Moving and storage go hand in hand. Whether traveling across town or the country, moving is an exciting and fresh start. While Storage Rentals of America is here to help you with all your storage needs, we also want to help you get familiar with the area. That's why we put together this resource guide for Slidell.

About Slidell, LA

Slidell is in St. Tammany Parish. The 2020 census counted 28,781 people living there. It is part of the New Orleans−Metairie−Kenner metropolitan statistical area, also called Greater New Orleans, with a population of 1,271,845 (U.S. 2020 Census). The city of New Orleans is southwest of Slidell across Lake Pontchartrain.

Historically, the first settlers were Foster Willie and his younger brother Wesley. They came to the area from North Carolina in 1836 and started a lumber mill at the location that eventually became Slidell.

Slidell was officially founded in 1882 and 1883 during the construction of the New Orleans and Northeastern Railroad line that connected New Orleans to the township of Meridian. Slidell got its name from a Confederate leader, John Sidell, the Confederate Ambassador to France.

Starting in 1900, the city began to grow. The population doubled from 1,129 to 2,188 from 1900 to 1910. By 1910, the town had become an industrial area with a manufacturing plant for making creosote and a brickyard. The construction of the Interstate highway system brought more people to the area.

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina nearly wiped the entire city off the face of the map. The storm surge rose to 16 feet. Since that time, the town has mostly been rebuilt.

In contemporary times, the city is known for participating in the world-famous New Orleans carnival (Mardi Gras) and building several parade krewes each season.

What to do in Slidell, LA

Slidell has interesting things to see and do.

• Features: The town is on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, which is the nicest feature.
• Events: Popular events are parades like Mardi Gras, Christmas Under the Stars, sports games, and live music.
• Museum: The Slidell Museum is on First Street in Old Town Slidell. It has exhibits about local history and the founding of the city as a railroad town.
• Destination: The Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge is across the bridge south of Slidell in Irish Bayou. It is a protected marshland with plenty of wildlife to see, bird watching, and great fishing. Strolling is nice on elevated walkways. Dogs on a leash are welcome. Just watch out for the alligators.

Working in Slidell, LA

The local economy depends on healthcare, retail, construction, and hospitality. The unemployment rate is 6.5%, which is high. The median household income is $57,920 per year, which is about $11,000 lower than the American average of $69,021. The economy is stagnating when compared to the national average. Slidell's predicted job growth rate for the next ten years is an unimpressive 24.9%, compared to the predicted national average of 33.5%.

The industries offering the most jobs are healthcare (8.8%), education (8.7%), hospitality (7.4%), construction (7.9%), public administration (7.4%), professional services (6.1%), and finance/insurance (4.3%).

Slidell, LA Neighborhoods

The best neighborhoods have homes on the lake near I-10, making the bridge crossing to New Orleans easy.

Here are a few areas with nice homes for sale:

• Lakeshore Estates / Treasure Isle: This nice neighborhood has a beautiful marina on the lake. It has a median real estate price of $571,074, which is more expensive than 88.9% of the rest of the state. Most homes were built after 2000. Rental homes are $1,513 monthly. The vacancy rate is high at 16.5% due to the high turnover of vacation rentals.
• Masters Point / The Inlets: This nice neighborhood has a median real estate price of $408,634. Apartments and homes are available for an average rent of $1,662 monthly. The vacancy rate is 6.7%, so renting a place in this area is easy to accomplish.
• Quail Ridge: This area has some riverfront properties, but most are inland. The median real estate price in this neighborhood is $376,277. Rental homes are available for an average rent of $1,302 per month. There are also apartment complexes and high-rise residential buildings. The vacancy rate is 4.6%.
• Eden Isle: The median real estate price is $347,038. This neighborhood has a mixture of homes and apartment complexes. Most of the houses are owner-occupied. They were built between 1970 and 1999 with a few newer houses. The vacancy rate is 10.2%. The average rent is $1,939 per month.

Slidell, LA School District

St. Tammy Parrish Public Schools is the administrator of the public schools. The school district spends $13,328 annually on educational services for each student. The student-to-teacher ratio of 18 to one creates a rather large class size.

There are 11 private schools in Slidell. The top-ranked private schools are First Baptist Christian School (1st to 12th), St. Margaret Mary School (PK to 7th), and Calvary Baptist School (PK to 8th).

There are 18 colleges and universities within a 50-mile area. The best four-year public universities are the University of New Orleans and the Southern University at New Orleans. The best private four-year school is Tulane University in New Orleans.

Moving to Slidell, LA Resource Guide

The City of Slidell has an elected mayor who works with nine elected members serving on the City Council.

The Slidell Department of Parks & Recreation manages the 30 city parks. The department offers a summer recreation program for kids, adult softball and kickball leagues, and sponsored city events.

Slidell, LA Housing

The median home price is $276,000 if you want to buy a home in Slidell. This price is trending down by -4.2% year-over-year. The good news is that it’s a buyer’s market with more homes listed for sale than interested buyers.

The cost of living in Slidell is a bit higher (4% more) than other cities in the state; however, it is still 4% lower than the national average.