3.1Highest LA: 16.7% 16.2%±4.8Lowest LA: 16.7%

Franklin and Kaplan are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 9.9%Highest LA: 27% 8.9%Lowest LA: 27%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.7%±1.3Lowest LA: 5.8% 12%±4.5Highest LA: 5.8%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $39,518±$4kLowest 35% below LA $40,109±$21kHighest 34% below LA

Kaplan and Franklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $104,400±$10kLowest 52% below LA $156,200±$23kHighest 28% below LA

Rentmedian gross, monthly $814±$123Lowest 23% below LA $826±$150Highest 22% below LA

Kaplan and Franklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $248Highest 79% below LA $199Lowest 83% below LA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 45.5%±11.5Lowest LA: 54.8% 63.6%±7.8Highest LA: 54.8%

Kaplan and Franklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 27.3%Lowest LA: 18.9% 35.3%Highest LA: 18.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 60.8%Highest LA: 67.4% 58.5%Lowest LA: 67.4%

Typical home builtmedian year 1966Lowest 17 yrs older than LA 1973Highest 10 yrs older than LA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 21 minHighest 18% below LA 21 minLowest 18% below LA

Work from home 5.4%±4Highest LA: 8.1% 2.5%±3.3Lowest LA: 8.1%

Franklin and Kaplan are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 25.8%Highest 11.9%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 22.3 miHighest 19.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.31Highest 0.59Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Lafayette (7%)Lafayette (20%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in KaplanFew work in Franklin

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 12.6%Highest 1.3%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.6 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Highest 0Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 38.1Lowest 169Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #122 of 153 in LA #25 of 153 in LA

School district St. Mary ParishVermilion Parish

High school in town Franklin Senior High SchoolKaplan High School

Students per teacherat that high school 15.4Lowest 19.9Highest

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.

Franklin neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Franklin’s Town Square.

Kaplan neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Kaplan’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Franklin and Kaplan

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Towns like Franklin

+ Compare

Jeanerette4,655 people · $98K homes

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Oakdale6,546 people · $99K homes

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Patterson5,744 people · $160K homes

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Marksville4,905 people · $152K 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.

Franklin vs Kaplan

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $190 more a month in Kaplan

Franklin places higher on 10 of 20 LA lists

What daily life feels like in each

49 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Franklin and Kaplan

Towns like Franklin

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