Moving to Vermilion Parish? Here's What You Need to Know
Vermilion Parish Guide
August 20, 2026
From finding a home to enrolling the kids in school — your complete relocation guide to life in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana.
Vermilion Parish is one of Louisiana's best-kept secrets. Affordable housing, a low cost of living, tight-knit communities, and some of the most beautiful bayou and prairie landscapes in the South — it's a place that gets under your skin quickly.
The parish seat is Abbeville, which offers the most amenities: grocery stores, medical facilities, banks, and a growing restaurant scene. If you're looking for a quieter pace, the smaller communities of Kaplan, Erath, Delcambre, Gueydan, and Maurice each have their own character and charm.
Housing is remarkably affordable compared to nearby Lafayette. You can find a solid three-bedroom home in most parish communities for well under the state average, and the rural areas offer large lots and acreage at prices that would be unthinkable in a major metro area.
The Vermilion Parish School Board operates schools across the parish, with options ranging from traditional public schools to magnet programs. Enrollment typically opens in the spring for the following fall semester — contact the school board office in Abbeville for current enrollment information.
One thing newcomers consistently say about Vermilion Parish: the people. Neighbors introduce themselves. Locals wave from their porches. If your car breaks down on a back road, someone will stop to help. That's just how it is here.
Use the Vermilion Parish Guide directory to find local businesses, services, and community resources as you get settled. And don't hesitate to submit your own business once you're up and running — this community loves to support its own.