Affordable Storage in Gonzales

Moving and storage go hand in hand. Whether traveling across town or the country, moving is an exciting and fresh start. While Storage Rentals of America is here to help you with all your storage needs, we also want to help you get familiar with the area. That's why we put together this resource guide for Gonzales.

About Gonzales, LA

Gonzales is about 25 miles south of Baton Rouge via Interstate 10 or Highway 61. It is a few miles east of the Mississippi River. The 2020 census counted 12,231 people living there. It is in Ascension Parish.

Historically, the early settlers from Europe mixed with the Native American Houma people. The emigrants were mostly from France and Spain. In 1851, there were only ten non-native residents. In 1855, they built a school for the children. A general store and post office opened in 1887. The population grew more rapidly after the town was connected to the rest of the state by the Louisiana Railway, and the train company established a station in the town.

The subdivision plat map for the town was created in 1906, and then in 1922, the settlement was officially incorporated as a village. By 1930, the population grew to 462 people. The town got its city charter in 1977.

In contemporary times, the city is known for its local food, especially jambalaya, a dish made of rice, chicken, andouille sausage, and spicy Cajun seasonings.

What to do in Gonzales, LA

Gonzales has many things to do and nice amenities to enjoy.

• Features: The city is a few miles west of Lake Maurepas, which offers boating and fishing.
• Events: The city is famous for its annual Jambalaya Festival, which started in 1968. Gonzales is nicknamed the “Jambalaya Capital of the World.
• Museums and Historical Sites: There are a few nice museums to visit, including the Great River Road Museum, the River Road African Museum, and the Houma House Estate and Gardens plantation.
• Destination: A nice day trip is to go a few miles north of the city to visit the BREC's Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center. It is a large facility with lots of wildlife and plants. There are animal exhibits and minerals on display. You could also go golfing nearby at the Country Club of Louisiana.

Working in Gonzales, LA

The local economy depends on manufacturing, education, retail, and public administration. The unemployment rate is 4.9%, which is reasonable. The median household income is $59,108 per year, which is about $10,000 lower than the American average of $69,021. The economy is slowly declining when compared to the national average. Gonzales's predicted job growth rate for the next decade is a measly 29.7%, compared to the national rate of 33.5%.

The industries offering the most jobs are construction (7.1%), chemicals (9.0%), education (8.5%), healthcare (7.7%), hospitality (6.5%), public administration (5.3%), and support services/waste management (4.3%).

Gonzales, LA Neighborhoods

The best neighborhoods with the most expensive homes are on the northwestern and southeastern sides of the city.

Here are a few areas with nice homes for sale:

• Gonzales West: This nice neighborhood is on the city's northwestern side. It has a median real estate price of $279,288, which is more expensive than 70.5% of Louisiana. Most homes are newer and were built after 2000. Rental homes are $1,864 monthly. The vacancy rate is 4.6%.
• Brittany / St. Amant: This nice neighborhood is on the city's southeastern side. The median real estate price is $273,166. Apartments and homes are available for an average rent of $1,668 monthly. The vacancy rate is 11.8%, so finding a place to rent in this area is easy.
• Gonzales North: The median real estate price in this neighborhood is $270,787. Rental homes are available for an average rent of $2,033 per month. There are also apartment complexes. The vacancy rate is 9.7%. Finding a place to rent is easy.
• Brignac / Duckroost: The median real estate price is $256,330. This neighborhood has a mixture of homes and mobile homes. Most of the houses are owner-occupied. They were built between 1970 and 1999 with a few newer houses. The vacancy rate is 11.7%. The average rent is $1,616 per month.

Gonzales, LA School District

The public school district is Ascension Public Schools. There are 23,078 students enrolled in all of the Ascension Parish, which includes the children of Gonzales’ residents. The school district spends $14,758 annually per student. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17 to one, which is an average class size.

There are three private schools in the Gonzales area, which are the Ascension Christian Academy (PK to 7th), Ascension Christian High School (PK to 12th), and St. Teresa Middle School (4th grade to 8th)

There are 20 colleges and universities within a 50-mile radius. The best universities are the private, four-year school of Our Lady of the Lake College, close to Gonzales and the public four-year school of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, about 28 miles from the Gonzales city center.

Moving to Gonzales, LA Resource Guide

The municipal government has an elected mayor and five elected members serving on the City Council.

The Parks and Recreation Division manages the public parks, playgrounds, programs, and recreational centers, including the Jambalaya Park with its swimming pool, the Municipal Park with sports fields, the Tee Joe Park with baseball diamonds and soccer fields, the Carver Park with basketball courts and soccer fields, the Bergeron-Gaudin Park with batting cages, and Woodman of the World Park with a playground and picnic areas.

Gonzales, LA Housing

The median home price in Gonzales is $300,000, declining by -2.3% year-over-year. It is a buyer’s market with more homes listed for sale than there are interested buyers looking to buy a home.

The cost of living in Gonzales is 3% higher than other cities in Louisiana and 5% lower than the national average across the United States.