Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety3#899/924
Economy9#841/925
Housing30#651/925
Health5#880/925
Healthcare35#601/923
Environment45#502/917
Education19#749/925
Infrastructure26#681/925
Community2#904/925
Leisure & amenities69#284/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Hammond, LA metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Effective property tax rate · low0.34%
96/100Louisiana 0.55%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
New homes permitted · high8.6 /1k
92/100Louisiana 2.8 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Pharmacies · high2.4 /10k
91/100Louisiana 2.7 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Distance to an Amtrak station · low8 mi
89/100Louisiana 30 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
New business applications · high16.1 /1k
83/100Louisiana 16.4 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Days with unhealthy air · low0.0%
81/1002025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Weaknesses

Loneliness · high39.5%
2/100Louisiana 37.4%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Preventable hospital stays · high4,675 /100k
3/100Louisiana 3,516 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Frequent mental distress · high21.3%
4/100Louisiana 21.3%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Rent as share of income · high34.5%
4/100Louisiana 32.8%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Average commute time · high29.6 min
5/100Louisiana 25.7 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Homicide rate · high12.3 /100k
5/100Louisiana 11.8 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
133,651 (2020) → 141,346 (2025)
+5.8%5 yearsUS 331,578,104 → 341,784,857
Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 25% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+25 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
High ozone daysImproving
3 days (2017) → 0 days (2022)
−100%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
Drug overdose deathsImproving
67.9 /100k (2021) → 30.4 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−55%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
78.4% (2015-2019) → 89.2% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Flu vaccinationsWorsening
42.0% (2019) → 32.0% (2023)
−10 pts4 yearsUS 48.0% → 44.0%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Hammond, LA metro area improved on 14 of 30 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 8 moved within the margin of error and 3 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved14

Uninsured−2.5 points11.1% → 8.5%
Arts & recreation+32%2.6 /10k → 3.5 /10k
Unemployment−4.6 points9.6% → 5.0%
Real income+36%$45,462 → $61,861
Gyms+22%1.0 /10k → 1.3 /10k

Declined5

New businesses−20%20.1 /1k → 16.1 /1k
Grocery stores−9.1%1.9 /10k → 1.8 /10k
Pharmacies−11%2.7 /10k → 2.4 /10k
Suicides+6%15.0 /100k → 15.9 /100k
Price / income+0.3×3.4× → 3.8×

All 30 measures

Change of every measure of Hammond, LA metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	2.6 /10k2020	3.5 /10k2025	+32%	Improved	89%
Average commute time	31.6 min2015-2019	29.6 min2020-2024	−2.1 min	Within the margin of error	96%
Average weekly wage	$7722020	$9422025	+22%	Improved	37%
Bachelor's degree or higher	20.0%2015-2019	20.8%2020-2024	+0.9 points	Within the margin of error	15%
Broadband subscriptions	78.4%2015-2019	89.2%2020-2024	+11 points	Improved	68%
Child poverty rate	31.9%2015-2019	28.2%2020-2024	−3.7 points	Improved	66%
Distance to an airport	41 mi2020	41 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	57.6 /100k2020	30.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−47%	Improved	78%
Effective property tax rate	0.34%2015-2019	0.34%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	8%
Firearm deaths	26.2 /100k2020	23.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−11%	Improved	68%
Grocery stores	1.9 /10k2020	1.8 /10k2025	−9.1%	Declined	26%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.0 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	+22%	Improved	73%
High school diploma or higher	83.6%2015-2019	83.7%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	7%
Home price to income ratio	3.4×2015-2019	3.8×2020-2024	+0.3×	Declined	62%
Homicide rate	15.0 /100k2020	12.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−18%	Improved	41%
Income adjusted for local prices	$45,4622019	$61,8612024	+36%	Improved	77%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4702015-2019	0.4832020-2024	+0.014	Within the margin of error	22%
Median household income	$47,8322015-2019	$56,7602020-2024	+19%	Improved	10%
New business applications	20.1 /1k2020	16.1 /1k2025	−20%	Declined	1%
Pharmacies	2.7 /10k2020	2.4 /10k2025	−11%	Declined	45%
Poverty rate	21.4%2015-2019	19.2%2020-2024	−2.3 points	Within the margin of error	77%
Property crime rate	2,702 /100k2020	2,162 /100k2025	−20%	Improved	23%
Public libraries	0.4 /10k2019	0.4 /10k2024	−3.7%	Little change	32%
Rent as share of income	34.0%2015-2019	34.5%2020-2024	+0.5 points	Within the margin of error	48%
Rent-burdened households	56.1%2015-2019	56.8%2020-2024	+0.7 points	Within the margin of error	52%
Restaurants and bars	9.3 /10k2020	9.9 /10k2025	+6.8%	Improved	71%
Suicide rate	15.0 /100k2020	15.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+6%	Declined	46%
Traffic deaths	23.3 /100k2015-2019	24.1 /100k2020-2024	+3.5%	Little change	56%
Unemployment rate	9.6%2020	5.0%2025	−4.6 points	Improved	89%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	11.1%2015-2019	8.5%2020-2024	−2.5 points	Improved	91%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 675 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Hammond, LA metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Hammond, LA metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Hammond, LA metro area itself moved +1.1 points in standing on average over the same 29 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

136,738 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

51,999 households (±827)

Hammond, LA metro area
United States share

Under $25k24%12,307
$25k–50k20%10,418
$50k–75k19%9,949

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

51,999 households (±827)

Hammond, LA metro area
United States share

Own70%36,540
Rent30%15,459

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

58,292 workers (±1,633)

Hammond, LA metro area
United States share

Drive alone80%46,730
Carpool9.3%5,409
Public transit0.2%†133

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Hammond, LA employ 12,780 people. 10 pay a median below the US median.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Hammond, LA by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Home Health and Personal Care Aides1,750 jobs	1,750	$21,980US $35,800	−39%	1.32×
Fast Food and Counter Workers1,560 jobs	1,560

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Hammond, LA has 2,617 employer establishments, 189 for every 10,000 residents (0.76× the US rate of 248), with 39,823 paid employees at an average annual pay of $44,054. The Census Bureau also counts 13,418 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 2,617; 13,418 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 189; US 248
Paid employees: 39,823
Average annual pay: $44,054; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Hammond, LA by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	236	17.1	0.93×About typical	5,046	$17,106	88
Ambulatory health care services	209	15.1	0.73×Fewer than typical	2,602	$62,238	698
Specialty trade contractors	167	12.1	0.78×Fewer than typical	944	$55,103	1,114
Full-service restaurants	103	7.5	0.97×About typical	2,509	$18,400	35
Lessors of real estate	101	7.3	0.59×Fewer than typical	294	$40,616	983
Limited-service restaurants	98	7.1	0.88×About typical	2,198	$15,632	26
Religious organizations	92	6.7	1.20×About typical	423	$21,823	—
Gasoline stations	80	5.8	1.79×More than typical	702	$25,030	3
Building equipment contractors	74	5.4	0.89×About typical	452	$55,723	205
Automotive repair and maintenance	64	4.6	0.92×About typical	445	$38,494	255
Legal services	64	4.6	0.86×About typical	236	$69,640	96
Offices of other health practitioners	64	4.6	0.76×Fewer than typical	566	$36,166	201

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 138,101 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $1M on contracts performed in Hammond, LA metro area: $7.31 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $1M; −41% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7.31; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 2.0%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Army$1M99%
U.S. Customs and Border Protection$129.3K13%

Top recipients

B & K CONSTRUCTION CO L.L.C$790.7K77%
RESILIENT SERVICES LLC JOINT VENTURE$146.1K14%
STARZZ MANAGEMENT SERVICES$113.3K11%
EA ENGINEERING, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY, INC., PBC$52K5.0%
COY'S CONTEMPORARY CUISINE, INC.$34K3.3%

Spending by fiscal year

5.4MFY2017
3.3MFY2018
941.4KFY2019
4.1MFY2020
2.9MFY2021
5.6MFY2022
91.2MFY2023
7.2MFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Other heavy and civil engineering construction · 2379$790.7K77%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$146.1K14%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$128.9K12%
Remediation and other waste management services · 5629$52K5.0%
Special food services · 7223$34K3.3%

Largest awards

WSLP 102, MONTZ CANAL DRAINAGE STRUCTURE, I-10 EAST T-WALL CROSSING & LEVEES, ST JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH, LOUISIANA$85.4M
B & K CONSTRUCTION CO L.L.C· Tangipahoa Parish, LA· Construction & real property· Sep 14, 2023 – Apr 2, 2026· W912P823C0054
PHASE II SUPPLEMENTAL REMEDIAL INVESTIGATION, FEASIBILITY STUDY, PROPOSED PLAN, AND RECORD OF DECISION, BOMBING TARGET #1 MUNITIONS RESPONSE SITE, FUDS PROJECT NO A06LA030901, HAMMOND BOMBING RANGE, TANGIPAHOA PARISH, LOUISIANA.$4.8M
EA ENGINEERING, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY, INC., PBC· Tangipahoa Parish, LA· Facilities & utilities· Sep 26, 2024 – Feb 11, 2026· W912BV24F0392
FACILITY AND GROUNDS MAINTENANCE AND JANITORIAL SERVICES FOR THE HAMMOND, LA AIR&MARINE BRANCH$1.2M
STARZZ MANAGEMENT SERVICES· Tangipahoa Parish, LA· Facilities & utilities· Mar 31, 2020 – Dec 3, 2025

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $803M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Hammond, LA metro area: $5,681 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $803M; −0.5% vs FY2025
Per resident: $5,681; US $12,955
Loan face value: $44.1M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.2%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$392.9M49%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$91.4M11%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$76.1M9.5%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$65.8M8.2%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$39.2M4.9%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$38.3M4.8%
93.600 · Head Start$21.8M2.7%
20.287 · Surface Transportation Block Grant Program$17.9M2.2%

Top recipients (organizations)

TRANSPORTATION & DEVELOPMENT LOUISIANA D$34.7M4.3%
BATON ROUGE, LA
SOUTHEASTERN LA UNIVERSITY$31.4M3.9%
HAMMOND, LA
REGINA COELI CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER$20.2M2.5%
ROBERT, LA
BEAUTY BASICS, INC.$7.8M1.0%
HAMMOND, LA
TANGIPAHOA PARISH COUNCIL$7.1M

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$573.2M71%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$102.5M13%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Education$45.6M5.7%
Federal Highway Administration$34.7M4.3%
Department of Transportation
Administration for Children and Families$21.8M

Assistance by fiscal year

704.1MFY2021
734.8MFY2022
691.3MFY2023
680.7MFY2024
807.4MFY2025
803MFY2026

County aggregates

85%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Hammond, LA

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Tangipahoa ParishCentral county9141,346

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

HammondPrincipal city21,539

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Louisiana

Areas based in Louisiana, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M25220

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved14

Declined5

Metro and micro areas like Hammond, LA metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Hammond, LA

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Louisiana

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved14

Declined5

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought