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 →

Patterson$860/mo

Typical home $157K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.28% · or rent about $878/mo · Housing →

The difference: $290 a month, about $3,500 a year, between Patterson 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

Patterson places higher on 10 of 19 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.

Safety

–FranklinNot graded BPattersonSafer than 63% of U.S. towns

Schools

A−FranklinBetter than 77% of districts in the state A−PattersonBetter than 77% of districts in the state

Health

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

7Franklin

10Patterson

Lists won, of 19 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Shortest commuteGetting around · 163 towns #44#145 Best schoolsSchools · 153 towns #122#37 Most walkableOutdoors · 163 towns #120#46 Lowest depressionHealth · 163 towns #46#107 Fastest growingGrowth · 163 towns #145#85 Most remote workersWork · 158 towns #79#24 Most affordableCost of living · 163 towns #28#60 Highest incomeIncome · 162 towns #129#100

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

FranklinPatterson

Snow a year0″0″

January low44°F 45°F

July high90°F 91°F

Growing season (days)303d 335d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)90th 92nd

Outdoors & history

FranklinPatterson

Trails1 mi —

Conserved land12.6%—

Settled1808 1832

National Register places11 2

Archive photos17 —

Famous people born here21 12

Community

FranklinPatterson

Library hours a week49 hrs 49 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 1

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

14 miles apart

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

FranklinPatterson

Franklin ↔ Patterson14 miles apart

Who commutes between them

234 Patterson residents work in Franklin (11.3% of its workers)

35 Franklin residents work in Patterson (1.3% of its workers)

Work & commute in Patterson →

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

FranklinPatterson

People

Population 6,461Highest 5,744Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -12.2%Lowest LA: +2.7% -3%Highest LA: +2.7%

Median age 37.7±4.9Highest about the LA average 36.3±5.8Lowest 4% below LA

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

Kids under 18 28.2%±5.1Lowest LA: 23.5% 30.7%±7Highest LA: 23.5%

Patterson and Franklin 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% 14.2%±3.9Lowest LA: 16.7%

Franklin and Patterson 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% 9%Lowest LA: 27%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.7%±1.3Lowest LA: 5.8% 1.8%±1.5Highest LA: 5.8%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $39,518±$4kLowest 35% below LA $49,886±$18kHighest 18% below LA

Patterson 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 $160,400±$19kHighest 26% below LA

Rentmedian gross, monthly $814±$123Lowest 23% below LA $878±$112Highest 17% below LA

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $248Lowest 79% below LA $455Highest 61% below LA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 45.5%±11.5Lowest LA: 54.8% 66.4%±20.5Highest LA: 54.8%

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

Below poverty line 27.3%Highest LA: 18.9% 22.9%Lowest LA: 18.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 60.8%Highest LA: 67.4% 56.2%Lowest LA: 67.4%

Typical home builtmedian year 1966Lowest 17 yrs older than LA 1980Highest 3 yrs older than LA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 21 minLowest 18% below LA 31 minHighest 22% above LA

Work from home 5.4%±4Lowest LA: 8.1% 10.3%±9Highest LA: 8.1%

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

Work in townworking residents 25.8%Highest 6.7%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 22.3 miLowest 23.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.31Highest 0.29Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Lafayette (7%)Morgan City (16%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others 1% work in Patterson11% work in Franklin

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 12.6%Highest 0%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 79.1Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #122 of 153 in LA #37 of 153 in LA

School district St. Mary ParishSt. Mary Parish

High school in town Franklin Senior High SchoolNone in town

Students per teacherat that high school 15.4 —

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.

Patterson neighborsTown Square →

T Weaver · 5d

Patterson Schools

1 neighbor in Patterson can answer.

Add a town

Set another town beside Franklin and Patterson

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

Towns like Franklin

+ Compare

Jeanerette4,655 people · $98K homes

+ Compare

Oakdale6,546 people · $99K homes

+ Compare

Kaplan4,238 people · $156K homes

+ Compare

Marksville4,905 people · $152K homes

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Louisiana towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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 Patterson

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $290 more a month in Patterson

Patterson places higher on 10 of 19 LA lists

What daily life feels like in each

14 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Patterson Schools

Set another town beside Franklin and Patterson

Towns like Franklin

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