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%

Patterson$860/mo

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

Franklin$560/mo

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

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

Schools

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

Health

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

10Patterson

7Franklin

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

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

Left end = #1 in Louisiana. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Patterson’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

PattersonFranklin

Snow a year0″0″

January low45°F 44°F

July high91°F 90°F

Growing season (days)335d 303d

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

Outdoors & history

PattersonFranklin

Trails—1 mi

Conserved land—12.6%

Settled1832 1808

National Register places2 11

Archive photos—17

Famous people born here12 21

Community

PattersonFranklin

Library hours a week49 hrs 49 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined1 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

14 miles apart

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

PattersonFranklin

Patterson ↔ Franklin14 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

PattersonFranklin

People

Population 5,744Lowest 6,461Highest

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

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

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

Kids under 18 30.7%±7Highest LA: 23.5% 28.2%±5.1Lowest 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+ 14.2%±3.9Lowest LA: 16.7% 18.8%±3.1Highest 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%Lowest LA: 27% 9.9%Highest LA: 27%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.8%±1.5Highest LA: 5.8% 1.7%±1.3Lowest 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 $49,886±$18kHighest 18% below LA $39,518±$4kLowest 35% 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 $160,400±$19kHighest 26% below LA $104,400±$10kLowest 52% below LA

Rentmedian gross, monthly $878±$112Highest 17% below LA $814±$123Lowest 23% 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 $455Highest 61% below LA $248Lowest 79% below LA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 66.4%±20.5Highest LA: 54.8% 45.5%±11.5Lowest 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 22.9%Lowest LA: 18.9% 27.3%Highest LA: 18.9%

Housing

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

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

Getting to work

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

Work from home 10.3%±9Highest LA: 8.1% 5.4%±4Lowest 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 6.7%Lowest 25.8%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 23.8 miHighest 22.3 miLowest

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

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

Between these townsresidents who work in the others 11% work in Franklin1% work in Patterson

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 12.6%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.6 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.1 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 79.1Highest 38.1Lowest

Schools

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

School district St. Mary ParishSt. Mary Parish

High school in town None in townFranklin Senior High School

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.

Patterson neighborsTown Square →

1 neighbor in Patterson can answer.

Franklin neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Franklin’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Patterson and Franklin

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

Towns like Patterson

+ Compare

Kaplan4,238 people · $156K homes

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Marksville4,905 people · $152K homes

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Jeanerette4,655 people · $98K homes

+ Compare

Rayne7,105 people · $157K 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.

Patterson vs Franklin

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

Set another town beside Patterson and Franklin

Towns like Patterson

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