Quality of Life
While Livingston Parish’s cost of living is relatively low, the quality of life is high. The parish has become a large retail center and the Greystone Country Club Golf Community and Carter Plantation provide high-end housing and golfing in a recreational setting. Other recreational opportunities include 400 miles of waterways for marine and fishing, as well as many annual fairs and festivals, and a myriad of other entertainment festivities.
Residents and businesses find the educational system to be a great asset to them, providing quality education for children and an educated workforce. The housing market is growing with values appreciating, and commercial and industrial sites prices are attractive to locations. The parish has also been the setting for several recent movies.
Livingston Parish Public Schools
The Livingston Parish Public School System in 1987 established a plan outlining five goals focused on improving academic programs for higher quality education. So far, the parish's nine secondary schools are presently accredited by the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges. Three junior high schools are presently accredited. Elementary, middle and high schools are following various forms of the Effective Schools programs in their improvement efforts.
Report cards for all schools in the public school system can be found on the Louisiana Department of Education website.
Education
One of Livingston Parish’s greatest assets is the available education infrastructure. Livingston Parish businesses and residents cited public schools in the parish as one of the community’s strongest assets in recent interviews. The ACT scores have ranked in the top 8 over the last five years with a score of 20.3 in 2005 (U.S. was 20.9).
The Livingston Parish Literacy and Technology Center offers technical curriculum and industry training through its own programs and partnerships with Southeastern Louisiana University. Louisiana State University and Southern University are located in neighboring Baton Rouge and another six public or private universities within only a 1-hour drive.
Colleges & Universities
Livingston Parish is surrounded by a wealth of institutions for higher education. Locally, the Livingston Parish Literacy and Technology Center offers not only traditional two-year associate degress in science, automotive technology, nursing, web design and other transfer degrees as well as many certificates in partnership with
Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond. In neighboring Baton Rouge, two and four-year degrees are offered at the Baton Rouge Community College, Louisiana State University (strong engineering program in all disciplines) and Southern University.
| Four-Year Colleges & Universities (Baton Rouge MSA) |
| College/University |
Location |
Enrollment |
| Louisiana State University |
Baton Rouge |
28,194 |
| Southern University |
Baton Rouge |
8,619 |
| University of Louisiana Lafayette |
Lafayette |
16,345 |
| Southeastern Louisiana University |
Hammond |
15,224 |
| Two-Year Colleges & Universities (Baton Rouge MSA) |
| Baton Rouge Community College |
Baton Rouge |
7,031 |
| Fall 2008 Enrollment |
| Technical Colleges (Baton Rouge MSA) |
| Campus |
Program with highest enrollment |
| Livingston Parish Literacy & Technology Center |
Office technology; business computer; nursing; automotive technology; pharmacology; web design |
| SOURCE: LOUISIANA COMMUNITY & TECHNICAL COLLEGE SYSTEM, 2005 |
| Primary/Secondary Education |
| Livingston Parish Public Schools |
2008 Enrollment |
| 20 Elementary Schools |
10,117 |
| 9 High Schools |
5,651 |
| 7 Middle Schools |
4,831 |
| 3 Pre-K through 12 |
1,109 |
| Total Enrollment |
22,384 |
| ACT Score (200) |
20.7 |
Real Estate Costs
The average sales price for homes in Livingston Parish in 2008 ranged from $161,300 to $191,227, depending on location. Homes continue to appreciate in value, a reflection of the continuous growth in Livingston Parish.
| Number Sold |
Average Sale Price |
Type of Home |
| 380 |
$191,227 |
New |
| 723 |
$161,300 |
Resale |
