In Jefferson Parish, 72% of the population lives in housing constructed between 1950 and 1990, while only 20% of the housing stock has been built since then. This is in line with the national trend of single-person households becoming more common. In Orleans and Jefferson Parishes, the proportion of homeowners without a mortgage has increased from 33% to 43%, and from 35% to 45%, respectively. Meanwhile, the proportion of adults without a high school diploma in New Orleans has dropped from 25% to 10%.Over the past 17 years, the proportion of people who moved to Jefferson Parish for the first time has remained at 5%.
In New Orleans, adults with a bachelor's degree have increased across all racial and ethnic groups since 1980. Out of all rental properties in New Orleans, family homes make up 35%, while tenants occupy 50% and landlords occupy the remaining 50%. The proportion of white adults with a bachelor's degree in Orleans Parish is higher than that of the US as a whole. At the same time, adults aged 85 and over represent the lowest share of the local rental market at 1%. The largest market share of rental homes in New Orleans are 2-bed units, making up 39% of all rentals.
This is more than double that of neighboring parishes, which highlights the importance of having an effective public transportation system and evacuation plan. The rise in adults with a bachelor's degree or higher in the metropolitan area has been accompanied by a decrease in those with less than a high school diploma. In Orleans Parish, 63% of white heads of households own their homes.
