Rapides Parish, Louisiana Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Rapides 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.
-
C
Health Below average
-
D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 78% of counties in Louisiana
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Rapides Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 127,522 | 4,610,276 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 93.7 | 88.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.47% | -0.10% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.0 | 35.9 | 37.3 |
| Households | 48,951 | 1,803,262 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Rapides Parish declined by 3.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 127,522 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Rapides Parish is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.0% of residents. That is 0.5 points below Louisiana as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 26,726 21.0% -0.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 25,899 20.3% -1.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 25,599 20.1% +0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 22,321 17.5% +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 51.4% of the people living in Rapides Parish and men 48.6%.
- Women 51.4% Louisiana 51.1%
- Men 48.6% Louisiana 48.9%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Rapides Parish
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Rapides Parish has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Rapides Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,466 | $60,934 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.49% | 3.69% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 6.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Rapides Parish is about 9% lower than in Louisiana.
Housing
| Metric | Rapides Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $168,749 | $170,446 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $949 | $1,063 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 64.8% | 67.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Rapides Parish is about 14.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $949 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Rapides 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 142 hours, about 5.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Rapides Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.0 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 34.1 | 42.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 142 | 177 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,399 | $5,493 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.5% | 8.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,659 | 8,275 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 651 | 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 Rapides 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
Rapides Parish has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Rapides Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.4% | 24.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.53 | 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
Rapides Parish has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Rapides Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.9 | 75.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.8% | 22.3% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.8% | 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).
Rapides Parish, LA Compared With Nearby Counties
Rapides Parish, LA is the largest of the 5 counties compared here, 127,522 residents against a local median of 27,266. Rapides Parish, LA's median household income, at $55,466, runs 24% above the $44,602 typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 17.0 min against a local median of 21.9 min, 22% below it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, so Rapides Parish, LA is not trading one advantage for another, it reads stronger than its neighbours across the board. The counties themselves spread $24,451 on median household income, so Rapides Parish, LA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Rapides Parish, LA has the 2nd highest median household income of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapides Parish, LA | 127,522 | $55,466 #2/5 | $168,749 #3/5 | 17.0 min #1/5 |
| Grant Parish, LA | 22,095 | $63,876 | $57,171 | 22.6 min |
| Evangeline Parish, LA | 32,054 | $42,481 | $268,503 | 21.1 min |
| Avoyelles Parish, LA | 38,905 | $39,426 | $100,395 | 23.8 min |
| Allen Parish, LA | 22,477 | $46,723 | $265,000 | 18.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Rapides Parish, Louisiana.
What is the population of Rapides Parish, Louisiana?
About 127,522 people live in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, in 48,951 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 36.0, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Rapides Parish, Louisiana urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Rapides Parish, Louisiana has 94 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 Rapides Parish, Louisiana?
The median home costs 3.0 times the median household income ($168,749 against $55,466), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $949 a month takes about 21% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Rapides Parish, Louisiana?
20.4% of adults in Rapides 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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