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Home        Vol  VI    Issue 92           December 13, 2011         Previous Issues

Inviting Community Spirit, Delicious Food, Lively Music and Lazy Days Bring Retirees to the Affordable Bayou Hamlet of Arnaudville, Louisiana

Cost of Living:  Below the National Average

The cost of living is 15% below the national average, and the median home price is $150,000 (although much more expensive homes are available).   Real estate is comprised primarily of ranch-style single family dwellings, many on large lots, and ranges from very modest residences for less than $100,000 to palatial estate homes.   There are not a lot of condominiums or apartments, but a growing number of RV resorts, all near I-49 and I-10, attracts a growing population of "snowbirds."

When it comes to retirement and taxes, Louisiana is a friendly place.   Social Security, government pensions and military pensions are exempt from state income tax, and people age 65 or better may also deduct up to $6,000 in private pension and annuity income from state income tax.  When it comes to property taxes, which are some of the nation's lowest, real estate is assessed at 10% of fair market value, and homeowners may deduct $7,500 before the millage rate is applied.  In other words, someone owning a $75,000 home would pay no county property taxes (but about $165 in municipal property taxes).  The annual taxes on a $150,000 home are approximately $330.  The state sales tax is 4%.

 This is an interactive map.  Click on the arrows in the upper left hand corner to move the map to the East, West, North or South, and click on the +/- signs (more than once if necessary) to zoom in and out.

Today's Cajuns are the descendants of 18th-century exiles who were expelled by the British from what is now the Canadian Maritime Provinces, and St. Martin Parish, in which part of Arnaudville is located, has the highest percentage of French-speaking residents of any parish or county in the country (just 65% of residents speak English at home).  Most residents are actually bilingual (speaking Cajun French, English and some Louisiana Creole French).  Newcomers not fluent in French may take advantage of local language classes and hone their skills in places such as the wonderful Russell’s Grocery Store, where local folks gather to share the day's news and events. 

Towering live oaks, cypress trees and Spanish moss create a picture perfect background to life here.    Over the years, Arnaudville has developed into an agricultural and "aquacultural" hub (sugar cane and crawfish are the major products), and although it is a low key place, many a musician has found a home here.  Toe-tapping Cajun fiddle tunes and Creole accordion music waft from various establishments throughout the evening (and sometimes deep into the night).   The monthly JAMbalaya Acoustic Music Jam at Tom's Fiddle and Bow is always a hot ticket (a favorite tavern, Nu Nus, recently burned down, but it has plans to re-build).  

One of the joys of retirement in Arnaudville is the food. Epicurean it is not, but hearty and nourishing it is. Residents fill up on red beans and rice, gumbo, jambalaya, etouffee, crawfish and boudin, a type of sausage filled with a delicious seasoned rice dressing.  Few in southern Louisiana have not picked up "a pound a person" of boudin, along with a sleeves of crackers and a six pack of Coke, and spent a leisurely afternoon chatting with friends, fishing along the bayou or taking a drive through the bucolic countryside.

Arnaudville has a community spirit that is in short supply in many other places in the world.    Its Women’s Club is dedicated to helping schools and students. The Brown Bag Club benefits the artistic development of Arnaudville’s children.   The volunteer fire department and church organizations, such as the Nights of Columbus and the Alter Society, are active.   There is also a large Veterans’ of Foreign Wars group, a quilters group, a soccer club, a Mardi Gras krewe and an art society. And everyone comes out for the twice-yearly, seven-mile long community yard sales that are held along the scenic byway between Arnaudville and Grand Couteau.   The number of organizations is impressive considering that Arnaudville is a town in which directions are given in relation to "the light," the only traffic light in town, which is located at the intersection of the two bayous. 

Internet access is available, and there is an online community calendar that makes it possible for residents to keep up with cultural events and opportunities for interacting with local artisans.  The Lilliputian-like Arnaudville Public Library is a branch of the St. Martin Parish Library and is very cute (and is open just two days a week and two Saturdays a month).   It does not have public computers with Internet access, but it does have an outreach program that brings books to homebound residents.

Louisiana is well known for the fires and festivals along bayous and rivers in December. The purpose of these fires is to light the way for "Papa Noel," and they have become works of art in their own right. Arnaudville, at the intersection of two of the most beautiful and romantic bayous in the state, takes full advantage of this custom with Le Feu et l'Eau, also known as the Fire and Water Celebration. This is an exceptional opportunity to purchase wonderful art, listen to a great Cajun fiddle competitions and enjoy the products of a fabulous Cajun cooking contest.  

Arnaudville does not have a senior center within town limits, but the nearby town of Breaux Bridge, about seven miles away, is home to a community senior center that provides a variety of services and programs.    Meals on Wheels also serves the senior community here.  

While there is no hospital in Arnaudville itself, 25-bed St. Martin Hospital is just 8 miles down the road in Breaux Bridge and is an affiliate of award-winning Lafayette General Medical Center.  It is a critical care facility, and although it is not accredited by the Joint Commission, it accepts Medicaid and Medicare patients.  Lafayette, about half an hour away, has ten hospitals, including 120-bed University Medical Center, part of the Louisiana State University system and a referral center.   For military retirees, Lafayette has a VA outpatient  clinic, but the nearest VA hospital is in Alexandria, Louisiana (70 miles away).

Arnaudville does not have a fixed route public bus system, but on-demand, door-to-door service is provided by St. Martin Parish and the Council on Aging.  Three small buses that are wheelchair accessible take residents to medical facilities, social service centers, work sites, the senior center and other destinations.  Reservations must be made 24 hours in advance, and the cost to ride is from $2 to $5 within the parish and from $7 to $10 outside of the parish.

The weather here is hot and steamy in the summer and cool and damp in the winter. The average January high is 56 degrees (the average low is 36 degrees), and the average July high is 93 degrees (the average low is 73 degrees).   On the comfort index, a combination of temperature and humidity, Arnaudville is well below the national average.   Hurricane winds have been felt here, but the town is too far north and at too high an elevation to be affected by storm surges.   The sun shines 215 days of the year.   The water quality is below the national average, but the air quality is well above the national average.

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