St. Tammany has always been an attractive and desirable location for those seeking the good life without sacrificing business success. Our parish encompasses 854 square miles. Its communities, comprising of Abita Springs, Bush, Covington, Folsom, Lacombe, Madisonville, Mandeville, Pearl River, Slidell, Sun and Talisheek, have something to offer everyone - from urban neighborhoods and small towns, to artists' meccas, historic villages and panoramic country sides.
Waterfront living and recreation is available along Lake Pontchartrain and the many bayous and rivers. With its many waterways, St. Tammany has a tropical aura with average temperatures ranging from 41 degrees in January to 93 degrees in July.
St. Tammany is at the center of activity. For those seeking big-city activity, Baton Rouge, 60 miles to the west, and New Orleans, 35 miles to the south, offer major league spots, theatrical, musical and artistic entertainment, museums and art galleries, history-rich venues and casinos. Or join the nearly 735,000 cruise-ship passengers who depart from New Orleans annually. If a plethora of casinos and entertainment is what you're looking for, the Gulf Coast communities of Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, and Biloxi, Mississippi start within a 30-minute drive east of St. Tammany on Interstate I-10.
Before Hurricane Katrina, St. Tammany Parish was the fifth largest parish in the state and has been the fastest growing parish since the 1970s. The population has more than tripled since 1970, with a pre-Katrina estimated population of 215,837 in 2005. Virtually overnight, post-Katrina, St. Tammany became the third largest parish in the state with an estimated population of 271,361 in 2006.
The people moving to St. Tammany post-Katrina are predominantly from the flooded areas of St. Bernard Parish, traditionally known as a suburban wildlife, fishing and agriculture community. It is yet to be determined how many St. Bernard families will remain in St. Tammany as they have found it to be a complementary alternative to their previous home.
St. Tammany has seen an increase in the number of businesses locating in St. Tammany. The Secretary of State has recorded 818 new incorporations through the third quarter of 2006, while the parish (excludes municipalities) issued nearly 1,373 new occupational licenses in 2006.
These families and businesses realized what St. Tammany residents already knew. St. Tammany is a safe haven, enjoying a relatively low crime rate. The St. Tammany Sheriff's Office solve rate of nearly 60 percent is consistently more than double the national solve rate.
St. Tammany has a superb school system. It continuously scores above national and state levels on standardized tests. Money Magazine has named it one of the top 100 school systems within the Nation's major metropolitan areas. And it has the lowest dropout rate in the state.
St. Tammany Parish is strategically located to provide easy access to New Orleans, the Gulf Coast areas and the major population centers of the vibrant gulf-south. Four metropolitan centers are within 100 miles of St. Tammany (including New Orleans), 15 within 100 and 300 miles, and 125 within 750 miles.
St. Tammany's highway system conveniently ties it to the entire country.