Hessmer, Louisiana

Village in Avoyelles Parish · population 772 (2020 Census)

Median home: $171,300
Household income: $50,625
Jan low / Jul high: 39° / 93°
Snow a year: 0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 33
Median age: 41.0

Hessmer is a village of 772 people in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana. The median home is worth $171,300, close to the typical Louisiana town ($166,450). It ranks more of a college town than 99% of Louisiana towns, easier by car than 87% of Louisiana towns.

How Hessmer ranks

Percentile among Louisiana towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Louisiana towns.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Hessmer is worth $171,300, close to the typical Louisiana town ($166,450). Homes cost about 3.4 times the median household income of $50,625, which is more affordable than 36% of Louisiana towns. Median rent is $589 a month. 64.8% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Louisiana towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Hessmer	Typical Louisiana town
Median home value	$171,300	$166,450
Median rent	$589	$887
Median household income	$50,625	$52,134
Home value ÷ income	3.4×	3.0×
Homeownership	64.8%	70.4%
Median year built	1978	1979
Seasonal / vacation homes	1.3%	—

Who lives in Hessmer

People	Hessmer	Typical Louisiana town
Median age	41.0	38.4
Age 65 and over	27.1%	17.0%
Under 18	15.7%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	9.8%	15.8%
Below the poverty line	26.7%	20.4%
Veterans	2.6%	—
Born outside the U.S.	1.1%	—
Work from home	9.1%	4.7%
Average commute	34.1 min	25.8 min
Homes with broadband	82.3%	84.6%

Weather in Hessmer

July highs average 92.8°F and January lows 39.2°F. About 61.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical Louisiana town: 0.0 in). Expect about 91 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 20 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Bunkie station (7.3 mi away); snow from Marksville (6.2 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

33 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Hessmer since 1950, compared with 27 for the typical Louisiana town. 11 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on January 31, 1983 about 5.1 miles from the town center and killed 1. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 17 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on February 14, 2026.

NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 22 times; the largest was 3.50 inches on June 20, 2023.

Severe weather in Avoyelles Parish since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Avoyelles Parish, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 3 deaths recorded.

Avoyelles Parish has been included in 42 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, other, tornado.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
June 30, 2026	Tropical Storm	DR-4927: Tropical Storm Arthur
January 24, 2026	Winter Storm	EM-3638: Severe Winter Storm
September 10, 2024	Hurricane	EM-3614: Tropical Storm Francine
September 13, 2021	Coastal Storm	EM-3574: Tropical Storm Nicholas
August 29, 2021	Hurricane	DR-4611: Hurricane Ida

Jobs and pay in Avoyelles Parish

Avoyelles Parish had 9,801 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $42,336 a year. Unemployment was 4.2% in 2023; in Hessmer itself the ACS puts it at 3.2%.

BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.

Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Hessmer

Mansura, LA
4.2 mi · 1,320 people · home $117,300
Fifth Ward, LA
5.1 mi · 921 people · home —
Marksville, LA
6.0 mi · 5,065 people · home $151,900
Cottonport, LA
6.1 mi · 2,023 people · home $88,300
Bunkie, LA
7.9 mi · 3,346 people · home $93,300
Moreauville, LA
8.4 mi · 984 people · home $148,400
Center Point, LA
14.7 mi · 520 people · home $184,200
Lecompte, LA
16.6 mi · 845 people · home $59,900

Hessmer questions

Is Hessmer, Louisiana a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Hessmer scores better for retirees than 30% of Louisiana towns and quieter than 20%. 27.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.0).

How much does a house cost in Hessmer?

The median owner-occupied home in Hessmer is valued at $171,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $50,625, so homes cost about 3.4 times income. Median rent is $589 a month.

What is the weather like in Hessmer?

July highs average 92.8°F and January lows 39.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 61.6 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.

Does Hessmer get tornadoes?

33 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Hessmer since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on January 31, 1983. The typical Louisiana town has had 27.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Hessmer's Census boundary (GEOID 2234015). Comparisons use the median of Louisiana towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)

Data snapshot 2026-11-13.