DeRidder, Louisiana, offers an ideal climate year round. It should be on the "must" list for those who are considering to relocate - for those who are planning to retire - or anyone planning a trip through the South.

There is no single theme to describe DeRidder, Louisiana, - it is not an industrial town, nor is it a rural farming town. It offers a relaxing, laid-back way of life that is surrounded by a potpourri of cultures, food and activities.

Theatre * Library * Antiques * Museums * Gardens * Veterans Organizations * Quilting Groups * Writing Guild * and within commuting distance of Gaming Activities - DeRidder, Louisiana, has it all!

Military veterans can identify with a sense of belonging, due to legacy of WWII

* 1st USO, DeRidder Army Air Base, Fort Polk and the 1941 "Big" Louisiana Maneuvers

* Excellent health care practitioners and specialists in addition to Fort Polk, Pineville VA,
Jennings, and Lake Charles VA health care facilities for veterans.

* Fort Polk National Cemetery, 204 Acres. West of Fort Polk on Hwy 467,
it includes public information center, assembly area, committal shelter,
595 standard burial plots, 1,190 preplaced concrete crypts,
265 gravesites for burial of cremated remains and 256 columbaria
niches for above ground placement of cremated remains.

Probably one of the greatest attractions to our area is the way State and Local Tax bills stack up. Considering Inheritance, property, Income and Sales TAX, the state of Louisiana is among one of the lowest in total tax bills. And to boot, PUBLIC PENSIONS ARE EXEMPT from Income Tax.

We have so many things to celebrate * Lots of churches * Three golf Courses within commuting distance of DeRidder * Several Bingo Parlors where the locals gather for the big prizes * Along with several Lakes and Streams where one can snag the "Big One." There are fitness centers to rejuvenate body and mind as well as walking trails. If cruises are your forte, ports of embarkation are within commuting distance.

Of primary consideration in establishing a new home is Crime * Security * Safety, along with Low housing cost and Low cost-of-living. Infrastructure - Services, are keeping pace with our growth.

Are you worried about the air you breathe? The Fort Polk-DeRidder area was named one of the least ozone-polluted cities in the nation in 2005 by the American Lung Association.

Visitors find it to be a place where you will "fit in," where anyone can be comfortable socially, politically and culturally. When visitors get hooked on this area, once the "No Man's Land of Louisiana, they can't get enough.

A description of the area would be that of southern small town attributes like low cost-of-living, low cost recreational opportunities, mild climate, high quality-of-life, available land with low housing cost and low crime, all in one package.

Outdoor enthusiasts enjoy the area as a sportsman's paradise with deer, turkey, quail and dove in abundance. The natural beauty of Bundick Swamp, Old River and habitat of the old DeRidder Army Air Base, make it an ideal study area for wildflowers and bird watching.

Noteworthy are the good medical services for a small town area. Acute care is provided along with heart catherterization and special procedures laboratory. Home Health Care and meals are available, along with social service groups such as Council of Aging.

Equally noteworthy are the educational opportunities offered at Fort Polk, just a short drive away (less then 30 minutes).