Bad Economy, High Crime, Poor Schools
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12/21/2017
I lived in Shreveport in the early 1980s and return once or twice every year for visits with family and friends. I've also researched Shreveport and a lot of other cities for retirement. Let me start with the many negatives:
--The violent crime is out of control. Shreveport, the city, has 4X the national average for murder, and similarly high rates for rape, robbery and assault. Anecdotally, I'm told that property crime is a real and growing problems as well. And every time I turn on the local TV news there are more reports of mayhem and violence, often drug related.
--The economy is awful, and has been since, well, the 1970s. Population of Shreveport itself is about where it was in 1975, despite annexing huge swaths of unincorporated Caddo Parish. The metro is very slow growing, due to lots of out-migration. People will tell you Bossier Parish is the hot growth area, but its growth is basically the result of people fleeing Shreveport.
--Unemployment is well over 7%. Many of the major employers I remember have left: GM, GE, and ATT, not to be replaced. The Casinos are big, but those jobs are service oriented and low paying, and I suspect this sector is getting competition from on-line gambling and Indian reservations. There are no major corporate HQs there, so all of the career starting jobs are in branches or small local offices, which makes it hard for young people to get noticed and advance early on. The underfunded LSU medical school may move to Baton Rouge, so that would be a blow to a small, but growing bio-medical sector. Even if it does not it is hard to recruit doctors into Shreveport (low pay, high uninsured rates, shakey state finances.)
--I do not have school age kids, but I understand you really need to send K-12 children to private school. The Jesuit high school there I understand is quite good. Higher education is scarce and expensive as the state has made sharp cutbacks the last decade. Best bet is to go out of state.
--Infrastructure is poor. Bad, pot-holed roads. Water main breaks. (And weird tasting water). Almost no mass transit (plan for your housekeeper to need a ride). And last trip, still no Uber or Lyft.
--Air travel there is expensive and difficult. Basically three options for getting there: DFW (AA), ATL (DL) and IAH (CO). Routes operated by smallish commuter jets. And airfares can be pricey -- $600 r/t during holiday travel season, with long advance purchase. For me in Florida, London, Paris and Rome are cheaper.
--Some good local cuisine, with a cajun influence, which was not there in the 80s. But also lots of fast food joints. Not a place for foodies.
-Aesthetically there are some very nice areas of the city. Tree lined Fairfield Drive and some of the older areas of Broadmoor. Even some of the McMansion suburbs to the SE. But so much of the city is pock marked by boarded up strip malls, garish signs for fast food and gas stations, and just general urban "junk" buildings. It looks like the worst areas of Houston, with zero zoning. Worse: ugly electric wires and poles everywhere, some literally inches from the street (Kings Highway). This is the 21st century. No underground utilities?
--High taxes if you are upper middle class and have a nice home. 6% income tax! 10% sales tax. High property taxes on +$500K properties. You get a much better deal down here in Florida.
OK, the positives.
+ Great city if you are religious. Churches of all kinds everywhere. Even a synagogue and a mosque. Some of the larger churches are like recreation centers.
+Easy parking everywhere. I've lived in dense urban areas, and appreciate the ability to just roll up to a supermarket and park - no hassle.
+Very little traffic. Have never been in a jam there. Worst case you wait one or two cycles for a light to change.
+Friendly, very hospitable people. But I am white, and have friends there, so not sure how you would feel if you were a minority. Or a newcomer. Or single and young. If you are family oriented with kids (in private school) and have a close circle of friends you will probably love this place.
--Nice climate. Definitely four seasons, and summers can be a bit steamy. I suspect it is good for gardening -- the Rose Center is nearby -- and golf. Hunting and freshwater fishing is a big deal, I understand.
Tyler | Miami Beach, FL