St. James Parish, Louisiana Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
St. James 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
-
C
Income Below averageWealthier than 79% of counties in Louisiana
-
F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | St. James Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,390 | 4,610,276 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 76.7 | 88.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.31% | -0.10% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.5 | 35.9 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,489 | 1,803,262 | 130,235,071 |
Population in St. James Parish declined by 8.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 19,390 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in St. James Parish is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.1% of residents. That is 1.8 points above Louisiana as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,948 20.4% -1.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,907 20.1% -1.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,097 21.1% +1.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,660 18.9% +1.7 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 St. James 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 St. James Parish
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
St. James Parish has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | St. James Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,816 | $60,934 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.63% | 3.69% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 6.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in St. James Parish is about 11% higher than in Louisiana.
Housing
| Metric | St. James Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $93,772 | $170,446 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $903 | $1,063 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 84.6% | 67.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in St. James Parish is about 8.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $903 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in St. James Parish spend about 51 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 214 hours, about 8.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | St. James Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 25.7 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 51.4 | 42.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 214 | 177 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,643 | $5,493 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.4% | 8.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,017 | 8,275 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,167 | 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 St. James Parish is 26 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
St. James Parish has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | St. James Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.4% | 24.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.64 | 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
St. James Parish has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | St. James Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.5 | 75.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.9% | 22.3% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.7% | 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).
St. James Parish, LA Compared With Nearby Counties
St. James Parish, LA is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 19,390 residents against a local median of 51,396. Where St. James Parish, LA breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 47% below the local median of $177,438 at $93,772.
The counties themselves spread $160,745 on median home price, so St. James Parish, LA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. St. James Parish, LA has the 6th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. James Parish, LA | 19,390 | $67,816 #4/6 | $93,772 #6/6 | 25.7 min #2/6 |
| Ascension Parish, LA | 130,307 | $92,758 | $177,438 | 28.1 min |
| Assumption Parish, LA | 20,480 | $52,234 | $116,945 | 27.2 min |
| St. John the Baptist Parish, LA | 40,683 | $64,877 | $258,490 | 30.1 min |
| Livingston Parish, LA | 148,115 | $79,329 | $97,745 | 31.9 min |
| St. Charles Parish, LA | 51,396 | $81,548 | $194,058 | 23.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about St. James Parish, Louisiana.
How big is St. James Parish, Louisiana by population?
About 19,390 people live in St. James Parish, Louisiana, in 7,489 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 42.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is St. James Parish, Louisiana mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, St. James Parish, Louisiana has 77 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 St. James Parish, Louisiana?
The median home costs 1.4 times the median household income ($93,772 against $67,816), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $903 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in St. James Parish, Louisiana?
Unemployment in St. James Parish, Louisiana is only 4.1%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in St. James Parish, Louisiana have a college degree?
17.4% of adults in St. James Parish, Louisiana hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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