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Plain Dealing vs Elton

178 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (3.5× in Plain Dealing) and average commute (14 min in Elton).

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Plain Dealing, LAKnown for its schoolsLouisiana · 929 people
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Elton, LAHomes around $124KLouisiana · 862 people
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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.

Plain DealingKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 88%of LA districts Housing$131K typical home39% below the LA typical home All about Plain Dealing →
EltonHomes around $124K
Housing$124K typical home43% below the LA typical home SchoolsBetter than 82%of LA districts All about Elton →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

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

Jobs per worker3.5×
Plain Dealing is more of a job hub
Plain Dealing 0.52Elton 0.15
Average commute14 min
Elton has the shorter commute
Plain Dealing 33 minElton 19 min
Property tax bill+24%
Tax bills are bigger in Plain Dealing
Plain Dealing $247Elton $199
★ What stands out · 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.

Plain Dealing$710/mo
Typical home $131K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.18% · or rent about $487/mo · Housing →
Elton$670/mo
Typical home $124K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.23% · or rent about $499/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.

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
APlain DealingBetter than 88% of districts in the state A−EltonBetter than 82% of districts in the state
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
Plain DealingElton
Snow a year1″0″
January low—39°F
July high—90°F
Growing season (days)—267d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)53rd91st
Outdoors & history
Plain DealingElton
National Register places—2
Archive photos92
Famous people born here91
Community
Plain DealingElton
Library hours a week45 hrs41 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

178 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Plain DealingLAEltonLA
Plain Dealing ↔ Elton178 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.

Plain DealingElton
People
Population 929Highest 862Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -12%Highest LA: +2.7% -12.1%Lowest LA: +2.7%
Median age 56.5±6Lowest 49% above LA 58.9±22.2Highest 55% above LA
Elton and Plain Dealing are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 13.9%±5.4Lowest LA: 23.5% 20%±9.7Highest LA: 23.5%
Elton and Plain Dealing are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 36.2%±4.7 LA: 16.7% 36.2%±0.4 LA: 16.7%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 12.5%Highest LA: 27% 9.8%Lowest LA: 27%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0.3%±1.6Lowest LA: 5.8% 3.4%±3.9Highest LA: 5.8%
Elton and Plain Dealing are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $48,894±$13kHighest 20% below LA $37,575±$9kLowest 38% below LA
Plain Dealing and Elton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $140,300±$42kHighest 35% below LA $84,900±$16kLowest 61% below LA
Plain Dealing and Elton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $487±$89Lowest 54% below LA $499±$390Highest 53% below LA
Elton and Plain Dealing are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $247Highest 79% below LA $199Lowest 83% below LA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 19.4%±13.7Lowest LA: 54.8% 31.8%±23.5Highest LA: 54.8%
Elton and Plain Dealing are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 20.6%Lowest LA: 18.9% 27.3%Highest LA: 18.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 65.8%Lowest LA: 67.4% 73.6%Highest LA: 67.4%
Typical home builtmedian year 1972Lowest 11 yrs older than LA 1975Highest 8 yrs older than LA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 33 minHighest 28% above LA 19 minLowest 26% below LA
Work from home 0%±6.3 LA: 8.1% 0%±4.2 LA: 8.1%
Work in townworking residents 1.5%Highest 0.8%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 29.3 miHighest 27.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.52Highest 0.15Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Shreveport (27%)Jennings (19%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in EltonFew work in Plain Dealing
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.3 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.2 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 51.6Lowest 63.3Highest
Schools
School district —Jefferson Davis Parish
High school in town —Elton High School
Students per teacherat that high school — 14.2
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.

Plain Dealing neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Plain Dealing’s Town Square.

Elton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Elton’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Plain Dealing

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Mer Rouge437 people · $66K 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.

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