Explore Jobs

Find Specific Jobs

Explore Careers

Explore Professions

Best Companies

Explore Companies

These Are The 10 Hardest Working Places In Louisiana

By Chris Kolmar
May. 18, 2016
Last Modified and Fact Checked on: Jan. 23, 2026

Find a Job You Really Want In

Top 10 Hardest Working Cities in Louisiana for 2026
Swipe left for slideshow. Article continues below.

As we step into 2026, Louisiana continues to shine as a hub of hard work and determination. With a diverse economy and a resilient workforce, it’s a state where individuals strive to enhance their lives and support their families through dedication and effort.

Among the many industrious regions in Louisiana, a few cities exemplify an extraordinary commitment to the work ethic. These are the hardest working cities in Louisiana, where residents truly embody the spirit of relentless labor.

Leading the charge is Youngsville, which has earned the title of the hardest working city in Louisiana. The residents here not only put in long hours at their jobs but often face lengthy commutes as well, making their work-life balance a challenging endeavor.

Curious about which other cities are known for their work ethic? Prepare to put in extra hours at the office, as these locations in Louisiana are fierce competitors for promotions:

  1. Youngsville
  2. Broussard
  3. Zachary
  4. Harahan
  5. Mandeville
  6. Central
  7. Scott
  8. Bossier City
  9. Lafayette
  10. Covington

To the residents of Bogalusa, this ranking serves as a reminder of the hard work demonstrated by your neighbors throughout the state.

For more insights on Louisiana’s job market, check out:

How We Determined the Hardest Working Cities in the Pelican State

At Zippia, we pride ourselves on leveraging data to tackle the tough questions. For this analysis, we utilized the latest American Community Survey data to uncover the hardest working cities in Louisiana.

By examining various criteria, we aimed to identify the cities where residents truly exemplify a strong work ethic. The factors we considered included:

  • Average hours worked
  • Average commute time
  • Workers per household (Employed labor force divided by the number of households)
  • Labor force participation rate
  • Percentage of adults with a college degree

Our analysis ranked each city from 1 to 64 based on these criteria, with 1 representing the “hardest working.” We then averaged the rankings to create a hardworking index, ultimately naming Youngsville as the “Hardest Working City in Louisiana.”

Read the detailed chart below to discover why each city earned its ranking.

1. Youngsville

Source: Flickr

Population: 9,358
College Graduates: 35.4%
Average Hours Worked Per Week: 44.7
Workers Per Household: 1.5

2. Broussard

Population: 9,041
College Graduates: 27.0%
Average Hours Worked Per Week: 42.5
Workers Per Household: 1.4

3. Zachary

Population: 15,579
College Graduates: 33.9%
Average Hours Worked Per Week: 40.1
Workers Per Household: 1.5

4. Harahan

Population: 9,324
College Graduates: 27.9%
Average Hours Worked Per Week: 38.6
Workers Per Household: 1.3

5. Mandeville

Population: 12,102
College Graduates: 44.7%
Average Hours Worked Per Week: 38.9
Workers Per Household: 1.4

6. Central

Population: 27,505
College Graduates: 20.2%
Average Hours Worked Per Week: 39.2
Workers Per Household: 1.4

7. Scott

Population: 8,775
College Graduates: 19.4%
Average Hours Worked Per Week: 42.3
Workers Per Household: 1.4

8. Bossier City

Population: 64,895
College Graduates: 26.1%
Average Hours Worked Per Week: 40.6
Workers Per Household: 1.4

9. Lafayette

Population: 123,528
College Graduates: 33.3%
Average Hours Worked Per Week: 39.2
Workers Per Household: 1.3

10. Covington

Population: 9,151
College Graduates: 32.9%
Average Hours Worked Per Week: 39.5
Workers Per Household: 1.2

Complete List of Hardest Working Cities in Louisiana

City Rank Population College Graduates Average Hours Worked Per Week Workers Per Household
Youngsville 1 9,358 35.4% 44.7 1.5
Broussard 2 9,041 27.0% 42.5 1.4
Zachary 3 15,579 33.9% 40.1 1.5
Harahan 4 9,324 27.9% 38.6 1.3
Mandeville 5 12,102 44.7% 38.9 1.4
Central 6 27,505 20.2% 39.2 1.4
Scott 7 8,775 19.4% 42.3 1.4
Bossier City 8 64,895 26.1% 40.6 1.4
Lafayette 9 123,528 33.3% 39.2 1.3
Covington 10 9,151 32.9% 39.5 1.2
Kenner 11 66,926 22.4% 39.0 1.5
Walker 12 6,176 20.3% 40.2 1.5
DeRidder 13 10,846 21.6% 40.5 1.3
Thibodaux 14 14,570 23.5% 38.1 1.3
Houma 15 33,807 16.1% 42.4 1.3
Slidell 16 27,372 23.2% 38.6 1.4
Baton Rouge 17 229,353 32.7% 36.8 1.3
Hammond 18 20,207 28.7% 35.9 1.5
Ruston 19 22,149 44.4% 32.9 1.4
Shreveport 20 200,692 25.3% 39.2 1.2
Baker 21 13,838 17.9% 38.3 1.4
Ponchatoula 22 6,751 20.0% 40.9 1.2
Carencro 23 8,084 15.3% 41.5 1.3
Grambling 24 5,015 32.4% 32.1 1.5
New Orleans 25 368,471 34.4% 38.9 1.2
Gonzales 26 10,137 17.2% 38.9 1.3
Plaquemine 27 7,055 13.7% 39.0 1.2
Donaldsonville 28 7,507 13.6% 38.4 1.4
St. Gabriel 29 6,796 12.1% 40.9 1.4
Pineville 30 14,486 23.4% 38.4 1.2
Leesville 31 6,656 16.7% 41.6 1.2
St. Martinville 32 6,109 14.7% 41.2 1.2
West Monroe 33 13,073 18.9% 39.4 1.1
Gretna 34 17,801 17.4% 40.6 1.2
Patterson 35 6,100 10.7% 42.8 1.2
Sulphur 36 20,275 21.0% 39.1 1.2
Port Allen 37 5,150 18.0% 37.9 1.1
Lake Charles 38 73,503 23.6% 37.9 1.2
New Iberia 39 30,750 15.9% 41.9 1.2
Denham Springs 40 10,148 13.0% 40.2 1.3
Morgan City 41 12,153 14.6% 42.7 1.1
Monroe 42 49,455 27.1% 37.9 1.2
Natchitoches 43 18,460 24.7% 36.7 1.2
Rayne 44 7,984 8.6% 40.6 1.2
Breaux Bridge 45 8,232 15.5% 40.6 1.2
Alexandria 46 47,983 20.0% 38.7 1.2
Eunice 47 10,325 9.8% 40.1 1.1
Jennings 48 10,265 13.6% 40.8 1.1
Oakdale 49 7,741 10.3% 38.8 1.0
Marksville 50 5,635 11.0% 38.8 1.0
Minden 51 12,988 14.3% 37.9 1.1
Richwood 52 5,846 3.1% 37.8 1.1
Abbeville 53 12,341 9.3% 41.0 1.2
Tallulah 54 7,267 12.8% 36.8 1.3
Franklin 55 7,483 11.6% 42.5 1.1
Opelousas 56 16,668 11.8% 39.1 1.0
Springhill 57 5,239 17.8% 37.8 0.9
Crowley 58 13,219 10.4% 41.4 1.1
Mansfield 59 5,012 12.6% 36.8 1.1
Westwego 60 8,531 8.0% 42.3 1.1
Bastrop 61 11,075 11.9% 38.1 1.1
Jeanerette 62 5,547 8.1% 39.7 1.2
Ville Platte 63 7,336 9.6% 38.1 0.8
Bogalusa 64 12,071 10.0% 38.8 1.0
Never miss an opportunity that’s right for you.

Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

Responsive Image

Related posts