Livability Score

65
/100
i The AreaVibes Livability Score evaluates 9 different categories and creates an overall score out of 100. The higher the score, the better the area.

amenities C-

There are some amenities close to this location.
Coffee (3) F
Railway Coffee
Coffee Shop
The Depot
Coffee Shop
Starbucks
Coffee Shop
Entertainment (4) F
Louisiana Military Museum
Museum
Celebrity Theatres
Cinema
J. C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park
Stadium
Joe Aillet Stadium
Stadium
The Revelry
Nightclub
Food and Drink (28) A-
Utility Brewing Company
Bar
Sundown Tavern
Bar
McDonald's
Fast Food
McDonald's
Fast Food
Chick-fil-A
Fast Food
Raising Cane's
Fast Food
Little Caesars
Fast Food
Jimmy John's
Fast Food
Whataburger
Fast Food
Captain D's
Fast Food
KFC
Fast Food
Taco Bell
Fast Food
Wendy's
Fast Food
Burger King
Fast Food
Popeyes
Fast Food
Papa John's
Fast Food
Sonic
Fast Food
Subway
Fast Food
Domino's
Fast Food
Zaxby's
Fast Food
Subway
Fast Food
Dairy Queen
Fast Food
Taco Bell
Fast Food
Sonic
Fast Food
Dairy Queen
Fast Food
Fitness (3) B
Ruston Civic Center
Community Centre
Anytime Fitness
Gym
Planet Fitness
Gym
Groceries (3) F
Super 1 Foods
Grocery Store
Walmart Neighborhood Market
Grocery Store
Walmart Supercenter
Grocery Store
Parks (12) C-
Memorial Park
Park
Railroad Park
Park
Roberts Park
Park
Spirit Park
Park
Rock Island Greenway
Park
Greenwood Park
Park
Elmore D. Mayfield Park
Park
Duncan Park
Park
Rock Island Parkway
Park
Rock Island Parkway
Park
Huckleberry Trails Park
Park
R. L. Cook Park
Park
Lincoln Parish Park
Park
Lincoln Parish Park
Park
Shops (17) D-
Dollar General
Discount Store
AT&T
Electronics
Courtyard by Marriott Ruston
Furniture
Bath & Body Works
Beauty
Harbor Freight Tools
Home Improvement
Thompson's Barber Shop
Hairdresser
Family Dollar
Discount Store
Lowe's
Home Improvement
TJ Maxx
Department Store
Ulta Beauty
Beauty
Five Below
Discount Store
Rack Room Shoes
Shoes
See more Ruston amenity data

commute F

Of all people who commute, 0.0% take public transportation in Ruston.
Public Transit Stops (0)
Stops & Stations
F
Workers Taking Public Transit
0.0%
F
See more Ruston commute data

cost of living A+

The cost of living in Ruston is 88/100 - which is 2% lower than Louisiana.
Cost of Living
Goods & Services, Housing, etc.
A-
Tax Rates
Income & Sales Tax
D-
See more Ruston cost of living data

crime F

Ruston crime rates are 4,604 per 100k, which is 36% higher than Louisiana
Property Crime
3,802 crimes per 100k
F
Violent Crime
802 crimes per 100k
F
See more Ruston crime data

employment F

The median income in Ruston is $32,295 - which is 29% lower than Louisiana.
Med. Household Income
$32,295
F
Unemployment Rate
2.6%
A-
See more Ruston employment data

health A+

There are some hospitals, police and fire stations.
Health & Safety (10)
Dentist, Doctor, Hospital, etc.
A
Ruston City Police Department
Police
Walgreens
Pharmacy
Rite Aid
Pharmacy
Louisiana Tech University Police
Police
Northern Louisiana Medical Center
Hospital
Green Clinic
Clinic
Air Quality
Median Air Quality
A+
See more Ruston health & safety data

housing C

Ruston home prices are $169,900 - which is 15% higher than Louisiana
Home Price
$169,900
C+
Home Appreciation Rate
4%
B-
Home Affordability
5.3x (home price to income ratio)
F
See more Ruston housing data

schools B-

The Ruston graduation rate is 83% - which is 5% higher than Louisiana
School Test Scores
66%
C+
High School Grad. Rates
83%
C-
Elementary Schools (11) F
Ruston Elementary School
Howard School
A. E. Phillips Laboratory School
Montessori School Of Ruston
I.A. Lewis School
Hillcrest Elementary School
New Living Word School
Cedar Creek School
Glen View Elementary School
Cypress Springs Elementary School
Bethel Christian School
High Schools (5) F
Ruston High School
Howard School
New Living Word School
Cedar Creek School
Bethel Christian School
See more Ruston education data

ratings F

Ruston has an overall rating of 48% from 7 reviews.
User Reviews (2)
From AreaVibes
F
User Surveys (5)
From AreaVibes
C+
See more Ruston user rating data
Amenities Commute Cost of Living Crime Employment Health & Safety Housing Schools User Ratings
Photo of Ruston, LA
( 7 Ratings )

Living in Ruston, LA

Ruston Area Facts

New Real Estate Listings in Ruston Area
Search Homes for Sale in Ruston, LA

Ruston Reviews

Write a review about Ruston Tell people what you like or don't like about Ruston…
The hell that is Ruston 1 rating By Anonymous ( Oct 14, 2020) Overview: Living in Ruston is like living the nightmare that is high school all over again. 35-year old women act like they're 13. Relational bullying on an adult level is at its peak here. People climbing to be better than their neighbor and using the churches to do it. Mak ...Read More e sure you know how to play the social climber game before you move here. The current mayor use to be a preacher. Don't get me wrong. There are good people here. But you have to weed through a lot of chaff to find them.

One of the best things about this area is Lincoln Parish Park. Great place with lots of bike trails and outdoor recreation. Honestly, a feather in Ruston's cap.

Education: The education system is good here compared with the rest of Louisiana. I've been impressed with the system's handling of the COVID situation. However, my kids went to AE Phillips--the PREMIERE school in Ruston, a lab school associated with the university--and sometimes even the teachers were involved in the relational bullying of the kids because some of the teachers are not immune to the social pressures of the elite cliques. Teacher's children are given a lot of leeway in their behavior regardless of how unacceptable. I know of one situation where the male child of a teacher was allowed to sexually harass another student (not my child). Not cool and no consequences for the teacher's child. If you move here, make sure you teach your children how NOT to be a victim. If you're moving to the area, move to the Choudrant school district. So much better than Ruston and it's just a 10-minute commute to Ruston if you work there.

Restaurants: What the residents consider excellent restaurants would be laughed out of town in other places. Ponchatoulas, Log Cabin, Portico--mediocrity at its best! Why eat out when you can make it at home for a 1/3 of the price and it's SO much better tasting and healthy? No international variety.

Job scene: SO, so bad. Don't depend on getting a job in Ruston just because your spouse landed a job at Tech--no matter what your qualifications are.

Tax scene: Obscene. One of the highest sales tax rates in Louisiana at 12.2%. Our family has started buying everything in surrounding cities because it's just so ridiculous. I even make sure I fill up my gas tank before I get back into town. I will drive an hour to Shreveport--that has a sales tax of 9.05%--to shop for groceries because to me it's worth it. At least they have a Whole Foods there.

Real estate: We will make a killing when we sell our house so there's that.

Just a brutally honest review of life in Ruston, Louisiana. Read Less
Things to Do In Ruston, LA 3 rating By Anonymous ( May 10, 2018) There's lots of do and see in Ruston, LA, whether you like being outdoors or love going to places where the food is sensational. There are also locations in the city that allow you to take in the beauty and history of the city.

Lincoln Parish Park is a great place to enjoy natu
...Read More re and take a walk by the lake. There are plenty of opportunities to bike and swim in the area, and lots of room for you to set up a tent or RV if you want to stay in the park overnight. J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park is another popular attraction where you can catch a baseball game. The new renovations of the park will make your time at this location much more comfortable.

You can also visit the Louisiana Military Museum to learn more about the soldiers and equipment that were involved in historic battles like the Korean War, the Gulf War and World Wars I and II. Read Less
Show All Reviews

How Do You Rate The Livability In Ruston?

1. Select a livability score between 1-100
0
Awful
25
Poor
50
Average
75
Good
100
Great
2. Select any tags that apply to this area
View results

Compare Ruston, LA Livability

      vs

      C- Amenities

      Are there many local amenities in Ruston? Yes, there are some amenities close to this location.

      Parks

      Memorial Park
      Railroad Park
      Roberts Park
      Spirit Park
      Rock Island Greenway
      Greenwood Park
      Elmore D. Mayfield Park
      Duncan Park

      Entertainment

      Louisiana Military Museum
      Celebrity Theatres
      J. C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park
      Joe Aillet Stadium
      The Revelry

      Food & Drink

      Utility Brewing Company
      Sundown Tavern
      McDonald's
      McDonald's
      Chick-fil-A
      Raising Cane's
      Little Caesars
      Jimmy John's

      F Commute

      Is public transit available in Ruston? Of all people who commute, 0.0% take public transportation in Ruston.
      Drive to Work
      82%

      5% higher than the US average

      Take Public Transit
      0%

      5% lower than the US average

      Walk to Work
      4%

      1% higher than the US average

      C- Health & Safety

      Is Ruston a healthy and safe place to live? Yes, there are some hospitals, police and fire stations.

      Hospitals

      Northern Louisiana Medical Center

      Pharmacies

      Walgreens
      Rite Aid

      Doctors