City comparison
Yes. Louisville's crime index is 209 versus 350 in New Orleans, and its violent crime index is 207 versus 393, using 2024-2025 FBI data for Louisville and 2023 FBI data for New Orleans.
Louisville is cheaper. Median rent is $1,120 a month versus $1,251 in New Orleans.
Safety is where Louisville and New Orleans split most clearly. Louisville scores 141 points better on the crime index, a gap that shows up in evening walks, parking situations, and insurance rates. Rent runs $1,120 in Louisville and $1,251 in New Orleans.
Louisville is not a close call here. It leads on cost of living, the job market, and safety by margins that add up in daily life. New Orleans makes sense if you have a specific reason, a job offer, family, or a neighborhood you already know, but on the numbers alone Louisville is the stronger move.
The crime gap is citywide. Louisville has rougher pockets and New Orleans has quiet ones: the index tells you the average, not your block.
The move
Louisville and New Orleans are 624 miles apart in a straight line.
Median rent goes from $1,120 a month in Louisville to $1,251 a month in New Orleans, up $131 a month (12%).
Median household income goes from $66,849 in Louisville to $56,631 in New Orleans, down $10,218 (15%).
The crime index goes from 209 in Louisville to 350 in New Orleans, up 141 points (67%).
The move
New Orleans and Louisville are 624 miles apart in a straight line.
Median rent goes from $1,251 a month in New Orleans to $1,120 a month in Louisville, down $131 a month (10%).
Median household income goes from $56,631 in New Orleans to $66,849 in Louisville, up $10,218 (18%).
The crime index goes from 350 in New Orleans to 209 in Louisville, down 141 points (40%).
Louisville, KY
School quality varies by neighborhood. Check GreatSchools.org for current ratings.
New Orleans, LA
School quality varies by neighborhood. Check GreatSchools.org for current ratings.
Comparing Louisville and New Orleans? Check mortgage rates before you decide where to buy.
Rent
10% cheaper
Louisville rent is 10% cheaper than New Orleans
Louisville
Winner$1,120/mo
New Orleans
$1,251/mo
Typical rent runs $1,120 a month in Louisville versus $1,251 in New Orleans, so Louisville is 10% cheaper. A meaningful but not dramatic gap. Factor it into your budget alongside salary differences between the two markets. Over a year the spread is about $1,572, enough to notice in savings, not enough to ignore schools, safety, or pay. Louisville still wins on housing cost; just do not let a 10–20% rent edge override a job that only exists in New Orleans.
Planning to buy in Louisville? Check mortgage rates before you decide.
Median income
18% higher
Louisville's median income is 18% higher than New Orleans
Louisville
Winner$66,849
New Orleans
$56,631
Median household income is $66,849 in Louisville versus $56,631 in New Orleans, so typical pay runs 18% higher in Louisville (about $10,218 more household income a year). Higher median income usually signals a stronger local job market and better negotiating leverage on salary. Remote workers should weigh this against cost of living rather than treating it as a direct personal benefit. For people who will actually work in town, Louisville is the stronger labor market on paper. New Orleans can still win if housing is cheap enough to offset the weaker median or if your specific role already pays well there.
Crime index
40% lower crime
Louisville's crime index is 40% lower than New Orleans
Louisville
Winner209 (100 = avg)
New Orleans
350 (100 = avg)
Louisville's crime index is 209 versus 350 in New Orleans (100 = national average), so citywide crime runs 40% lower in Louisville. That gap is meaningful day-to-day. It affects whether you feel comfortable walking at night, leaving your car on the street, or letting kids play outside unsupervised. Indexes still compress a lot of reality: a calmer city has blocks you would skip, and a higher-crime city has streets that feel neighborly at 10 p.m. On the everyday test of walking from the car to the door, Louisville is the easier city. New Orleans can still work if you pick the right pocket. Just budget more diligence before you sign a lease.
Typical weather
33% more comfortable
New Orleans weather is 33% more comfortable than Louisville
Louisville
56°F avg · 65°F highs · comfort 75/100
New Orleans
Winner68°F avg · 76°F highs · comfort 100/100
Louisville averages about 56°F (65°F highs); New Orleans averages about 68°F (76°F highs). Louisville averages around 56°F, so jackets, heating bills, and shorter outdoor seasons are part of daily life. New Orleans sits near 68°F on average, a range where people can be outside without fighting extreme heat or cold. New Orleans scores 33% closer to the 65-80°F comfort band on this page, so it is the easier default for year-round outdoor errands and evenings. Choose Louisville if you already prefer its hotter or cooler pattern and have budgeted for the AC or heating that comes with it.
Fit check
Career-focused movers who want salary upside and professional growth
Louisville is the clearer landing pad if housing cost is what keeps you up at night. Typical rent is 10% cheaper here at about $1,120 a month. Choose Louisville if you are stretching a salary, starting over, or want slack for travel and debt instead of a flashier skyline.
Louisville is the better city for career-focused movers who want salary upside and professional growth. Median household income is 18% higher here ($66,849). Start with Louisville if your next chapter is about building earnings, and make weather or nightlife a secondary screen.
Louisville is the better fit for families with young children and retirees who prioritize peace of mind over urban energy. The crime index is 40% lower than New Orleans (209 vs a 100 national average). That gap shows up in how freely you walk at night and how much attention you spend on the car and the deadbolt.
Fit check
Outdoor enthusiasts and people who need year-round access to nature for their wellbeing
Pick New Orleans if you are an outdoor enthusiast or you need year-round access to nature for your wellbeing. Typical conditions (68°F) beat Louisville on this page's weather index by 33%. Louisville may pay more or cost less, but New Orleans is the city where the forecast fights you less.
Bottom line
Safety is the widest gap: Louisville scores 38/100 versus 22/100 in New Orleans. Rent is $1,120/month in Louisville and $1,251/month in New Orleans, so you are not buying calm streets for free.
Safety still diverges (38/100 in Louisville vs 22/100 in New Orleans), so climate preference should not be the only filter.
Median income is $66,849 in Louisville versus $56,631 in New Orleans.
Most movers who prioritize safety land in Louisville; New Orleans only makes sense when you have walked the New Orleans ZIP you would rent and accept the trade for $1,251 rent.
Common questions
Ready to move to Louisville?
Next steps
Quotes and listings for Louisville when you're ready to act.
Keep researching
Nearby research
Open full neighborhood reports for Louisville and New Orleans, plus other cities in KY and LA.
