Population 33,169 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Ponchatoula
Household size in Ponchatoula
| Period | Ponchatoula | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.73 | 2.66 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.73 | 2.64 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.71 | 2.64 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.62 | 2.59 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.11 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
At 2.62 people per household, Ponchatoula sits close to the national average of 2.65. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.73, 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 Ponchatoula
| Period | Ponchatoula | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.1 | 36.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.2 | 37.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.1 | 38.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.5 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.4 | +2.2 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Ponchatoula are younger than 39.5 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 35.1 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the northeast and oldest in the northwest.
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 Ponchatoula
| Period | Ponchatoula | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.3% | 14.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.5% | 15.1% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.4% | 14.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.3% | 15.2% | 11.6% |
| Change | −5.0 pts | +0.5 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in ten households in Ponchatoula (9.3%), below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has fallen 5.0 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Ponchatoula has a lower share of single-parent households than at least four in five Louisiana cities.
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 Ponchatoula
Renters in Ponchatoula
| Period | Ponchatoula | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.3% | 31.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 25.7% | 33.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.2% | 34.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 18.6% | 32.6% | 34.8% |
| Change | −7.7 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 18.6% of households in Ponchatoula rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 37.5% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the south and least common in the west. The renter share has fallen 7.7 points since 2006–10, 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 Ponchatoula
| Period | Ponchatoula | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.4% | 13.9% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.0% | 13.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.8% | 15.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.5% | 14.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | +0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Ponchatoula than nationally: 11.5%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Still, the rate is lower than in Louisiana as a whole (14.4%).
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 Ponchatoula
| Period | Ponchatoula | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1985 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1988 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1995 | 1981 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 2000 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +15 | +7 | +6 |
Ponchatoula has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 2000, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1985 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northeast, while the south 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 Ponchatoula
| Period | Ponchatoula | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $761 | $755 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $790 | $831 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $945 | $920 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,186 | $1,122 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$425 | +$366 | +$606 |
The median renter in Ponchatoula pays $1,186 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are higher than in Louisiana as a whole ($1,122). Rent has climbed $425 a month since 2006–10, up 56%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 31.4% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Ponchatoula
Bachelor's degrees in Ponchatoula
| Period | Ponchatoula | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.6% | 22.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.2% | 22.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.6% | 24.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.0% | 27.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.4 pts | +5.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Ponchatoula: 20.0% 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 up 2.4 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the west and least in the northeast.
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 Ponchatoula
| Period | Ponchatoula | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 80.8% | 81.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 85.4% | 83.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.4% | 85.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 86.8% | 87.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.0 pts | +5.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in eight adults in Ponchatoula never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 86.8% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The picture is much the same across Louisiana. The share with a diploma is up 6.0 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Ponchatoula
| Period | Ponchatoula | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.5% | 7.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.3% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.5% | 6.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.8% | 6.5% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | −1.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Ponchatoula is close to the national rate: 4.8% of the labor force, against 5.4%. The rate is lower than in Louisiana overall (6.5%). Unemployment is down 1.6 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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).
Ponchatoula 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ponchatoula | 2.62 | 39.5 | 9.3% | 18.6% | 11.5% | 2000 | $1,186 | 20.0% | 86.8% | 4.8% |
| Natalbany | 2.68 | 36.5 | 21.2% | 24.9% | 11.9% | 2005 | $1,165 | 13.5% | 81.7% | 8.5% |
| Wadesboro | 2.65 | 36.9 | 12.4% | 21.8% | 12.5% | 2001 | $1,440 | 25.0% | 90.1% | 1.1% |
| Hammond | 2.47 | 33.7 | 18.1% | 41.3% | 16.8% | 1990 | $1,025 | 26.3% | 85.0% | 4.5% |
| Robert | 2.39 | 37.1 | 22.6% | 13.0% | 10.4% | 2005 | $1,179 | 21.7% | 83.3% | 6.5% |
| Tickfaw | 2.92 | 33.1 | 21.2% | 38.4% | 13.4% | 1998 | $968 | 14.7% | 75.9% | 9.0% |
| Springfield | 2.60 | 42.5 | 10.2% | 9.8% | 20.3% | 1996 | $1,431 | 21.4% | 87.4% | 3.2% |
| Killian | 2.22 | 48.8 | 14.9% | 9.0% | 30.5% | 1997 | $1,729 | 17.5% | 84.5% | 2.4% |
| Madisonville | 2.93 | 39.2 | 11.7% | 7.9% | 4.3% | 2008 | $1,506 | 55.2% | 97.6% | 3.3% |
| Albany | 2.76 | 37.1 | 10.4% | 16.7% | 14.4% | 2001 | $901 | 15.2% | 87.0% | 2.6% |
| Woodhaven | 3.23 | 33.4 | 17.2% | 30.9% | 15.2% | 1995 | $1,071 | 11.1% | 73.9% | 13.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Happy Valley, OR · Palm City, FL · Marysville, OH · Lancaster, NY · Jasper, AL · Jacksonville Beach, FL · Immokalee, FL · Hiram, GA · Hightstown, NJ · Henderson, NC
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 Ponchatoula. 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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