Want to live and work in Metairie?

Unlike New Orleans, which has a predominantly African American population, Metairie has a white majority, with strong Italian, Irish, and French heritage. The Hispanic presence has grown for decades, especially Cuban (rooted in the historical exile community of the 1960s), Honduran, and Mexican communities.

The Vietnamese community of Jefferson Parish is one of the oldest in the United States, having arrived after the Vietnam War. They are concentrated in neighboring Marrero and Gretna, but also throughout Metairie, with restaurants, Buddhist temples, and markets such as Hong Kong Food Market serving as regional landmarks.

Growth has been seen among Indian, Filipino, and Middle Eastern families. Brazilian residents are few, though professionals in petrochemicals and healthcare are present. Spanish is increasingly heard in schools and businesses, with public services adapting naturally to this population.

Old Metairie is the upscale neighborhood, with large homes on tree-lined streets and close proximity to New Orleans. Lake Vista, near Lake Pontchartrain, features modernist homes in a planned community dating to the 1950s. Bissonet Plaza, Bonnabel, and Beverly Knoll are established middle-class options.

For apartments, the areas along Veterans Memorial Boulevard and West Esplanade Avenue offer the greatest supply, with large complexes and reasonable acceptance for renters without an American credit history. Townhouses are also common and offer a good balance of cost and space.

Important for newcomers: the flood zone classification of any property should be verified before signing a lease or purchase agreement. Following Hurricane Katrina (2005), maps were updated and many homes now fall in zones requiring additional flood insurance. Some areas have a worse history of flooding than others.

Jefferson Parish Public Schools administers the public school system, with variable quality across campuses. Families with resources often choose Catholic schools, which are strong in the area, including Archbishop Rummel, Archbishop Chapelle, Mount Carmel Academy, and St. Catherine of Siena. Independent schools such as Metairie Park Country Day serve as elite options.

For higher education, options are concentrated in New Orleans, just minutes away. Tulane University, Loyola University New Orleans, University of New Orleans (UNO), Xavier University, and Dillard University cover undergraduate through advanced research in medicine, law, engineering, and the arts.

For adult newcomers, Delgado Community College has a campus in Metairie offering ESL, GED, technical, and associate degree programs at accessible prices. Jefferson Parish libraries also offer free English classes and bilingual activities for children.

Compared to New Orleans, Metairie is notably safer. Residential neighborhoods such as Old Metairie, Lake Vista, and Bonnabel are quiet, with low violent crime rates. For this reason, many families cross the 17th Street Canal and choose to live in Jefferson Parish.

The most common issues are car theft and vehicle break-ins in commercial areas such as Lakeside Mall, Veterans Boulevard, and near Interstate 10. Locking vehicles, avoiding leaving valuables in plain sight, and using a basic home security camera resolve most incidents.

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office covers Metairie and is considered effective, with good response times. In medical or criminal emergencies, New Orleans infrastructure complements and reinforces local services. Common sense and careful neighborhood selection are sufficient for a safe and comfortable life.

Summer in Metairie runs from May to October, with highs between 32°C and 34°C and extremely high humidity. Daily thunderstorms are common in July and August. Nights drop to around 24°C–26°C, still feeling warm. Air conditioning is essential and runs year-round.

Winter is short and mild. Lows range between 7°C and 12°C from December to February, with rare frost and virtually no snow. Heating exists but sees limited use. Spring brings thunderstorms, and hurricane season begins in June, peaking in August and September.

For residents, planning for robust central A/C, flood insurance, a hurricane evacuation plan, and mosquito repellent is important. Parts of Metairie sit below sea level, protected by levees. Hurricane risk is real — Katrina had a direct impact in 2005. As part of Jefferson Parish, the area is more residential and quieter than New Orleans proper. Fall is the best season.

Metairie is New Orleans' best-known suburb, with a residential and commercial profile, located just minutes from the French Quarter via Interstate 10. The area attracts families who want proximity to the city without the chaos of the historic center, and offers good schools, spacious parks, and Lake Pontchartrain as a neighbor. Veterans Memorial Boulevard concentrates most of the commercial activity, with Lakeside Shopping Center as its central landmark.

Longue Vue House and Gardens, along Bayou St. John (technically in New Orleans, but just 10 minutes away), is a historic mansion surrounded by English-style gardens. Metairie Cemetery, a former racetrack converted into a cemetery, features elaborate mausoleums and makes for a fascinating architectural stop. Lafreniere Park, with its lake, trails, and picnic areas, serves as the green lung of the area.

The cuisine is a strong point: Drago's, at the Metairie Hilton, popularized charbroiled oysters, and the Vietnamese community in eastern New Orleans supports restaurants such as Pho Tau Bay. Events like Family Gras, a free carnival festival held just before New Orleans' Mardi Gras, mark the local cultural calendar.