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

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

Schools

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

Health

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

15Ruston

7Hammond

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

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

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

Ruston$1,290/mo

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

Hammond$1,280/mo

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

RustonHammond

Snow a year0″0″

January low35°F —

July high92°F —

Growing season (days)248d —

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

Outdoors & history

RustonHammond

Trails7 mi 6 mi

Conserved land1.5%0.6%

Settled1885 1818

National Register places21 16

Archive photos6 12

Famous people born here50 —

Community

RustonHammond

Library hours a week66 hrs 58 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.

RustonLA HammondLA

Ruston ↔ Hammond190 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

RustonHammond

People

Population 22,284Highest 21,539Lowest

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

Median age 24.3±1.1Lowest 36% below LA 27.7±2.5Highest 27% 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 14.3%±1.9Lowest LA: 23.5% 21%±3.2Highest LA: 23.5%

Age 65+ 12.1%±1.7Lowest LA: 16.7% 12.9%±2Highest 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+ 40.2%Highest LA: 27% 27.7%Lowest LA: 27%

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

Cost of living

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

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

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

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

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

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 67%±8.5Lowest LA: 54.8% 69.5%±8.7Highest 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 39.8%Highest LA: 18.9% 28.9%Lowest LA: 18.9%

Housing

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

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

Getting to work

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

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

Work in townworking residents 41.8%Highest 27.6%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.3 miLowest 18.3 miHighest

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

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

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in HammondFew work in Ruston

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.5%Highest 0.6%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 7.3 miHighest 6.1 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miLowest 0.4 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 11Highest 5Lowest

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

Schools

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

School district Lincoln ParishTangipahoa Parish

High school in town Ruston High SchoolNone in town

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.

Ruston neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ruston’s Town Square.

Hammond neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Hammond’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Ruston and Hammond

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

Bordering Ruston

+ Compare

Grambling5,287 people · $182K homes

Towns like Ruston

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Natchitoches17,577 people · $193K homes

+ Compare

Monroe47,004 people · $199K homes

+ Compare

West Monroe12,729 people · $192K homes

+ Compare

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.

Ruston vs Hammond

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 Ruston and Hammond

Bordering Ruston

Towns like Ruston

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