Central, Louisiana Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Central, LA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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B
Income Around average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Central | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 28,978 | 4,610,276 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 463.4 | 88.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.23% | -0.10% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.9 | 35.9 | 37.3 |
| Households | 10,950 | 1,803,262 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Central grew by 4.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 28,978 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Central is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 21.4% of residents. That is 0.4 points below Louisiana as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,723 19.7% -1.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,206 21.4% -0.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,811 20.1% +0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,316 18.3% +1.2 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Louisiana, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.1% of the people living in Central and men 48.9%.
- Women 51.1% Louisiana 51.1%
- Men 48.9% Louisiana 48.9%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Central
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Economy
Central has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Central | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $90,983 | $60,934 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.65% | 3.69% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.6% | 6.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Central is about 49% higher than in Louisiana.
Housing
| Metric | Central | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $223,522 | $170,446 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,310 | $1,063 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 87.5% | 67.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Central is about 14.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,310 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Central spend about 61 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 252 hours, about 10.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Central | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 30.3 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 60.6 | 42.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 252 | 177 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,825 | $5,493 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.1% | 8.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | — | 8,275 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,326 | 1,164 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Central is 30 minutes, longer than the 21 minutes in Louisiana.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Central has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Central | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.7% | 24.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.64 | 2.49 | 2.53 |
Health
Central has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Central | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.3 | 75.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.5% | 22.3% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.1% | 23.9% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Central, Louisiana.
How big is Central, Louisiana by population?
About 28,978 people live in Central, Louisiana, in 10,950 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 37.9, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Central, Louisiana mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Central, Louisiana has 463 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 5.4 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Central, Louisiana?
The median home costs 2.5 times the median household income ($223,522 against $90,983), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,310 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Central, Louisiana?
Unemployment in Central, Louisiana is only 2.6%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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