Ruston is a city in and the parish seat of Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States. The 2020 population was 22,166. Ruston is near the eastern border of the Ark-La-Tex region and is the home of Louisiana Tech University. Ruston is the principal city of the Ruston micropolitan statistical area, which includes all of Lincoln Parish.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Ruston ranks

All →

#5Shortest commute in LA #6Most remote workers in LA #7Highest graduation rate in LA All LA rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code71270, 71272, 71273

Area code318

Living in Ruston

Housing in Ruston

$229K▲ 2.1% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Ruston home is worth about $229,000, up 2.1% in a year, 5% above the Louisiana typical home.

A seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market33

Sale-to-list99.9%

Sold in May17

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Ruston

Safety Grade D

Ruston reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 91% report less. Within Louisiana, it does better than 38% of towns.

Violent crime per 1,000

Ruston 2.9

Louisiana 4.7

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Ruston 35

Louisiana 18.6

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Work & commute in Ruston

Full picture →

42% of Ruston’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Monroe (7%), Shreveport (6%) and Grambling (3%). Half commute less than 9 miles.

Monroe

Shreveport

Grambling

West Monroe

42%Work in townlive and work in Ruston 9 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 13,465Jobs based herea job hub

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Ruston →

Health in Ruston

C⁻

Health Grade C−

Healthier than 18% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates, and 84% of towns with similar incomes.

Compared with Louisiana

7better than LA·7worse

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 18 are too close to call.

Conditions 7▲ 5 close Habits all close Care 2▼ 5 close Mind 1▼ 4 close Everyday needs 4▼ 0 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

5.2%Fewer adults who have had cancerLA 7.5% · better 22.9%Fewer adults with arthritisLA 29.7% · better 17.2%More adults without reliable transportationLA 11.3% · worse

Care nearby

Northern Louisiana Medical CenterRuston · 1.3 mi · ER

Mercy DentalRuston · 1 mi · sliding-scale fees

1 hospital · 2 health centers in Ruston →

Primary careShortage · county-wide

DentalShortage · county-wide

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Ruston · CMS · HRSAHealth in Ruston →

Natural hazards in Ruston

Low

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 38% of U.S. communities.

🌊 Inland flooding🌪️ Tornadoes💨 Strong wind

12Does Ruston flood?paid flood claims since 1989 13Disasters that paid out herefederal disasters sent FEMA money to Ruston

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Ruston →

Climate in Ruston

Full climate →

Ruston has mild winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 35°, and snow is almost unheard of.

59° / 37°Winter

76° / 52°Spring

92° / 70°Summer

77° / 53°Fall

How much snow does Ruston get?Almost none.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Nov 16, with the last in spring around Mar 11.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+1.0° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in Ruston →

Schools in Ruston

All Ruston schools →

School Grade A

The public schools Ruston’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 86% of Louisiana’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.

#34Best public schoolsof 153 in LA

DistrictLincoln ParishSchools11

Glen View Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades K–2 · 438 students A. E. Phillips Laboratory SchoolElementary · Grades K–8 · 412 students Cypress Springs Elementary School BElementary · Grades 3–5 · 369 students Ruston Elementary School B-Elementary · Grades 3–5 · 359 students Hillcrest Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades K–2 · 326 students Montessori School of RustonElementary · Grades PK–8 · 51 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within LA. Ratings are from neighbors.