Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Natchitoches Parish, 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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C
Health Below average
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F
Income Well below averageAmong the 5 least wealthy counties in Louisiana
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 76% of counties in Louisiana
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Natchitoches Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 36,692 | 4,610,276 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 28.3 | 88.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.85% | -0.10% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 31.6 | 35.9 | 37.3 |
| Households | 14,507 | 1,803,262 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Natchitoches Parish declined by 5.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 36,692 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Natchitoches Parish is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 29.3% of residents. That is 7.9 points above Louisiana as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 10,764 29.3% +7.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,203 16.9% -4.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,227 17.0% -2.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,202 16.9% -0.3 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 51.9% of the people living in Natchitoches Parish and men 48.1%.
- Women 51.9% Louisiana 51.1%
- Men 48.1% Louisiana 48.9%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Natchitoches Parish
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Economy
Natchitoches Parish has a the economy index of F, which means it scores poorly in the economy.
| Metric | Natchitoches Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $46,337 | $60,934 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.64% | 3.69% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.6% | 6.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Natchitoches Parish is about 24% lower than in Louisiana.
Housing
| Metric | Natchitoches Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $154,807 | $170,446 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $785 | $1,063 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 60.9% | 67.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Natchitoches Parish is about 16.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $785 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Natchitoches Parish spend about 34 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 141 hours, about 5.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Natchitoches Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.0 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 33.9 | 42.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 141 | 177 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,382 | $5,493 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 3.6% | 8.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,904 | 8,275 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 340 | 1,164 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Louisiana:
East Carroll Parish (11.4 min), Madison Parish (13.1 min), St. Mary Parish (15.5 min).
Slowest:
West Feliciana Parish (32.8 min), East Feliciana Parish (32.8 min), St. Helena Parish (32.4 min).
The average commute time in Natchitoches Parish is 17 minutes, shorter 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
Natchitoches Parish has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Natchitoches Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.9% | 24.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.37 | 2.49 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Louisiana:
Orleans Parish (0.3), East Baton Rouge Parish (0.3), St. Tammany Parish (0.3).
Lowest:
East Carroll Parish (0.1), Assumption Parish (0.2), Evangeline Parish (0.2).
Health
Natchitoches Parish has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Natchitoches Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.2 | 75.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.9% | 22.3% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.9% | 23.9% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Louisiana:
St. Tammany Parish (0.8), Ascension Parish (0.8), Vernon Parish (0.8).
Lowest:
East Carroll Parish (0.7), Madison Parish (0.7), Tensas Parish (0.7).
Natchitoches Parish, LA Compared With Nearby Counties
Natchitoches Parish, LA is the 2nd largest of the 4 counties compared here, 36,692 residents against a local median of 22,095. Where Natchitoches Parish, LA breaks from the counties next to it is commute, sitting 25% below the local median of 22.6 min at 17.0 min. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $46,337 against a local median of $56,995, 19% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: commute runs ahead of the neighbourhood while median household income runs behind it, so Natchitoches Parish, LA is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread 6.2 min on commute, so Natchitoches Parish, LA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Natchitoches Parish, LA has the lowest commute of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natchitoches Parish, LA | 36,692 | $46,337 #4/4 | $154,807 #1/4 | 17.0 min #1/4 |
| Sabine Parish, LA | 21,977 | $50,161 | $147,341 | 23.8 min |
| Grant Parish, LA | 22,095 | $63,876 | $57,171 | 22.6 min |
| Vernon Parish, LA | 47,107 | $56,995 | $145,815 | 17.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana.
What is the population of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana?
About 36,692 people live in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, in 14,507 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 31.6, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana has 28 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 33% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana?
The median home costs 3.3 times the median household income ($154,807 against $46,337), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $785 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana?
18.9% of adults in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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