Scores by category

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

Safety71#272/924
Economy87#117/925
Housing27#679/925
Health56#409/925
Healthcare80#189/923
Environment35#592/917
Education82#165/925
Infrastructure60#367/925
Community54#427/925
Leisure & amenities90#95/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Pharmacies · high2.9 /10k
97/100Louisiana 2.7 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Broadband subscriptions · high94.1%
97/100Louisiana 86.6%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
Income adjusted for local prices · high$88,862
95/100Louisiana $70,172United States $73,2042024U.S. Bureau of Economic AnalysisAggregated from counties
Gyms and fitness centers · high1.9 /10k
95/100Louisiana 1.4 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Restaurants and bars · high13.6 /10k
92/100Louisiana 11.1 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Child care cost burden · low21.8%
89/100Louisiana 30.2%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Average commute time · high31.5 min
2/100Louisiana 25.7 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Social associations · low6.9 /10k
11/100Louisiana 9.4 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Hot days · high87 days
12/100Louisiana 85 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Public transit commuters · low0.1%
12/100Louisiana 0.9%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301High uncertainty
Injury deaths · high120 /100k
16/100Louisiana 121 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Rent-burdened households · high52.5%
20/100Louisiana 54.8%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070

Trends

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

PopulationRising
264,989 (2020) → 279,108 (2025)
+5.3%5 yearsUS 331,578,104 → 341,784,857
Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 37% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+37 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
High ozone daysImproving
2 days (2017) → 0 days (2022)
−100%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
Drug overdose deathsImproving
54.8 /100k (2021) → 21.4 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−61%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
New homes permittedWorsening
7.3 /1k (2021) → 4.0 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−45%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Flu vaccinationsWorsening
47.0% (2019) → 38.0% (2023)
−9 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, Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA metro area improved on 15 of 22 measures with a comparison and declined on 4. 0 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 2020 with 2025); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved15

Restaurants+12%12.1 /10k → 13.6 /10k
Arts & recreation+27%5.0 /10k → 6.3 /10k
Grocery stores+13%1.2 /10k → 1.4 /10k
Overdose deaths−55%47.9 /100k → 21.4 /100k
Rent burden−2.9 points55.4% → 52.5%

Declined4

Libraries−5.9%0.5 /10k → 0.4 /10k
Traffic deaths+16%11.1 /100k → 12.8 /100k
Firearm deaths+6.4%14.0 /100k → 14.9 /100k
Pharmacies−7.3%3.2 /10k → 2.9 /10k

All 22 measures

Change of every measure of Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	5.0 /10k2020	6.3 /10k2025	+27%	Improved	84%
Average commute time	30.7 min2015-2019	31.5 min2020-2024	+0.7 min	Little change	38%
Bachelor's degree or higher	33.8%2015-2019	37.7%2020-2024	+3.8 points	Improved	74%
Broadband subscriptions	86.4%2015-2019	94.1%2020-2024	+7.6 points	Improved	32%
Distance to an airport	34 mi2020	34 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	47.9 /100k2020	21.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−55%	Improved	87%
Firearm deaths	14.0 /100k2020	14.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+6.4%	Declined	38%
Grocery stores	1.2 /10k2020	1.4 /10k2025	+13%	Improved	81%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.8 /10k2020	1.9 /10k2025	+6.8%	Improved	55%
High school diploma or higher	90.5%2015-2019	92.0%2020-2024	+1.4 points	Improved	41%
Homicide rate	5.7 /100k2020	4.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−23%	Improved	47%
Income adjusted for local prices	$70,9002019	$88,8622024	+25%	Improved	9%
New business applications	17.3 /1k2020	16.8 /1k2025	−3%	Little change	4%
Pharmacies	3.2 /10k2020	2.9 /10k2025	−7.3%	Declined	52%
Property crime rate	976 /100k2020	648 /100k2025	−34%	Improved	50%
Public libraries	0.5 /10k2019	0.4 /10k2024	−5.9%	Declined	21%
Rent-burdened households	55.4%2015-2019	52.5%2020-2024	−2.9 points	Improved	78%
Restaurants and bars	12.1 /10k2020	13.6 /10k2025	+12%	Improved	84%
Suicide rate	18.5 /100k2020	17.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−7.6%	Improved	74%
Traffic deaths	11.1 /100k2015-2019	12.8 /100k2020-2024	+16%	Declined	35%
Unemployment rate	6.8%2020	3.9%2025	−2.9 points	Improved	47%
Violent crime rate	176 /100k2020	124 /100k2025	−29%	Improved	73%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 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 Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, 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, Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA metro area itself moved +2.4 points in standing on average over the same 22 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

272,421 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69
50–59

Income

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

Household income

105,082 households (±957)

Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA metro area
United States share

Under $25k14%14,522
$25k–50k16%16,728
$50k–75k16%17,330
$75k–100k

Homes

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

Owners and renters

105,082 households (±957)

Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA metro area
United States share

Own79%82,876
Rent21%22,206

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

125,937 workers (±1,904)

Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA metro area
United States share

Drive alone77%97,082
Carpool7.2%9,068
Public transit0.1%†81

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 Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA employ 24,800 people. 10 pay a median below the US median.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, 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
Retail Salespersons3,470 jobs	3,470	$29,280US $35,410	−17%	1.41×
Registered Nurses3,190 jobs	3,190	$81,160US $97,550	−17%	1.49×
Fast Food and Counter Workers2,970 jobs	2,970	$23,380US $31,200	−25%	1.22×
Waiters and Waitresses2,520 jobs	2,520	$15,080US $35,230	−57%	1.76×
General and Operations Managers2,470 jobs	2,470	$102,450US $105,770	−3%	1.11×
Cashiers2,330 jobs	2,330	$27,590US $32,880	−16%	1.19×
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education2,080 jobs	2,080	$59,850US $63,970	−6%	2.37×
Food Preparation Workers2,070 jobs	2,070	$24,380US $35,320	−31%	3.68×
Stockers and Order Fillers1,860 jobs	1,860	$35,320US $37,330	−5%	1.04×
Home Health and Personal Care Aides1,840 jobs	1,840	$23,770US $35,800	−34%	0.68×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

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.

Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA has 7,101 employer establishments, 257 for every 10,000 residents (1.04× the US rate of 248), with 86,457 paid employees at an average annual pay of $53,997. The Census Bureau also counts 28,672 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 7,101; 28,672 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 257; US 248
Paid employees: 86,457
Average annual pay: $53,997; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	732	26.5	1.27×More than typical	6,953	$72,075	1,491
Restaurants and other eating places	581	21.1	1.15×About typical	11,478	$20,614	140
Specialty trade contractors	455	16.5	1.07×About typical	6,499	$50,726	2,013
Lessors of real estate	311	11.3	0.92×About typical	849	$44,239	3,043
Offices of physicians	255	9.2	1.43×More than typical	2,884	$102,903	381
Full-service restaurants	254	9.2	1.20×About typical	6,123	$22,707	51
Legal services	247	9	1.66×More than typical	795	$77,366	513
Building equipment contractors	244	8.8	1.47×More than typical	4,895	$49,928	447
Limited-service restaurants	215	7.8	0.97×About typical	4,186	$18,944	53
Offices of other health practitioners	211	7.6	1.26×More than typical	1,269	$45,838	655
Construction of buildings	200	7.2	0.96×About typical	937	$65,584	1,073
Insurance agencies and brokerages	200	7.2	1.65×More than typical	1,704	$66,054	676

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 275,871 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 $143.4M on contracts performed in Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA metro area: $514 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $143.4M; −46% vs FY2025
Per resident: $514; US $1,994
Sole-source: 47%; US 30%
Single offer: 12%; 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 Navy$80.2M56%
Defense Logistics Agency$51M36%
USTRANSCOM$4.1M2.9%
Department of the Air Force$2.3M1.6%
Department of Veterans Affairs$1.6M1.1%
Internal Revenue Service$1.3M0.9%
Defense Commissary Agency$794K0.6%
Federal Aviation Administration$626.6K0.4%

Top recipients

HORNBECK OFFSHORE OPERATORS LLC$80.2M56%
JGILS, LLC$28.7M20%
BOH ENVIRONMENTAL, L.L.C.$22M15%
JAR ASSETS, LLC$4.1M2.9%
CDIT LLC$2.3M1.6%
VALI COOPER INTERNATIONAL LLC

Spending by fiscal year

149.6MFY2017
77.5MFY2018
114.5MFY2019
137.9MFY2020
110.1MFY2021
106.1MFY2022
200.4MFY2023
184.2M

Top industries (NAICS)

Deep sea, coastal, and Great Lakes water transportation · 4831$81.2M57%
Boiler, tank, and shipping container manufacturing · 3324$23.7M17%
Engine, turbine, and power transmission equipment manufacturing · 3336$6.7M4.6%
Inland water transportation · 4832$4.1M2.9%
Other fabricated metal product manufacturing · 3329$3.4M2.4%
Computer systems design and related services · 5415

Largest awards

OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF T-AGSE VESSELS.$63.7M
HORNBECK OFFSHORE OPERATORS LLC· St. Tammany Parish, LA· Transportation & logistics· Feb 6, 2025 – Mar 6, 2026· N3220525C4134
SCHEDULED FUEL TRANSPORTATION IN GULF REGION$59.4M
JAR ASSETS, LLC· St. Tammany Parish, LA· Transportation & logistics· Apr 14, 2021 – May 29, 2026· HTC71121CW001
N103B / PM2 / J. DASSOW / TIME CHARTER TO TOW AN ACOUSTIC ARRAY FOR SURVEILLANCE TOWED ARRAY SENSOR SYSTEM (SURTASS)-E VESSEL$59M
HORNBECK OFFSHORE OPERATORS LLC· St. Tammany Parish, LA· Transportation & logistics· Feb 23, 2023 – May 21, 2026· N3220523C2507
DEDICATED FUEL BARGE IN GULF REGION.

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 $1.8B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA metro area: $6,553 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $1.8B; +0.7% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,553; US $12,955
Loan face value: $151.8M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.1%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$1.1B63%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$232.9M13%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$127.6M7.0%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$125.6M6.9%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$40.5M2.2%
20.205 · Highway Planning and Construction$20.6M1.1%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$12.8M0.7%
20.272 · Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP)$11.3M0.6%

Top recipients (organizations)

TRANSPORTATION & DEVELOPMENT LOUISIANA D$46.7M2.6%
BATON ROUGE, LA
THE ADMINISTRATORS OF TULANE EDUCATIONAL FUND$17.8M1.0%
NEW ORLEANS, LA
NORTHSHORE TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE$11.4M0.6%
LACOMBE, LA
UNIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY FOUNDATION, INC.$10M0.5%
NEW ORLEANS, LA
THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF SLIDELL

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$1.4B79%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$262M14%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$49.2M2.7%
Department of Transportation
National Institutes of Health$17.8M1.0%
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Education

Assistance by fiscal year

1.4BFY2021
1.5BFY2022
1.5BFY2023
1.7BFY2024
1.8BFY2025
1.8BFY2026

County aggregates

94%

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 Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, 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.

St. Tammany ParishCentral county62279,108

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

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
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M43640

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved15

Declined4

Metro and micro areas like Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, 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

Look up any occupation

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 Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, 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

Improved15

Declined4

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