Tensas Parish, Louisiana Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Tensas 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.
-
F
Health Well below averageAmong the 3 least healthy counties in Louisiana
-
F
Income Well below averageAmong the 5 least wealthy counties in Louisiana
-
F
Education Well below averageAmong the 5 least educated counties in Louisiana
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Tensas Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,935 | 4,610,276 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 6.1 | 88.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -2.44% | -0.10% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 45.7 | 35.9 | 37.3 |
| Households | 1,577 | 1,803,262 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Tensas Parish declined by 32.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 3,935 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Tensas Parish is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 23.8% of residents. That is 6.6 points above Louisiana as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 696 17.7% -3.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 661 16.8% -5.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 796 20.2% +0.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 936 23.8% +6.6 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 51.8% of the people living in Tensas Parish and men 48.2%.
- Women 51.8% Louisiana 51.1%
- Men 48.2% Louisiana 48.9%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Tensas Parish
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Tensas Parish has a the economy index of F, which means it scores poorly in the economy.
| Metric | Tensas Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $37,110 | $60,934 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.17% | 3.69% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 11.4% | 6.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Tensas Parish is about 39% lower than in Louisiana.
Housing
| Metric | Tensas Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $240,908 | $170,446 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $601 | $1,063 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.2% | 67.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Tensas Parish is about 33.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $601 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Tensas Parish spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 171 hours, about 7.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Tensas Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.5 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.0 | 42.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 171 | 177 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,302 | $5,493 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 3.5% | 8.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,479 | 8,275 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 215 | 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 Tensas Parish is about the same as 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
Tensas Parish has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Tensas Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.0% | 24.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.32 | 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
Tensas Parish has a health index of F, which means it scores poorly in health.
| Metric | Tensas Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.2 | 75.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 32.3% | 22.3% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 28.8% | 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).
Tensas Parish, LA Compared With Nearby Counties
How Tensas Parish, LA compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tensas Parish, LA | 3,935 | $37,110 #2/2 | $240,908 #2/2 | 20.5 min #2/2 |
| Adams County, MS | 28,803 | $43,475 | $312,941 | 15.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Tensas Parish, Louisiana.
How big is Tensas Parish, Louisiana by population?
About 3,935 people live in Tensas Parish, Louisiana, in 1,577 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 45.7, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 8 years.
How densely populated is Tensas Parish, Louisiana?
Averaged over its land area, Tensas Parish, Louisiana has 6 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 7% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Tensas Parish, Louisiana?
The median home costs 6.5 times the median household income ($240,908 against $37,110), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $601 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Tensas Parish, Louisiana?
Unemployment in Tensas Parish, Louisiana is 11.4%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Tensas Parish, Louisiana have a college degree?
13.0% of adults in Tensas Parish, Louisiana hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 8), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →