Population 158,480 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Ouachita Parish: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Ouachita Parish
Household size in Ouachita Parish
| Period | Ouachita Parish | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.65 | 2.66 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.57 | 2.64 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.66 | 2.64 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.56 | 2.59 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.10 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
The average household in Ouachita Parish has 2.56 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.65, a much bigger shift than nationally. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the south.
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 Ouachita Parish
| Period | Ouachita Parish | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.6 | 36.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.7 | 37.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.3 | 38.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 37.6 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.0 | +2.2 | +2.3 |
Ouachita Parish is a little younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 37.6, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has climbed from 35.6 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Ouachita Parish is younger than the great majority of Louisiana counties.
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 Ouachita Parish
| Period | Ouachita Parish | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.3% | 14.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.9% | 15.1% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 16.1% | 14.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 16.5% | 15.2% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | +0.5 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in six households in Ouachita Parish (16.5%), well above the national share of 11.6%. Compared with other Louisiana counties, Ouachita Parish has a higher share of single-parent households than most.
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 Ouachita Parish
Renters in Ouachita Parish
| Period | Ouachita Parish | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.9% | 31.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 40.0% | 33.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 41.6% | 34.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 39.0% | 32.6% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is a bit more common in Ouachita Parish than nationally: 39.0% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% for the U.S. Among homeowners, 51.2% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the east and least common in the northwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 2.2 points, in line with the national trend.
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 Ouachita Parish
| Period | Ouachita Parish | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.7% | 13.9% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.7% | 13.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 17.6% | 15.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.4% | 14.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | +0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs high in Ouachita Parish: 13.4% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy has edged up 0.7 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 Ouachita Parish
| Period | Ouachita Parish | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1979 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1981 | 1981 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1984 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +7 | +6 |
The housing in Ouachita Parish is a little younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1984, against 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1978 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the east has the oldest housing.
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 Ouachita Parish
| Period | Ouachita Parish | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $705 | $755 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $729 | $831 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $797 | $920 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,038 | $1,122 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$332 | +$366 | +$606 |
Rent in Ouachita Parish runs $1,038 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $332 a month from 2006–10, a 47% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 35.7% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Rents run highest in the north and lowest in the southeast.
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 Ouachita Parish
Bachelor's degrees in Ouachita Parish
| Period | Ouachita Parish | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.7% | 22.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.2% | 22.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.4% | 24.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 28.2% | 27.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.5 pts | +5.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Nearly three in ten adults 25 and older in Ouachita Parish (28.2%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 4.5 points, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the north and least in the southeast.
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 Ouachita Parish
| Period | Ouachita Parish | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 84.0% | 81.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.8% | 83.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 86.2% | 85.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 88.4% | 87.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.4 pts | +5.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Ouachita Parish is close to the national rate: 88.4% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 4.4 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Ouachita Parish has a higher share of high school graduates than at least four in five Louisiana counties.
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 Ouachita Parish
| Period | Ouachita Parish | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.3% | 7.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.7% | 6.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.1% | 6.5% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.2 pts | −1.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs high in Ouachita Parish: 7.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. That is in line with the rest of Louisiana. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Ouachita Parish compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ouachita Parish | 2.56 | 37.6 | 16.5% | 39.0% | 13.4% | 1984 | $1,038 | 28.2% | 88.4% | 7.1% |
| Richland Parish | 2.59 | 39.0 | 17.3% | 33.2% | 15.8% | 1982 | $914 | 16.8% | 79.2% | 9.0% |
| Lincoln Parish | 2.38 | 31.7 | 13.7% | 46.2% | 12.6% | 1985 | $1,007 | 35.1% | 90.6% | 3.7% |
| Webster Parish | 2.55 | 41.3 | 16.1% | 33.2% | 21.6% | 1975 | $828 | 13.5% | 87.0% | 5.4% |
| Bossier Parish | 2.59 | 38.2 | 12.1% | 34.9% | 10.5% | 1991 | $1,233 | 28.9% | 90.7% | 6.3% |
| Caddo Parish | 2.42 | 40.8 | 17.6% | 39.8% | 15.0% | 1977 | $1,028 | 26.0% | 88.0% | 9.0% |
| Madison County | 2.57 | 40.3 | 11.0% | 28.7% | 7.1% | 1996 | $1,487 | 50.5% | 92.4% | 3.8% |
| Harrison County | 2.68 | 38.4 | 14.4% | 23.1% | 11.0% | 1985 | $1,067 | 23.6% | 89.4% | 4.9% |
| Scott County | 2.93 | 38.4 | 22.9% | 28.7% | 15.3% | 1987 | $863 | 13.3% | 77.8% | 4.4% |
| Gregg County | 2.62 | 37.5 | 16.7% | 39.7% | 11.5% | 1980 | $1,181 | 22.6% | 86.9% | 3.9% |
| Upshur County | 2.71 | 41.4 | 9.0% | 19.3% | 10.6% | 1989 | $1,098 | 17.5% | 86.9% | 5.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Beaver County, PA · Portage County, OH · Aiken County, SC · Kings County, CA · Madera County, CA · Martin County, FL · Maui County, HI · Merrimack County, NH · Mesa County, CO · Middlesex County, CT
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 Ouachita Parish. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.