The Town Files

Reserve, Louisiana

Community in St. John the Baptist Parish · population 8,541 (2020 Census)

Map: where Reserve is in LouisianaReserve
Median home
$154,100
Household income
$55,450
Jan low / Jul high
43° / 92°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
25
Median age
40.7

Reserve is a community of 8,541 people in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana. The median home is worth $154,100, below the typical Louisiana town ($166,450). It ranks better for cycling than 86% of Louisiana towns, easier by car than 86% of Louisiana towns, more walkable than 81% of Louisiana towns.

Reserve in our rankings:

How Reserve 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.

Reserve lifestyle rankings vs other Louisiana townsRetirement21st pctFamilies27th pctQuiet53rd pctWalkability81st pctFirst-time buyers58th pctYoung professionals35th pctVibrancy76th pctHip & trendy71st pctCollege town54th pctUpscale24th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling86th pctTransit77th pctDriving86th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Reserve is worth $154,100, below the typical Louisiana town ($166,450). Homes cost about 2.8 times the median household income of $55,450, which is more affordable than 61% of Louisiana towns. Median rent is $1,381 a month. 70.9% of households own their home.

Reserve vs St. John the Baptist Parish vs typical Louisiana townReserveSt. John the Baptist ParishTypical Louisiana townHome value$154,100$193,200$166,450Household income$55,450$66,630$52,134Monthly rent$1,381$1,334$887
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Louisiana towns with 500+ people.
HousingReserveTypical Louisiana town
Median home value$154,100$166,450
Median rent$1,381$887
Median household income$55,450$52,134
Home value ÷ income2.8×3.0×
Homeownership70.9%70.4%
Median year built19831979
Seasonal / vacation homes1.3%—

Who lives in Reserve

PeopleReserveTypical Louisiana town
Median age40.738.4
Age 65 and over14.8%17.0%
Under 1821.6%—
Bachelor's degree or higher10.3%15.8%
Below the poverty line19.1%20.4%
Veterans2.8%—
Born outside the U.S.11.4%—
Work from home2.2%4.7%
Average commute22.8 min25.8 min
Homes with broadband94.3%84.6%

Weather in Reserve

July highs average 91.6°F and January lows 42.9°F. About 67.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical Louisiana town: 0.0 in). Expect about 79 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 13 nights at or below freezing.

Reserve monthly temperatures and precipitation40°50°60°70°80°90°100°62°43°Jan67°47°Feb72°52°Mar79°58°Apr85°66°May89°73°Jun92°75°Jul92°75°Aug88°71°Sep81°61°Oct71°51°Nov65°46°DecPrecipitation (in)5.94.44.95.55.88.67.15.75.84.14.35.0
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Reserve station (1.9 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

25 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Reserve since 1950, compared with 27 for the typical Louisiana town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on December 6, 1983 about 2.1 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 3 deaths and 89 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on March 4, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Reserve by decade11950s11960s11970s71980s31990s32000s72010s22020s
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 11 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on April 15, 2015.

Severe weather in St. John the Baptist Parish since 1996

Storm events in St. John the Baptist Parish since 1996 by typeHail3Flood4Drought12Tornado9Flash Flood11Coastal Flood3Excessive Heat24Tropical Storm17
NOAA Storm Events Database, St. John the Baptist Parish, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 10 deaths recorded.

St. John the Baptist Parish has been included in 46 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, other, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
January 24, 2026Winter StormEM-3638: Severe Winter Storm
September 16, 2024HurricaneDR-4817: Hurricane Francine
September 10, 2024HurricaneEM-3614: Tropical Storm Francine
September 13, 2021Coastal StormEM-3574: Tropical Storm Nicholas
August 29, 2021HurricaneDR-4611: Hurricane Ida

Jobs and pay in St. John the Baptist Parish

St. John the Baptist Parish had 13,187 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $72,947 a year. Unemployment was 4.4% in 2023; in Reserve itself the ACS puts it at 14.5%.

Largest industries in St. John the Baptist ParishManufacturing2,382 jobs · $143,857Retail1,630 jobs · $35,093Administrative & support1,265 jobs · $60,121Hotels & restaurants885 jobs · $21,042Transportation & warehousing825 jobs · $73,448Finance & insurance228 jobs · $59,074
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in St. John the Baptist Parish, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420102014201820222023St. John the Baptist 4.4%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Reserve

2 public schools with 1,819 students, about 14.2 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
East St. John High School9-121,46715.0
Fifth Ward Elementary SchoolPK-435211.7

Towns near Reserve

Reserve questions

Is Reserve, Louisiana a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Reserve scores better for retirees than 21% of Louisiana towns and quieter than 53%. 14.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 40.7).

How much does a house cost in Reserve?

The median owner-occupied home in Reserve is valued at $154,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $55,450, so homes cost about 2.8 times income. Median rent is $1,381 a month.

What is the weather like in Reserve?

July highs average 91.6°F and January lows 42.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 67.2 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.

Does Reserve get tornadoes?

25 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Reserve since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on December 6, 1983. The typical Louisiana town has had 27.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Reserve's Census boundary (GEOID 2264310). 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. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.