Chalmette vs Metairie

Which is the better fit for you?

Chalmette, LA
53
Area Score
Bottom 29% nationally
Metairie, LA
57
Area Score
Bottom 45% nationally

Want a third or fourth place beside these? Open them in the shortlist and add more.

Metairie receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Chalmette to Metairie

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Everyday prices
About the same
Regional price level 91.2 against 91.2 (US = 100). Both places sit in the same price region, so the index cannot tell them apart.
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
The same
HUD benchmarks it at $1,331 in Metairie against $1,331 in Chalmette.
The median home
53% more
$327,500 in Metairie against $214,700 in Chalmette.
The weather you would swap
Winters 1°F colder
Normal January lows are 46°F in Metairie against 47°F in Chalmette; July highs are 91°F against 91°F (summers the same).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

Signals

Chalmette
Metairie
Opportunity: Metairie is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
41 · Bottom 19%
vs
63 · Top 37%
Growth: Chalmette is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
40 · Bottom 29%
vs
37 · Bottom 25%
Climate: Chalmette is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
78 · Top 20%
vs
77 · Top 23%
Physical resilience: Chalmette is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
32 · Bottom 25%
vs
31 · Bottom 24%
Housing affordability: Metairie is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
67 · Top 49%
vs
69 · Top 41%
Schools: Chalmette is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
64 · Top 31%
vs
58 · Top 39%
Access: Metairie is the more favorable of the two.
Access
90 · Bottom 39%
vs
95 · Top 42%
Economic stability: Metairie is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
32 · Bottom 12%
vs
53 · Bottom 41%

Measured values

MetricChalmetteMetairieSource period
Population22,616139,7292024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$54,904$73,042 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$29,914$46,765 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Population density3,152/sq mi6,033/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$214,700$327,5002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$1,110 — more favorable$1,1752024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,331$1,331FY2026
Cost of living index91.291.22023
Homeownership rate61.2%62.1%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate4.7%4.1% — more favorableJuly 2026
Employment change (year over year)−0.2%+0.1% — more favorableJuly 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher13.6%41.2% — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate24.6%12.0% — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)9956312 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents2.2 — more favorable1.312 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)−14.7%−10.2%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high91°F91°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low47°F46°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation60.1"63.3"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport18 mi5 mi — more favorableNASR current cycle
Average commute31.4 min23.3 min — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age35.241.32024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools6182024-25 school year
Students per teacher14.113.6 — more favorable2024-25 school year
Math proficiency72.4% — more favorable68.7%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency70.9% — more favorable69.5%2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility62.3%58.5%2024-25 school year

A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison. The year-over-year change is not marked either: a percentage on fewer than 300 units swings on a handful of permits.

Physical risk tradeoff

Chalmette

Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, coastal flooding.

Metairie

Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Chalmette
—
Chalmette: Your Score
53
Area Score
Metairie
—
Metairie: Your Score
57
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Chalmette, LA · Metairie, LA · How this is calculated: methodology