Marriage Coaching in Shreveport, LA

Understanding Shreveport Marriage Challenges

Population Collapse—City Shrinking Dramatically

• Shreveport population dropping from 199,000 (2010) to 183,000 (2024)
• 15,000+ residents lost in 15 years—8% population decline
• Families leaving for Dallas (3 hours), Houston (4 hours), other Texas metros
• Oil and gas bust driving mass exodus of energy workers
• Casino industry decline reducing tourism economy jobs
• Young people seeing no future—brain drain accelerating
• Empty homes, declining neighborhoods, visible urban decay
• Tax base eroding—services deteriorating as population shrinks

Oil & Gas Industry Bust—Economic Devastation

• Haynesville Shale boom (2008-2014) bringing prosperity, jobs, growth
• Oil price collapse (2014-2016) devastating regional energy economy
• Thousands of oil field jobs lost—$60,000-$100,000 incomes vanishing
• Support industries (equipment, services, trucking) collapsing alongside
• Families who built lives on energy sector facing unemployment, foreclosure
• Many relocating to Permian Basin (Texas), other active fields
• Boom-bust cycle leaving permanent scars on community
• Those remaining often underemployed, struggling to adapt

Housing Affordability—Declining Values, Not Opportunity

• Median home prices $180,000-$240,000 in Shreveport—genuinely affordable
• But low prices reflect declining market, not affordability opportunity
• Property values stagnant or declining in many neighborhoods
• Homes purchased in 2010 worth less today in some areas
• Requires household income of $50,000-$70,000 for $210,000 home
• Dual working incomes ($45,000 + $48,000) = $93,000 sufficient
• Down payment of $36,000-$48,000 (20%) achievable
• But difficulty selling, property value loss creating trap

Shreveport-Bossier Neighborhoods & Ark-La-Tex Geography

• South Highlands: Historic area with character homes, $180,000-$350,000
• Broadmoor: Established neighborhood with families, $150,000-$280,000
• Ellerbe Road Corridor: South growth area with newer homes, $250,000-$450,000
• Pierremont: East side with middle-class, $140,000-$240,000
• Highland/Fairfield: Historic with mixed conditions, $100,000-$220,000
• Bossier City: East across river with casinos, military, $180,000-$320,000
• Benton: North (15 miles) with growth, families, $200,000-$350,000
• Haughton: East (15 miles) with schools, growth, $180,000-$300,000
• Blanchard: North (10 miles) with rural character, $160,000-$280,000
• Stonewall: South (15 miles) with DeSoto Parish, $150,000-$260,000

Violent Crime Crisis—Safety Concerns

• Shreveport violent crime rate among Louisiana's highest
• Homicide rate significantly above national average
• Property crime, vehicle theft affecting many neighborhoods
• Certain areas with concentrated crime, gang activity
• Safety concerns affecting daily life—where to go, when, how
• Families avoiding certain neighborhoods, times, situations
• Crime driving population loss—families leaving for safety
• Police department understaffed as tax base erodes

Caddo Parish Schools—Chronic Underfunding

• Caddo Parish Public Schools serving 37,000+ students with challenges
• Graduation rate 73%—27% of students not graduating on time
• Louisiana ranking near bottom nationally in education
• Chronic underfunding as tax base erodes with population loss
• Poverty affecting 75%+ of students (free/reduced lunch eligible)
• Teacher retention difficult with low pay, challenging conditions
• Magnet schools (Caddo Magnet, C.E. Byrd) providing quality options
• Bossier Parish schools generally better—driving family location choices

Casino Economy—Stagnation & Addiction

• Bossier City casinos (Margaritaville, Horseshoe, others) providing jobs
• But casino industry stagnating—competition from Texas tribal gaming
• Casino jobs paying $25,000-$40,000—dealing, hospitality, security
• 24/7 operations requiring night shifts, weekends, holidays
• Gambling addiction destroying marriages, finances, families
• Casino proximity making addiction management difficult
• Limited career advancement—dealer ceiling reached quickly
• Industry decline threatening even these modest jobs

Barksdale Air Force Base—Military Community

• Barksdale AFB—home of 2nd Bomb Wing, B-52 Stratofortress
• Major economic anchor for Bossier City and region
• Military families bringing stability, diversity to community
• But deployment stress affecting military marriages—separation anxiety
• PCS (Permanent Change of Station) cycles creating transience
• Reintegration challenges after deployments straining relationships
• Military spouse unemployment—difficulty maintaining careers with moves
• Global Strike Command headquarters bringing additional personnel

Dual-Income Necessity & Economic Pressure

• Shreveport requiring dual incomes for working-class stability
• Both partners must earn $45,000-$55,000 each minimum
• Single income ($48,000) barely sufficient even with affordable housing
• Oil field loss forcing career changes, income reductions
• Childcare costs $500-$900+ monthly affecting working calculation
• Economic stress constant despite lower cost of living

Brain Drain—Young People Fleeing

• Young people leaving Shreveport for Dallas, Houston, Austin, beyond
• Limited career opportunities beyond oil (declining), casino, military
• LSU Shreveport, Centenary graduates departing immediately
• No tech sector, limited professional services compared to Texas metros
• Dallas 3 hours away offering vastly more opportunity
• Brain drain perpetuating economic decline cycle
• Those who stay often lack options or resources to leave

Poverty Concentration—Louisiana Economic Reality

• Louisiana among nation's poorest states
• Caddo Parish poverty rate 22%—higher in some Shreveport neighborhoods
• Child poverty rates among nation's highest
• Working poor—employed but still struggling
• Generational poverty cycles extremely difficult to break
• Healthcare access limited for uninsured, underinsured

Summer Heat & Louisiana Humidity

• Summer temperatures 90-95°F May through September
• Louisiana humidity making heat index 100-108°F+ common
• Outdoor activities challenging during summer months
• Air conditioning essential with electricity bills $150-$300 summer months
• Mild winters (40-55°F) providing relief from heat

Red River & Louisiana Culture

• Red River defining Shreveport-Bossier geography
• Riverfront development, festivals, outdoor recreation
• Louisiana culture—Cajun influence, festivals, food traditions
• Mudbug Madness, Red River Revel celebrating local heritage
• Strong faith community—churches central to culture
• Ark-La-Tex identity—blending Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas influences

Healthcare & Regional Services

• Ochsner LSU Health, Willis-Knighton providing regional healthcare
• Medical sector one of few stable employment areas
• LSU Health Shreveport medical school, training programs
• Healthcare jobs ($35,000-$80,000) providing career options
• Regional hub status bringing patients from surrounding areas

The "Should We Stay in Shreveport?" Decision

Shreveport couples eventually weigh genuine affordability with $180,000-$240,000 median homes attainable on working wages, Barksdale AFB stability providing military community and economic anchor, Louisiana culture including Cajun heritage, festivals, food, and music traditions, Red River beauty with riverfront development and outdoor recreation, low cost of living overall with affordable groceries and utilities, strong faith community with churches central to Shreveport culture, and Ark-La-Tex location providing access to three states against population collapse losing 15,000+ residents since 2010 as oil and gas bust, casino stagnation, and economic deterioration drive families to Dallas, Houston, and beyond, oil and gas industry devastation with thousands of energy sector jobs lost and families facing unemployment or relocation, violent crime crisis with rates among Louisiana's highest creating daily safety concerns, Caddo Parish Schools struggles with 73% graduation rate and chronic underfunding as tax base erodes, casino economy stagnation providing some jobs but $25,000-$40,000 wages creating poverty trap while gambling addiction destroys marriages, dual-income necessity where both must earn $45,000-$55,000 each minimum, brain drain accelerating as young people flee to Texas metros seeing no future in declining city, Barksdale deployment stress with military family challenges including separation, PCS cycles, and reintegration, poverty concentration with 22% Caddo Parish rate and Louisiana among nation's poorest states, economic decline with tax base eroding and services deteriorating, summer heat with 90-95°F and oppressive humidity May-September, and fundamental recognition that Shreveport represents Rust Belt South reality—population collapse, oil bust devastation, casino dependency, crime challenges, and economic decline defining city watching itself shrink while struggling to find identity beyond industries that have abandoned it. Partners often disagree—one values genuine affordability ($210K homes on $90K household income), Louisiana culture, Barksdale stability, low cost of living, faith community, Red River heritage while other watching city collapse (15K residents lost), devastated by oil bust (career eliminated), terrified by crime (safety concerns daily), frustrated by school failures (73% graduation), seeing brain drain (all ambitious friends left for Dallas), questioning why stay in shrinking city. Many leave Shreveport when oil field job loss forces relocation to active energy region, when crime concerns (violent crime among state's highest) create fear for family safety, when school quality (Caddo 73% graduation) creates urgency for children's futures, when they realize affordable housing reflects declining market not opportunity, when brain drain means all peers with options have departed for Texas, when casino wages ($30K) prove insufficient for any prosperity, when population collapse (empty homes, declining services) becomes too depressing, or when they conclude Louisiana culture and affordability don't compensate for economic collapse, crime crisis, and city with no apparent future. The question becomes whether Shreveport's genuine affordability, Barksdale stability, Louisiana culture, Red River heritage, low cost of living, faith community, and Ark-La-Tex location justify population collapse (15K+ lost since 2010), oil bust devastation (energy careers eliminated), violent crime crisis (among Louisiana's highest), school struggles (Caddo 73% graduation), casino stagnation ($25K-$40K poverty wages, addiction), dual-income necessity (both earning $45K-$55K minimum), brain drain (young people fleeing to Texas), military stress (deployments, PCS, reintegration), poverty concentration (22% rate, among poorest states), economic decline (tax base eroding, services deteriorating), summer heat (90-95°F with humidity), and Rust Belt South reality requiring dual working incomes in shrinking city that has lost 8% of population watching neighbors leave for Texas while oil industry collapses, crime rises, schools decline, and community struggles to find identity beyond industries that have abandoned it and young people who have fled.