Hi! I’m a current student at VCOM-LA. Depending on how rural you are used to, VCOM may not seem much different. I was raised in a town of 500 people, and then moved to Houston, TX. Monroe, LA definitely will feel more like a city, but it is comparably more rural than bigger areas like Houston, Texas. There are absolutely areas that are family-safe and with a decent public school system (such as the Claiborne school). Those areas tend to be more located in West-Monroe, just 15 minutes from the school. Although, there are plenty of safe areas much closer if that is your concern!