Ouachita Parish, Louisiana Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Ouachita 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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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 84% of counties in Louisiana
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Ouachita Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 158,478 | 4,610,276 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 251.0 | 88.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.17% | -0.10% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.6 | 35.9 | 37.3 |
| Households | 61,488 | 1,803,262 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Ouachita Parish grew by 3.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 158,478 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Ouachita Parish is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 22.5% of residents. That is 1.1 points above Louisiana as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 35,718 22.5% +1.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 34,404 21.7% -0.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 30,073 19.0% -0.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 24,914 15.7% -1.4 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 52.0% of the people living in Ouachita Parish and men 48.0%.
- Women 52.0% Louisiana 51.1%
- Men 48.0% Louisiana 48.9%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Ouachita Parish
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Economy
Ouachita Parish has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Ouachita Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,024 | $60,934 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.39% | 3.69% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.5% | 6.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Ouachita Parish is about 10% lower than in Louisiana.
Housing
| Metric | Ouachita Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $169,257 | $170,446 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $958 | $1,063 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 61.0% | 67.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Ouachita Parish is about 14.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $958 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Ouachita Parish spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 150 hours, about 6.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Ouachita Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.0 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.0 | 42.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 150 | 177 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,647 | $5,493 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.3% | 8.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,593 | 8,275 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,174 | 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 Ouachita Parish is 18 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
Ouachita Parish has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Ouachita Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.5% | 24.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.50 | 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
Ouachita Parish has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Ouachita Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.5 | 75.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 24.0% | 22.3% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.4% | 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).
Ouachita Parish, LA Compared With Nearby Counties
How Ouachita Parish, LA compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ouachita Parish, LA | 158,478 | $55,024 #1/3 | $169,257 #1/3 | 18.0 min #1/3 |
| Union Parish, LA | 20,797 | $42,659 | $85,426 | 27.7 min |
| Morehouse Parish, LA | 24,551 | $39,643 | $159,809 | 20.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Ouachita Parish, Louisiana.
How many people live in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana?
About 158,478 people live in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, in 61,488 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 37.6, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Ouachita Parish, Louisiana urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Ouachita Parish, Louisiana has 251 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.9 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana?
The median home costs 3.1 times the median household income ($169,257 against $55,024), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $958 a month takes about 21% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana?
23.5% of adults in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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