Three Family-Friendly Neighborhoods Outside Lafayette

Broussard’s Cypress Meadows | Best Neighborhood for Professionals and Families

Once a serene rural outpost framed by sugarcane fields, Broussard has emerged as one of the most desirable places to live in Acadiana. Founded as a town in 1884 and designated as a city in 2002, the fast-growing community of 16,000 offers a small-town atmosphere with big-city amenities.

Broussard is one of only a few Louisiana municipalities that do not collect a property tax. The rare incentive has fueled a booming residential and commercial real estate market. The ongoing completion of the I-49 South corridor and U.S. Highway 90 is noticeably improving its connectivity.

According to 2026 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Broussard ranks No. 1 in median household income in Acadiana ($116,000), followed by Prairieville and Youngsville. In a broader statewide standing, Broussard now ranks fourth among Louisiana’s towns.

Buyers can find a wide range of new properties, from custom luxury residences designed around a championship golf course to gated, pet-friendly subdivisions with playgrounds.   

Among the top attractions for young professionals and families is the Broussard Sports Complex at St. Julien Park, which recorded approximately 1 million visits in 2025. An expansive new pickleball and tennis development, along with a veterans memorial, is underway.

Parish Brewing Co., one of Louisiana’s most recognized craft breweries, is set to undergo a major expansion at its headquarters. Broussard’s growing nightlife scene continues to attract young professionals to the area.

Broussard and Youngsville are currently partnering to construct a new, shared roundabout at a highly traveled intersection (N. Larriviere Road and LA Highway 92) in the expanding Broussard-Youngsville corridor. 

Bordering Youngsville near the new roundabout, Cypress Meadows stands as one of Broussard’s most sought-after neighborhoods.

While young professionals often favor newly built, move-in-ready modern homes, families are drawn to the upscale district for its stocked fishing ponds, walking trails, playgrounds, proximity to excellent schools, and wildlife safaris at nearby Zoosiana.

“Cypress Meadows has a fire station right across the street, which helps with the fire insurance premiums,” says Kevin Rose, a real estate agent with ReMax Acadiana. “Since it’s not in a flood zone, it has a good Zone X rating that also lowers premiums. We did quite a few custom French country homes when I worked with different builders here. It isn’t your typical every house and block looks the same subdivision. It has character.”

The neighborhood’s range of architectural styles includes French country, Southern traditional, modern transitional, Acadian, and transitional farmhouse.

“Cypress Meadows has become one of the area’s most desirable family-oriented communities due to its location, neighborhood amenities and strong sense of community,” says Lulu David, owner of Lulu David Real Estate Co., based in Youngsville.

“I’ve specialized in the Acadiana real estate market for the past 10 years and have helped hundreds of families buy and sell homes throughout Youngsville, Broussard, Lafayette and the surrounding area,” she adds. “One of the things residents love the most about Cypress Meadows is the active community involvement and events throughout the year. It tends to feel suburban-family focused, while still offering elevated custom homes and strong neighborhood appeal.”

New Iberia’s East Main Street, Historic District | Best Neighborhood for Retirees

While Acadiana’s 22 parishes are best known for their Cajun and Creole heritage, New Iberia stands out as the primary example of a community with a distinct Spanish-speaking lineage.

As the seat of Iberia Parish, the city of 26,000 residents proudly celebrates its Spanish heritage with the annual El Festival Español de Nueva Iberia, honoring the settlers from the Iberian Peninsula who established the community in 1779. Bouligny Plaza is named after its leader, Lieutenant Colonel Don Francisco Bouligny. 

The site of the annual World Championship Gumbo Cookoff and Books Along the Teche events, Bouligny Plaza added an expanded Steamboat Warehouse Pavilion designed by architect and New Iberia native David Allain in 2025.

“For the last decade, our firm has been doing a lot in the downtown area,” Allain says. “The mayor, with his construction background, was able to find funding for many public spaces.”

“The biggest addition to Bouligny Plaza is the public outdoor stage, which is bringing more events to New Iberia,” he says. “We’ve also added a veterans memorial, visitors center, and four docks downtown so boats can tie up near the outdoor stage. And we’ve tripled the size of the Bayou Teche Museum. The entire downtown district is on the National Historic Register.”

Other nearby attractions include Avery Island, famous for its Tabasco Sauce Museum, Jungle Gardens and Bird City. The nearby semitropical Rip Van Winkle Gardens on Jefferson Island features ancient oaks along storied Lake Peigneur.

Extending from the commercial district are the revered New Iberia East Main Street Historic District and adjacent residential corridors. Many of the elaborate homes were built by prosperous planters during the city’s sugar boom era in the 1800s.

Retirees find the East Main Street Historic District appealing for its walkability and nearby attractions. Residents can stroll from the historic neighborhood to coffee shops, museums, festivals and Bayou Teche within minutes. Excellent health facilities are nearby.

“A lot of people come in and decide to move into the area,” says Allain. “For retirees, it’s a great quality of life with good public amenities. And there’s a very strong volunteer drive for festivals, weekend events and pop-up markets.”

Homes in the broader East Main Street Historic District include dozens of residences with architectural styles ranging from Greek Revival and Victorian to Colonial Revival and raised Louisiana cottages.

“I think this historic neighborhood is quite a special and unique cornerstone of our community,” Allain adds. “It ranges from very large multigenerational residences to small, cottage-like homes. The market is pretty flexible. Shadows-on-the-Teche is the end of the historic residential district. It bleeds into one another.”

History is on display at Shadows-on-the-Teche, perhaps the city’s most celebrated historic home. The Greek Revival-style mansion was built in 1834 overlooking Bayou Teche. Further along Main Street is the famed Steamboat House, a Victorian-era residence that earned its nickname because of its multilayered galleries resembling a steamboat. Both remain visual reminders of New Iberia’s prosperous late-19th-century era tied to budding commerce along Bayou Teche.

Abbeville’s Historic Residential District | Best Neighborhood for Foodies and Francophones

Known as “the most Cajun place on Earth” and the seat of Vermilion Parish, Abbeville captures the enduring spirit of French Acadiana. The close-knit community of 11,000 has deep-rooted traditions that prioritize faith, family and a thriving food culture based on oyster havens, fresh seafood, wild game and storied heirloom recipes.

Founded in 1843 by French Capuchin missionary Père Antoine Désiré Mégret, the bilingual community was modeled after a traditional French village known for its Gothic cathedrals in the Picardy region of northern France.

Abbeville still revolves around the historic downtown core near the Vermilion Bayou. The towering Gothic-Romanesque Revival St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church and picturesque, oak-shaded Magdalen Square, centered by a gazebo and statue of Mégret, create one of Acadiana’s most recognizable small-town settings.

The cadence of Cajun French prevails downtown at the imposing, white-columned Vermilion Parish Courthouse, designed by renowned Louisiana architect A. Hays Town, one of many buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the recently revitalized commercial district.

“Over half of the buildings contribute to the historic elements of the district,” says Charlene Beckett, Main Street manager. “There has been a huge transformation to our downtown streets.”

“They’ve done an amazing job,” says James “Jim” Segrest, a longtime resident of the Historic Residential District. “Abbeville has a certain magical, timeless quality, but with all the modern amenities.”

A retired principal, operatic tenor and member of the St. Mary Magdalen choir, Jim moved to Abbeville to marry a refined local beauty. “I’m blessed to be in this cultured little town with a sophisticated choir at St. Mary Magdalen, just minutes from our house.”

A mother of six and an active community leader, Jim’s wife, Odile (née LeBlanc, granddaughter of Sen. Dudley “Couzan Dud” LeBlanc), grew up in their circa 1895 house next door to her cousins, including philanthropist Phyllis M. Taylor, CEO of the Taylor Foundation, and her uncle, Frank Summers, former Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court.

“When I relax on our front porch, instead of modern subdivisions, I see beautiful 100-year-old homes and huge oak trees,” Jim reflects.

Framed, oak-lined streets winding along the Vermilion Bayou, the Historic Residential District (notable for Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Victorian, and Stick-Eastlake architecture) stands out as Abbeville’s top neighborhood for foodies, francophones and festival fans.

Residents are within walking distance of year-round festivals (including the Giant Omelette Celebration featuring French chefs from a dozen francophone nations), bilingual museums and businesses, restaurants, shops, theaters, garden shows, farmers markets and holidays in Magdalen Square.

One of Louisiana’s most celebrated small foodie destinations, Abbeville is famed for oyster havens dating back to 1859, led by longtime favorites Dupuy’s, Shucks and River Front Grill. The legendary crawfish eateries have cult followings. Boudin abounds at Cajun meat markets offering custom butchering and deer processing for Abbeville’s abundant hunters.

“I moved from Mississippi to downtown Abbeville for my foodie friends and became involved with many socials for the Giant Omelette Celebration,” says Nikki Dauterman, a former resident of Lafayette and Youngsville. “I love all the activities in Magdalen Square, the Cajun dancing and live music at my favorite waterfront restaurants in Acadiana.”