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

–HammondNot graded DRustonSafer than 9% of U.S. towns

Schools

B−HammondBetter than 54% of districts in the state ARustonBetter than 86% of districts in the state

Health

DHammondHealthier than 10% of U.S. towns C−RustonHealthier than 18% of U.S. towns

7Hammond

15Ruston

Lists won, of 22 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Highest graduation rateSchools · 161 towns #132#7 Best schoolsSchools · 153 towns #124#34 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 163 towns #81#158 Lowest depressionHealth · 163 towns #76#144 Cheapest rentCost of living · 161 towns #102#38 Most conserved landOutdoors · 147 towns #97#52 Most remote workersWork · 158 towns #51#6 Most new homesHousing · 91 towns #2#27

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

Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

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%

Hammond$1,280/mo

Typical home $225K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.55% · or rent about $1,061/mo · Housing →

Ruston$1,290/mo

Typical home $229K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.49% · or rent about $816/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

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.

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

HammondRuston

Snow a year0″0″

January low—35°F

July high—92°F

Growing season (days)—248d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)93rd 38th

Outdoors & history

HammondRuston

Trails6 mi 7 mi

Conserved land0.6%1.5%

Settled1818 1885

National Register places16 21

Archive photos12 6

Famous people born here—50

Community

HammondRuston

Library hours a week58 hrs 66 hrs

Colleges in town1 1

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

190 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

HammondLA RustonLA

Hammond ↔ Ruston190 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

HammondRuston

People

Population 21,539Lowest 22,284Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -2.2%Lowest LA: +2.7% +1.4%Highest LA: +2.7%

Median age 27.7±2.5Highest 27% below LA 24.3±1.1Lowest 36% below LA

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

Kids under 18 21%±3.2Highest LA: 23.5% 14.3%±1.9Lowest LA: 23.5%

Age 65+ 12.9%±2Highest LA: 16.7% 12.1%±1.7Lowest LA: 16.7%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 27.7%Lowest LA: 27% 40.2%Highest LA: 27%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 20.6%±2Lowest LA: 5.8% 29.8%±3.1Highest LA: 5.8%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $48,166±$7kHighest 21% below LA $31,120±$2kLowest 49% below LA

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $221,400±$15kLowest about the LA average $225,300±$21kHighest 4% above LA

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,061±$84Highest about the LA average $816±$57Lowest 23% below LA

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,209Highest about the LA average $1,110Lowest 6% below LA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 69.5%±8.7Highest LA: 54.8% 67%±8.5Lowest LA: 54.8%

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

Below poverty line 28.9%Lowest LA: 18.9% 39.8%Highest LA: 18.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 46%Highest LA: 67.4% 36.2%Lowest LA: 67.4%

Typical home builtmedian year 1984Highest 1 yr newer than LA 1983Lowest same as LA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 21 minHighest 18% below LA 15 minLowest 41% below LA

Work from home 7.6%±2.9Lowest LA: 8.1% 14.9%±3Highest LA: 8.1%

Work in townworking residents 27.6%Lowest 41.8%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 18.3 miHighest 9.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.92Highest 1.78Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Amite City (6%)Monroe (7%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in RustonFew work in Hammond

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.6%Lowest 1.5%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 6.1 miLowest 7.3 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 miHighest 0.3 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 5Lowest 11Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 60.3Highest 45.2Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #124 of 153 in LA #34 of 153 in LA

School district Tangipahoa ParishLincoln Parish

High school in town None in townRuston High School

Students per teacherat that high school — 12.5

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.

Hammond neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Hammond’s Town Square.

Ruston neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ruston’s Town Square.

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Bordering Hammond

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Ponchatoula7,808 people · $200K homes

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Natalbany2,416 people · $151K homes

Towns like Hammond

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Natchitoches17,577 people · $193K homes

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West Monroe12,729 people · $192K homes

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Monroe47,004 people · $199K homes

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Pineville14,160 people · $202K 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.

Hammond vs Ruston

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

Ruston places higher on 15 of 22 LA lists

A typical home costs about the same each month

What daily life feels like in each

190 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Hammond and Ruston

Bordering Hammond

Towns like Hammond

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