Lafayette Louisiana Business Climate - Yesterday and Today (Thursday July 17 2025)

Lafayette is an economic center of South Louisiana. Lafayette's economy started out as an agricultural system (sugarcane, cotton, and corn) and later transitioned into retail and entertainment. The discovery of oil in Lafayette also changed the economy and a lot of its workers are currently employed in the oil industry. After the city's growth, it became home to industries as diverse as technology, healthcare, and banking. Corporations with headquarters or big impact in Lafayette include Costco, Amazon, Albertsons, and JP Morgan Chase.

In 2019 Forbes ranked Lafayette as one of the best places for businesses. Federal, state, and local governments provide incentives such as financing assistance and training programs for incoming and existing businesses. In recent news, Lafayette lenders such as local banks met with small business owners at a lender match event hosted by the Louisiana Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) and the United States Small Business Administration (SBA).  Businesses can take advantage of local training programs to educate new and existing employees. Lafayette has some of the lowest priced utilities in the state and some of the fastest internet in the world. 

The region's Cajun and Creole culture create a unique environment for living, working, and playing. Enjoy some nostalgic TV and old (1987) Lafayette business commercials for a limited time at Live Work Play the "Orange Dream 4" YouTube Channel - www.youtube.com/@liveworkplaytheorangedream4. Discuss what it's like to live work and play in Lafayette in a forum topic or blog post at www.greenprofiler.com. Live Work Play the "Orange Dream 4" (the YouTube Channel) and Forest Affiliate Blog (this blog) are family brands of Greenprofiler.com (GP).