Lafayette, LA

Overview

As the largest city in Lafayette Parish, Lafayette, Louisiana mixes all the amenities of urban life, including universities and medical centers, with the unmistakable influence of the region’s venerable Cajun and Creole cultures. Visitors can learn about the area’s roots by touring either the Acadian Cultural Center or Vermilionville. Built as 19th century bayou villages, each folk life center operates as an interactive museum. This heritage is still prominent in the city’s lifestyle cultural traditions.

Lafayette is said to have more restaurants per capita than any other American city, and many of them specialize in the distinctive, seafoodladen regional cuisine. Numerous music clubs feature homegrown talent, including both traditional and contemporary Cajun and Zydeco performers. Two popular festivals, Festival International de Louisiane in April and Festivals Acadiens in October, draw many thousands of visitors to town and anchor a calendar year full of celebrations of the area’s vibrant culture.

Lafayette may be known for its special charm and joie de vivre, but the city’s education rates, and median income are what earned it a topthree ranking among the best places to live in Louisiana this week by ChamberOfCommerce. org, an online business resource.

Lafayette was ranked third by ChamberOfCommerce.org, behind Mandeville and Covington, based on five factors that the organization uses to judge quality of life. Lafayette was the largest city in the state to reach a top 5 spot in ChamberOfCommerce.org's rankings.