Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Washington instead of Louisiana, you would:
Health
live 6.1 years longer
In Louisiana, the average life expectancy is 73 years (73 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2020. In Washington, that number is 79 years (78 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020.
be 23.4% less likely to be obese
In Louisiana, 40.6% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Washington, that number is 31.1% of people as of 2022.
be 34.6% less likely to have diabetes
In Louisiana, 13.3% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In Washington, that number is 8.7% as of 2022.
Economy
make 57.7% more money
Louisiana has a GDP per capita of $55,662 as of 2024, while in Washington, the GDP per capita is $87,768 as of 2024.
be 48.9% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Louisiana, 18.4% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Washington, however, that number is 9.4% as of 2023.
be 35.9% more likely to be unemployed
In Louisiana, 3.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Washington, that number is 5.3% as of 2025.
Safety
be 35.7% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
Louisiana has a violent crime rate of 543 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Washington, that number is 349 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
earn 58.2% more money
The median household income in Louisiana is $60,023 as of 2023, while in Washington, it is $94,952 as of 2023.
pay 2.5 times more for a home
The median home value in Louisiana is $208,700 as of 2023, compared to $519,800 in Washington as of 2023.
pay 62.0% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Louisiana is $1,038 as of 2023, while in Washington, it is $1,682 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 22.8% less likely to be uninsured
In Louisiana, 7.9% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Washington, that number is 6.1% as of 2023.
be 43.2% less likely to smoke
In Louisiana, 19.2% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Washington, that number is 10.9% as of 2022.
be 41.7% less likely to be physically inactive
In Louisiana, 29.5% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Washington, that number is 17.2% as of 2022.
be 46.4% more likely to have a bachelor's degree
In Louisiana, 17.9% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In Washington, that number is 26.2% as of 2023.
be 2.7 times more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Louisiana, 2.8% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Washington, that number is 7.6% as of 2023.
be 41.9% less likely to be food insecure
In Louisiana, 14.8% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Washington, that number is 8.6% as of 2021.
live in an area that is 12.0% more densely populated
Louisiana has a population density of 40.7 people per sq km as of 2023. In Washington, that number is 45.6 people per sq km as of 2023.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Feeding America, OECD Regional Demography, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
