Population 33,741 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Opelousas
Household size in Opelousas
| Period | Opelousas | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.82 | 2.66 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.75 | 2.64 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.67 | 2.64 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.52 | 2.59 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.30 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
Households in Opelousas run a little small, averaging 2.52 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Household size has dropped from 2.82 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Households are largest in the northeast and smallest in the southeast.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Opelousas
| Period | Opelousas | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.6 | 36.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.1 | 37.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.0 | 38.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.6 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.0 | +2.2 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Opelousas are younger than 38.6 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 35.6 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the north and oldest in the southeast.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Opelousas
| Period | Opelousas | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.7% | 14.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 18.7% | 15.1% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 18.4% | 14.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 22.6% | 15.2% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.9 pts | +0.5 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head more than one in five households in Opelousas (22.6%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 4.9 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Only 13 of the 151 Louisiana cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of single-parent households.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Opelousas
Renters in Opelousas
| Period | Opelousas | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.7% | 31.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 34.6% | 33.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 35.1% | 34.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 30.5% | 32.6% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.2 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Opelousas own their homes; 30.5% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 65.0% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the southwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 3.2 points, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Opelousas
| Period | Opelousas | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.5% | 13.9% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.6% | 13.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 15.0% | 15.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.8% | 14.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | +0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 16.8% of the housing in Opelousas, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Vacancy has risen 3.2 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Opelousas
| Period | Opelousas | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1975 | 1981 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1981 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +7 | +6 |
Homes in Opelousas are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1981, versus 1980 nationally. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, the oldest in the center.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Opelousas
| Period | Opelousas | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $514 | $755 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $592 | $831 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $679 | $920 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $820 | $1,122 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$306 | +$366 | +$606 |
The median renter in Opelousas pays $820 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $306 a month from 2006–10, a 60% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 30.5% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the southwest; the most affordable are in the east.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Opelousas
Bachelor's degrees in Opelousas
| Period | Opelousas | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.7% | 22.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.4% | 22.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.4% | 24.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.2% | 27.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | −1.5 pts | +5.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Opelousas: 13.2% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is down 1.5 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose. College graduates are most concentrated in the southeast and least in the north.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Opelousas
| Period | Opelousas | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 73.9% | 81.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 75.0% | 83.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 74.2% | 85.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 83.2% | 87.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +9.3 pts | +5.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in six adults in Opelousas never finished high school, well above the national share: only 83.2% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma has risen 9.3 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Opelousas
| Period | Opelousas | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.8% | 7.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.6% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.0% | 6.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.5% | 6.5% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | −1.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Opelousas: 8.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has edged up 0.7 points, even as the national rate fell. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Opelousas compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opelousas | 2.52 | 38.6 | 22.6% | 30.5% | 16.8% | 1981 | $820 | 13.2% | 83.2% | 8.5% |
| Lawtell | 2.61 | 45.7 | 15.8% | 19.2% | 15.4% | 1979 | $906 | 11.6% | 80.0% | 1.9% |
| Plaisance | 2.63 | 39.0 | 20.7% | 22.4% | 20.3% | 1986 | $750 | 16.2% | 82.4% | 6.1% |
| Prairie Ronde | 2.36 | 47.6 | 9.4% | 17.3% | 13.4% | 1986 | $954 | 10.1% | 85.7% | 3.3% |
| Leonville | 2.67 | 35.6 | 7.9% | 7.6% | 13.5% | 1979 | $936 | 27.8% | 83.9% | 3.6% |
| Grand Coteau | 2.48 | 37.3 | 13.9% | 52.3% | 26.6% | 1975 | $999 | 21.8% | 69.4% | 17.1% |
| Sunset | 3.03 | 33.8 | 19.0% | 21.2% | 9.7% | 1997 | $1,135 | 24.5% | 82.3% | 5.8% |
| Washington | 2.24 | 43.2 | 19.9% | 26.8% | 22.2% | 1976 | $704 | 12.8% | 91.4% | 14.4% |
| Port Barre | 2.76 | 33.6 | 26.4% | 29.1% | 17.8% | 1984 | $896 | 17.1% | 88.4% | 2.7% |
| Swords | 2.95 | 48.4 | 18.5% | 14.7% | 20.1% | 1981 | $937 | 10.9% | 72.6% | 5.4% |
| Pecaniere | 2.87 | 27.5 | 23.2% | 1.6% | 26.8% | 1994 | $518 | 12.4% | 97.5% | 13.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Springville, UT · Foley, AL · Foster City, CA · Granite City, IL · Greeneville, TN · Lindenhurst, NY · Lockport, IL · Melrose Park, IL · Montrose, CO · Niles, MI
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Opelousas. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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