Louisiana Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Louisiana Population Density Map and Area Scores
State Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below averageAmong the 3 least healthy states in the US
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C
Income Below averageLess wealthy than 90% of states in the US
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D
Education Well below averageAmong the 5 least educated states in the US
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Louisiana | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 4,610,276 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 88.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.10% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.9 | 37.3 |
| Households | 1,803,262 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Louisiana grew by 3.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 4,610,276 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Louisiana is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 21.8% of residents. That is 0.4 points below the US as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 990,159 21.5% on par
- Millennials 29–44 1,007,125 21.8% -0.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 893,139 19.4% -0.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 790,979 17.2% +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 the US, 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 Louisiana and men 48.9%.
- Women 51.1% the US 50.5%
- Men 48.9% the US 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Louisiana
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Louisiana has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Louisiana | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $60,934 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.69% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Louisiana is about 24% lower than in US.
Housing
| Metric | Louisiana | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $170,446 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,063 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 67.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Louisiana is about 13.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,063 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Louisiana spend about 43 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 177 hours, about 7.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Louisiana | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 42.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 177 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,493 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,275 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 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 Louisiana is 21 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in US.
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
Louisiana has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Louisiana | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 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
Louisiana has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Louisiana | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.3% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 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).
Louisiana Compared With Nearby States
Louisiana is typical in size for this group, 4,610,276 residents against a local median of 4,028,385, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. The measure that sets Louisiana apart most is median home price: $170,446, 28% above the local median of $133,462.
The states themselves spread $143,829 on median home price, so Louisiana sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Louisiana has the 2nd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 4,610,276 | $60,934 #5/6 | $170,446 #2/6 | 21.3 min #3/6 |
| Mississippi | 2,946,497 | $56,669 | $130,069 | 21.5 min |
| Arkansas | 3,049,066 | $60,940 | $111,957 | 18.6 min |
| Alabama | 5,083,438 | $64,544 | $160,474 | 22.1 min |
| Oklahoma | 4,028,385 | $65,606 | $133,462 | 19.0 min |
| Tennessee | 7,058,506 | $69,901 | $255,786 | 22.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Louisiana.
What is the population of Louisiana?
About 4,610,276 people live in Louisiana, in 1,803,262 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 35.9, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Louisiana mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Louisiana has 88 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Louisiana?
The median home costs 2.8 times the median household income ($170,446 against $60,934), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,063 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 Louisiana?
24.0% of adults in 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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