Quality of Life
Quality of Life
From historic downtowns to spectacular waterfronts and pine-ringed estates, St. Tammany Parish offers a variety of places to live with a luxurious quality of life and the charm of a small town.
Home to an excellent public-school system, St. Tammany students consistently score above national and states levels on standardized tests. St. Tammany is also located within close proximity to eight universities and colleges, providing a wide range of educational opportunities.
Located on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain, St. Tammany offers a wealth of recreational opportunities from biking the Tammany Trace to catching a production at a local theater company.
With over 3,000 retail establishments in St. Tammany, the community supports both national retailers and local boutiques. St. Tammany’s restaurants and breweries are regional destinations – showcasing the area’s culinary heritage and making for a vibrant food scene.
Recreation
St. Tammany Parish is renowned by outdoor enthusiasts and sportsmen for its 26 parks, nature trails, bike paths, playgrounds and sports complexes, including:
Tammany Trace
This 31-mile rails-to-trails conversion meanders through lovely wooded areas and links five St. Tammany towns, permitting runners, walkers, cyclers, and even equestrians.
Fontainebleau State Park
This historic park offers 2,800 acres with beautiful cabins built over Lake Pontchartrain, 130 improved campsites, 180 unimproved campsites, several nature trails, three group camps, a lodge, a sandy beach, a playground and the ruins of an 1829 sugar mill situated among towering oaks.
Fairview-Riverside State Park
Located on the Tchefuncte River, Fairview-Riverside State Park offers the Historic Otis House Museum, 22 premium campsites, 59 improved campsites and 20 unimproved campsites where guests can fish and have picnics.
Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
Federal wildlife refuge on 15,000 acres of pine flatwoods and coastal marsh.
Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge
36,000-acres of the Pearl River Basin.
Northlake Nature Center
A nature preserve with a boardwalk, children’s programs and nature activities, located on 400 acres of ancient pines and hardwood forest along Bayou Castine. Hosts the annual Great Louisiana Birdfest.
Museums
In addition to the impressive regional offerings such as the National WWII Museum, the New Orleans Museum of Art and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, St. Tammany Parish is home to 12 historic sites and museums, including:
Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum
Explore the area’s rich maritime history up-close via detailed exhibits, boat models, boat-building classes and the very popular Wooden Boat Festival in October. The maritime museum is located on the banks of the Tchefuncte River.
H.J. Smith’s Son General Store and Museum
Family owned and operated since 1876, this museum houses hundreds of items from 1870 through the early 1900s, including a 20-foot-long cypress dugout boat, a cast iron casket, old farming tools, a 1920s gas pump, a hand-operated wooden washing machine and much more.
Otis House Museum
This late 19th-century Queen Anne-style home of a lumber baron offers guided tours, exposing guests to photographs and memorabilia from the era. The home is located on the grounds of Fairview-Riverside State Park and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Saint Joseph Abbey
Benedictine monastery founded in 1889.
Slidell Museum and Slidell Mardi Gras Museum
Located in the old town jail, the museum displays two floors of photographs, collections and memorabilia on the history of Slidell. The newest addition is the Mardi Gras Museum, which houses a collection of over 800 pieces of Carnival memorabilia including dresses, costumes, scepters, goblets, throws and historical scrapbooks of past kings and queens.
Golf Courses
St. Tammany Parish is home to eight public and private golf courses. These include: Abita Springs Golf and Country Club; Beau Chene Country Club; Covington Country Club; Money Hill Golf and Country Club; Oak Harbor Golf Club; Pinewood Golf Club; Royal Golf Club; and Tchefuncta Country Club. All courses offer 18 holes.
Professional and Collegiate Sports
Located between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, St. Tammany Parish is the ideal home for fans of both the New Orleans Saints professional football team and the Louisiana State University Tigers collegiate football team. Both teams enjoy a dedicated regional and national fan base.
For fans of professional basketball, the New Orleans Pelicans franchise calls New Orleans home.
Other collegiate sports teams in the region include the Southeastern Louisiana University Lions football and baseball teams, the Tulane University Green Wave football and baseball teams, and the University of New Orleans Privateers basketball and baseball teams.
Dining
GIS Planning estimates that there are almost 600 restaurants in St. Tammany Parish.
As one of the most populous parishes in Louisiana—a diverse area rich in culinary heritage and flavor—St. Tammany Parish satisfies and enthralls gourmands. With po-boys, fried and boiled seafood, jambalaya, gumbo, muffulettas, and all the other local cuisines, St. Tammany’s world-class and home-grown restaurants offer a wide range of fine and casual dining experiences across the parish.
Housing
St. Tammany offers a variety of housing options, including apartment rentals, condominiums, town homes, and single-family homes. 76.6% of residents own their homes, while 23.4% rent. Residents live in gated communities, on the waterfront with boat launch access, and in high-end, sprawling estates. All housing opportunities are available across the parish in convenient locations. The average rent in St. Tammany for a 2-bedroom apartment is around $1,240 per month. The average sales price for a home is $304,000 as of March 2024.