If you’re 65 or over and live in Louisiana, get out now.
If you’re not yet 65 and live in Louisiana, get out before you reach that age.
According to 24/7 Wall Street, that online service that does surveys on government, consumerism and just about anything else, Louisiana is the 4th worst state in which older Americans can reside.
Worse even than Alabama (though barely: it was 5th worst), but better than West Virginia (the worst), Arkansas (a surprise at 2nd worst) and of course, Mississippi (3rd worst).
We already know that lousy political support makes Louisiana a horrible state for teachers of all ages, so, what, exactly, makes Louisiana such a poor choice for older Americans?
Well, for openers, try these statistics on for size:
Our life expectancy at age 65 of 83.1 years is tied for 8th lowest. West Virginia is lowest at 82.5 years.
We’re 8th highest with 38 percent of our population aged 65 and older with a disability (welcome to my world).
Our poverty rate of 12.4 percent for those 65 and older is tied with Mississippi for 2nd highest in the nation (New Mexico is highest at 13.3 percent).
The $36,345 median income for 65 and older households is 2nd lowest (West Virginia was lowest at $36,147 while Mississippi and Arkansas have the 3rd and 4th lowest median incomes for older households, respectively).
Louisiana has the 10th lowest population aged 65 and older at 720,610 which could mean that our older citizens, like my good friend and Ruston High School classmate John Sachs, took the hint and left the state (though John’s choice of Arkansas is somewhat questionable in retrospect).
In case you’re wondering, the national median income of retirement-age households is $44,992, more than $8,600 higher than Louisiana.
As an added incentive for us old folks to git while the gittin’s good, Louisiana crime rate—both property and violent crime—ranks among the highest in the country. (With our open carry laws and our obsession with guns to protect ourselves, you’d think that figure would be a little lower. Just sayin’.)
But even though I flooded in 2016 and subsequently was screwed by FEMA and the Restore Louisiana program, I was born in this state, my children and grandchildren live here, and while I abhor Baton Rouge traffic, I love Louisiana’s people, our culture, our food and our music.
I’m stayin’.
Louisiana Voice 
I’m staying, too, but my arguments to myself on why I should stay get more tenuous the longer I linger.
Tom, I am 64, but I will stick it out. Despite those sobering numbers. To borrow a line from a movie: “I have more past than future.”. Thus, no reason to leave now.
Me, too. Sad in a way.
And this is news? For those of us that work in the public sector, this is not a surprise. I have contemplated moving and looked around—the blue states will eat me alive in taxes and cost of living—earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, cold weather…the grass always looks greener from the other side, doesn’t it? Until one realizes that their manure is of higher quality. I am familiar with the problems…too late to change; I’ll be changing a set of problems for another. Let’s stay and change from within, a Sisyphean task, but we can try.
well, I’m staying. Unless I win the powerball then it’s AMF!!!!
Since I’ve been “outed” for having moved to Arkansas (strictly a family uniting measure) I will say that Arkansas has been welcoming. Of course, Louisiana was also such for the 75 years that I spent there. So in spite of both states negatives, they both offer many positives that make life in either lots of fun. Call it a tossup.
My kids are on either coast – bastions of high cost of living, much worse transportation issues than we have, and cultures that don’t particularly like old people. My son wanted me to move to Reno afternoon my mom died. His in-laws are there, they love it. But bayou water runs thick in in my veins, straight through my heart and soul. I think I’m going to be here at least a while longer.
My wife and I are not even from here but might stay. The kids were born here, and a lot of what we do will depend on what they do. If they stay, so will we. That said, it is looking less and less likely we’ll be able to afford to retire until our eighties, for the reasons you lay out related to low income and high healthcare. And by that time we’ll be too worn out to move. Besides, I want to see how the Jeff Landry thing ends….
the reason the stats are so bad is that a huge portion of the population is poor before they retire so you can’t expect it to get better for them after they retire. However, I have been in quite a few retirement homes here in Lafayette and I don’t want to go there. I’d rather die. However, I own an inexpensive home in a non flood zone, it requires driving to get to stores and services but not very far. The traffic is terrible at rush hour but not too bad at other times. I’ve lived in Colorado and it’s far worse, believe me. It would be hard to beat our situation here, really. Since we have a decent income, it is easy but I do worry about the future. Healthcare here is no better or worse than other places I’ve lived and maybe easier to access. It is a hard state for a rich person to retire but if you are in good financial shape before you do and can get an affordable house it’s pretty sweet.