Lafayette, LA, Is a Great Place to Raise a Family
This southern community has everything families need to thrive.
Lafayette, Louisiana’s many draws – from its unique culture, various food and entertainment options, and booming industries, like tech, manufacturing and logistics – are likely enough to convince anyone to relocate to this charming city. But Lafayette happens to also be a wonderful place to plant roots and raise a family. Ahead, find out from a few residents why this city is perfect for families.
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There’s plenty of entertainment for everyone.
Eli Ramirez and his wife, Lilly, are both University of Louisiana at Lafayette alumni, and after spending some time in Texas, they returned to Lafayette to be closer to family as their own continued to grow. Lilly says that while living in Texas, they visited Lafayette quite a bit – and had more fun on those trips than back at home.
Speaking of fun, it never stops in Lafayette. The downtown is chock-full of great restaurants and live music opportunities, plus this community offers a variety of parks and museums to wander through.
“The city has done a good job of adding a lot of different aspects to Moncus Park, which makes you want to take your family to enjoy it,” Eli says. “Downtown is also really big for us; it has a great food and culture scene, and they’re adding a kids playground to Parc Sans Souci.”
Other great things locals enjoy here include the Children’s Museum of Acadiana and Lafayette’s abundant live music scene, from outdoor sets at Moncus Park to full productions at the Heymann Center.
“You get a good mixture of doing things with kids and as a husband and wife, as well,” Eli says. “It’s the best of both worlds.”
Maggi Bienvenu shares the same sentiments. “Most weekends there’s usually a festival to go to,” she says. “And the Acadiana Center for the Arts is always bringing in world-class acts and celebrating local and international art.”
Speaking of celebrating, the Lafayette Parish is celebrating its bicentennial with a series of events throughout 2023. Check out the list of events here.
A helpful, welcoming and diverse community.
We’ve all heard that it takes a village to raise a child. The good news is that the village that families are looking for actually exists in Lafayette.
For example, Lilly, who was born and raised in Lafayette, says her family has plenty of child care options, from people she grew up with to relatives of people she has gotten to know well. This kind of generosity isn’t just experienced by locals.
Eli, who was initially a newcomer to Lafayette, says the community welcomed him with open arms.
“It is more magical for me (than for Lilly),” he says. “I know how welcoming it’s been for me, and I know my kids are going to go through a similar experience. It’s so easy to get groups together for kids to play and make friends.”
Eli also touches on the various “vibrant hubs” within the city of Lafayette, which are especially present downtown.
“You do find that downtown, the families and people who are single and working remotely make up these pockets of different communities coming together. You can walk around downtown and connect with people easily.
Bienvenu, who works for One Acadiana, often hears from employers that the people of Lafayette are the primary reason they made the city a home base for their company.
“We have a good time here,” she says. “There’s such a great sense of community. Employers that choose to settle here find that their people actually feel welcomed.”
An affordable cost of living makes a difference.
“I definitely think it’s affordable to live here,” says Eli, who recalls recently reviewing a study that the Lafayette Economic Development Authority did regarding relocation statistics.
“For us, moving back to Lafayette from Houston, the idea was that we could take a drop in pay by 5% and have the same purchasing power. Even in regular life, we have our kids in day care, and when we asked about pricing, they said they were on the higher end, which comes out to almost the same for two kids as what we paid in Houston for one.”
Bienvenu feels similarly about Lafayette’s cost of living, noting that opportunities for fun and entertainment are constantly arriving, which further increases the potential for how people spend their extra time and resources.
“The affordability allows for a good quality of life already,” she says. “But we’re getting more quality-of-life amenities every day.”
Getting around is easy.
For the Ramirez family, switching from big-city Houston traffic to the 10-to-15-minute commutes of Lafayette has been a huge perk.
“It’s super easy to get around,” Eli says. “I think it’s very accessible, especially for where we live in central Lafayette.”
Lilly agrees, saying getting anywhere in Houston felt like a trek, while food, culture, entertainment and necessities are within reach in Lafayette.
In addition to an easy commute, the city is quite walkable.
“The convenience of being able to do things that we enjoy is significant here,” Bienvenu says. “There are really great restaurants within walking distance of my house, and I know most of my neighbors.”
Plus, the city’s proposed bike plan includes 47 miles of bikeways and trails, an 8.8-mile Véloop that will connect 16 neighborhoods from Rotary Point to Pontiac Point, and a 10-foot wide, 1.95-mile trail connecting Girard Park to Moncus Park.
“We’re finally on course to have a bikeable piece for our city,” Bienvenu says. “The bike path will really connect our town. I’m seeing more people moving downtown and more mainstream projects in communities nearby happening one corner at a time.”
Higher education is accessible and affordable.
Thanks to UL Lafayette, families already thinking about higher education can consider this affordable R1-designated research school that’s right in their backyards.
Bienvenu, who returned to Lafayette from her undergraduate studies in 2006, chose to further her studies here.
“I knew I could get a relatively affordable master’s degree at UL,” she says. “We have some pretty amazing schooling; we’re one of the places that companies actively recruit from.”
This article was sponsored by the Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission, Lafayette Economic Development Authority and One Acadiana.
