The Pros and Cons of Living in Gretna, LA

Gretna, LA isn’t what you might call a prominent place, but it has the great luck to be right next to one; New Orleans! That gives Gretna a considerable boost when it comes to how its amenities are rated, especially if live jazz, delectable food, and a 24/7 carnival-type atmosphere float your particular boat. Of course, life can’t always be a carnival, and, like most suburbs adjacent to their bigger brethren, living in Gretna, LA has its cons as well as its pros. We’ll take a closer look at the best and worst of them below. Read on to learn more about your new home, Gretna, LA.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Pros & Cons of Living in Gretna, Louisiana at at Glance

PRO CON
Hometown vibes ✔️High transportation costs ❌
Affordable cost of living ✔️Low-rated public schools ❌
Near lots of nightlife ✔️Severe weather ❌
Delicious food scene ✔️

PRO: Gretna is Near New Orleans’ Exciting Nightlife

Being a suburb of New Orleans does have certain advantages, and one of them is being so close to the incredible nightlife. If you’re a massive fan of live jazz and like to party, Gretna is a dream. You can take the short trip to New Orleans and come back to Gretna when the night’s over! The people here are open, friendly, and always smiling. You’ll find live music being played everywhere you look. There’s a favorite place for everyone here near Gretna, LA, and an atmosphere of fun pervades the place.

Pros and Cons of Living in Gretna

CON: Gretna’s Schools Need Some Tutoring

Gretna only has 20 public schools, and, to be sure, a few have A and B rankings. Over half of them get a C or C-, though, pulling down Gretna’s overall grade. (And there’s no curve!) That’s not the worst of cons on this list of pros and cons of living in Gretna, LA if you find a home in the district of a highly-rated school. It does, however, mean that you must make a good home choice if you have school-age children.

PRO: Gretna is Rated “B” for Family Friendliness

Many cities the same size as New Orleans have suburbs that are more modern and thus more rushed and stressful. Gretna, on the other hand, has more of a hometown feel. People here genuinely take pride in their homes and neighborhoods. That includes Gretna, which is rated a solid B for families by Niche, the city comparison website. It’s relatively clean, quiet and safe, and has a family-friendly atmosphere.

CON: Transportation Costs in Gretna are Expensive

Considering how close Gretna, LA is to major oil refineries, transportation costs here are surprisingly expensive. With a score of 125/100, they’re a whopping 25% higher than the national average. That means higher prices at the pump as well as higher taxes, repair costs, and other fees. If you don’t drive a lot, it might not be a big con. But, for those who do, transportation costs will be a hard pill to swallow.

PRO: Gretna has an Affordable Cost of Living

With a score of 91/100, Gretna is 10% lower than the national average for its overall cost of living. Besides transportation costs (above), all the other cost indices are below the national average. Housing is far below the national average at 65/100, which means you’ll get much more home for your money here.

The median price of a home in Gretna is $151,000, far lower than the national average of $231,000. Many folks rent a storage unit when they arrive so that they have more time to house-hunt. Gretna storage units are a great solution to many storage situations, and, better yet, they’re affordable.

CON: Extreme Weather Affects Gretna Occasionally

One unfortunate thing about New Orleans is that it sits below sea level, which is not good come hurricane season. Being 5 minutes away, Gretna gets the same beating as its bigger sibling when extreme weather strikes. That usually means flooding, which is almost a way of life here.

Then there’s the humidity and heat, which can be oppressive. When the mercury hits 92 F, and the humidity levels are at 75%, you’ll know what “sticky” really feels like. For some, living in Gretna would be practically impossible if it weren’t for air-conditioning.

PRO: Living in Gretna Means Good Food

For a small suburb, Gretna has an enormous appetite! There are quite a few excellent restaurants here, and the cuisine is varied and delicious. The fact is, Louisiana is well known for its fantastic food, and Gretna is just following suit. If you genuinely enjoy trying new and different things, food-wise, you’ll be in foodie heaven here.

Pros and Cons of Living in Gretna

The Pros Outweight th Cons of Living in Gretna, LA!

Gretna, LA, is a lovely place to live, work, and raise a family. Yes, it has some drawbacks, but what town doesn’t? We’re Southern Self Storage, the self-storage experts in Gretna. If you need a Gretna, LA storage unit for practically anything, ours are clean, safe, and secure.

If you have questions, you can chat with us online anytime. Also, you can easily reserve a storage unit online in less than 5 minutes! Until then, we hope you enjoy everything that Gretna has to offer. If you’ve just arrived, welcome home!

Where to Rent Storage Near Gretna, Louisiana

Cost of Living in New Orleans
7413 St Bernard
Arabi, LA 70032
(504) 370-9702
Cost of Living in New Orleans
2321 Belle Chasse
Gretna, LA 70056
(504) 226-5617
Cost of Living in New Orleans
3301 Jean Lafitte
Chalmette, LA
(504) 370-9943
Cost of Living in New Orleans
9491 Louisiana 23
Belle Chasse, LA
(504) 370-8458

Leave a Comment