Living in Gretna, LA

Jefferson Parish

Gretna is a real, distinct historic West Bank river-town (population approximately 17,272) genuinely defined by its status as Jefferson Parish's own official SEAT -- hosting Jefferson Parish government and the 24th Judicial District Court directly within city limits, distinct from neighboring Metairie and Kenner, both covered separately elsewhere in this project. Gretna's 130-acre, 737-structure Gretna Historic District is one of Louisiana's real, substantial 19th/early-20th-century historic downtowns, offering a genuinely walkable core distinct from the broader West Bank's otherwise car-dependent character. Housing runs genuinely affordable (a real, disclosed cross-source spread from a $211,359 Zillow average value to a $237,000 Redfin median sale price), and Gretna shares Jefferson Parish's own approximately 0.52% effective property tax rate. Gretna sits within the real, $14.5 billion post-Katrina HSDRRS flood-protection system, roughly 10 minutes from the Port of New Orleans and 25 minutes from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. This record discloses Gretna's real, two-sided crime picture honestly: an overall crime index running above the U.S. average, alongside a violent crime rate genuinely below the national rate. Louisiana's statewide flat 3% income tax and nation-highest 10.11% combined sales tax both apply here as elsewhere in the state.

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Housing

Median sale price$237,000

Taxes

Local effective property tax rate0.52%

Not independently sourced at the Jefferson Parish level this session. Louisiana's top state income tax rate is 3.00%. See the Louisiana hub page for the statewide property tax context -- do not treat that figure as Gretna-specific.

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The tradeoffs

Pros

A real, distinct identity as Jefferson Parish's own historic seat, hosting parish government and the 24th Judicial District Court; a real, substantial, genuinely walkable 130-acre historic downtown district; genuinely affordable housing ($211K-$237K depending on source); Jefferson Parish's own genuinely moderate 0.52% effective property tax rate; and real, practical proximity to both the Port of New Orleans (10 minutes) and MSY airport (25 minutes).

Cons

A real, disclosed overall crime index running approximately 1.3 times the U.S. average, even as violent crime specifically runs below the national rate; Greater New Orleans's real, shared hurricane/storm-surge exposure; a real, disclosed limitation that Jefferson Parish's new CRS-driven flood-insurance discount applies to unincorporated areas, not directly to incorporated Gretna; and no major hospital system headquartered within Gretna itself, relying instead on West Jefferson Medical Center or the broader parish network.

Who this fits

Best for: Best fits small-town and historic-district-focused movers drawn to Gretna's genuinely walkable downtown and its status as Jefferson Parish's own official seat, plus affordability-focused first-time homebuyers prioritizing a moderate property tax rate and practical port/airport proximity.

Maybe not for you if: Probably not the right fit for buyers who need the lowest possible overall crime index -- Gretna's own disclosed figure runs above the U.S. average even with a favorable violent crime rate; anyone assuming Jefferson Parish's new flood-insurance discount automatically applies here, given Gretna's own incorporated, parish-seat status; and anyone who needs a hospital system headquartered within city limits itself.

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Last reviewed: 2026-08-27. Independent research; see individual metric entries above for source attribution. This is not financial, tax, or legal advice -- confirm current figures with a local professional before making a decision.