Swartz, Louisiana

Community in Ouachita Parish · population 4,354 (2020 Census)

Median home: $199,800
Household income: $67,287
Jan low / Jul high: 37° / 93°
Snow a year: 1 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 30
Median age: 35.5

Swartz is a community of 4,354 people in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana. The median home is worth $199,800, above the typical Louisiana town ($166,450). It ranks more upscale than 87% of Louisiana towns, better for retirees than 74% of Louisiana towns.

Swartz in our rankings:

#24 in The 25 Best Small Towns to Retire in Louisiana

How Swartz 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 Swartz is worth $199,800, above the typical Louisiana town ($166,450). Homes cost about 3.0 times the median household income of $67,287, which is more affordable than 52% of Louisiana towns. Median rent is $1,150 a month. 75.3% of households own their home.

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

Housing	Swartz	Typical Louisiana town
Median home value	$199,800	$166,450
Median rent	$1,150	$887
Median household income	$67,287	$52,134
Home value ÷ income	3.0×	3.0×
Homeownership	75.3%	70.4%
Median year built	1987	1979
Seasonal / vacation homes	2.0%	—

Who lives in Swartz

People	Swartz	Typical Louisiana town
Median age	35.5	38.4
Age 65 and over	15.9%	17.0%
Under 18	22.1%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	27.1%	15.8%
Below the poverty line	14.6%	20.4%
Veterans	6.4%	—
Born outside the U.S.	0.9%	—
Work from home	4.0%	4.7%
Average commute	24.8 min	25.8 min
Homes with broadband	88.4%	84.6%

Weather in Swartz

July highs average 93.2°F and January lows 36.7°F. About 55.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.6 inches of snow (typical Louisiana town: 0.0 in). Expect about 97 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 33 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 Monroe Rgnl Ap station (5.5 mi away); snow from Monroe Delta Cc (6.6 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

30 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Swartz since 1950, compared with 27 for the typical Louisiana town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on April 1, 1983 about 5.1 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 2 deaths and 37 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on April 12, 2022.

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 105 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on May 4, 1989.

Severe weather in Ouachita Parish since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Ouachita Parish, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 9 deaths recorded.

Ouachita Parish has been included in 44 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, other, hurricane.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
February 18, 2026	Winter Storm	DR-4900: Severe Winter Storm
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 Ouachita Parish

Ouachita Parish had 69,384 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $50,059 a year. Unemployment was 3.8% in 2023; in Swartz itself the ACS puts it at 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 Swartz

Monroe, LA
6.8 mi · 47,702 people · home $198,900
Richwood, LA
10.5 mi · 3,881 people · home $53,000
West Monroe, LA
10.7 mi · 13,103 people · home $192,400
Brownsville, LA
12.0 mi · 4,353 people · home $74,700
Claiborne, LA
12.5 mi · 12,631 people · home $219,200
Bawcomville, LA
13.4 mi · 3,472 people · home $61,500
Bastrop, LA
14.2 mi · 9,691 people · home $87,800
Rayville, LA
15.4 mi · 3,347 people · home $99,100

Swartz questions

Is Swartz, Louisiana a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Swartz scores better for retirees than 74% of Louisiana towns and quieter than 55%. 15.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 35.5).

How much does a house cost in Swartz?

The median owner-occupied home in Swartz is valued at $199,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $67,287, so homes cost about 3.0 times income. Median rent is $1,150 a month.

What is the weather like in Swartz?

July highs average 93.2°F and January lows 36.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 55.1 inches of precipitation a year and 0.6 inches of snow.

Does Swartz get tornadoes?

30 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Swartz since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on April 1, 1983. The typical Louisiana town has had 27.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Swartz's Census boundary (GEOID 2274340). 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.