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COUNTY · 1990 CENSUS

Orleans Parish

Louisiana · 496,938 residents · 170 sq mi
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The short version

Orleans Parish is home to 496,938 people in Louisiana. The poverty rate is 31.6%, above the 13.2% national rate. Owners hold 44% of the housing stock. Median household income is $18,477, under the $30,130 national median. Median home value sits at $68,600. Households here earn about 16% less than in Louisiana as a whole.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $30,130
Mid-age
median age 31.7
US median: 33.0
More educated
22% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
496,938
+3%vs 2000
vs 484,674 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
31.7
−4%vs 2000
vs 33.1 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
170 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
304K357K409K462K514K19902000201020202024Orleans Parish
2024372K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 57.7%(38,359)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 97.9%(39,123)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.5%(37,060)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 197.9%(39,148)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 247.7%(38,183)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3417.1%(84,768)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4414.4%(71,500)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 549.1%(45,137)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 647.9%(39,073)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 747.4%(36,932)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 844.2%(20,963)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1.3%(6,692)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$18,477
−10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $27,133 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$11,372
−34%vs 2000
vs $17,258 in 2000
US average: $14,340
Poverty rate
31.6%
+3.7 ptsvs 2000
vs 27.9% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$68,600
+3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $88,100 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$379
+2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $488 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
43.7%
−2.8 ptsvs 2000
vs 46.5% in 2000
56.3% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic26.6%(128,871)
Black66.7%(323,392)
Hispanic / Latino3.1%(14,826)
Asian2.3%(10,919)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic34.9%(173,305)
Black62.1%(308,364)
Hispanic / Latino3.2%(15,900)
Asian1.9%(9,295)
Other1.2%(5,974)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Central American3.1%(11,357)
Honduran1.8%(6,681)
Mexican1.4%(5,324)
Cuban0.8%(2,908)
South American0.8%(2,834)
Puerto Rican0.5%(1,675)
Nicaraguan0.4%(1,469)
Guatemalan0.3%(1,153)
Dominican0.3%(1,090)
Spaniard0.3%(945)
Colombian0.2%(929)
Costa Rican0.2%(873)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Salvadoran0.2%(728)
Ecuadorian0.1%(478)
Venezuelan0.1%(450)
Peruvian0.1%(351)
Panamanian0.1%(308)
Argentine0.1%(265)
Chilean0.1%(214)
Bolivian0%(54)
Uruguayan0%(11)
Asian origin
Vietnamese1.4%(5,118)
Chinese0.4%(1,573)
Asian Indian0.4%(1,373)
Filipino0.2%(778)
Korean0.1%(418)
Japanese0.1%(311)
Pakistani0%(135)
Thai0%(125)
Taiwanese0%(89)
Laotian0%(60)
Burmese0%(38)
+ 6 more asian origin groups with data
Nepalese0%(34)
Cambodian0%(32)
Malaysian0%(22)
Kazakh0%(13)
Pacific Islander origin
Guamanian0%(26)
Chamorro0%(17)
Samoan0%(9)
Ancestry
German6.4%(23,675)
Irish6.3%(23,557)
French5.5%(20,523)
English5.5%(20,463)
Italian3.8%(14,139)
American2.4%(9,085)
Scottish1.2%(4,355)
West Indian0.9%(3,450)
Polish0.9%(3,266)
French Canadian0.6%(2,238)
Scotch-Irish0.6%(2,128)
+ 49 more ancestry groups with data
Russian0.4%(1,588)
Dutch0.4%(1,469)
British0.4%(1,429)
Swedish0.4%(1,410)
Welsh0.4%(1,310)
Norwegian0.3%(1,259)
Arab0.3%(1,257)
Jamaican0.3%(1,174)
Haitian0.3%(1,050)
Greek0.2%(804)
Nigerian0.2%(752)
Portuguese0.2%(679)
Hungarian0.1%(537)
Lebanese0.1%(482)
Croatian0.1%(480)
Danish0.1%(457)
Ukrainian0.1%(448)
Israeli0.1%(432)
Ethiopian0.1%(432)
Canadian0.1%(419)
Iranian0.1%(378)
Brazilian0.1%(370)
Austrian0.1%(346)
Turkish0.1%(336)
Czech0.1%(316)
Swiss0.1%(312)
Belgian0.1%(293)
Lithuanian0.1%(290)
Palestinian0.1%(229)
Finnish0.1%(189)
Slovak0%(184)
Ghanaian0%(179)
Romanian0%(176)
Slovene0%(159)
Egyptian0%(147)
Kenyan0%(135)
Latvian0%(125)
Armenian0%(122)
Syrian0%(111)
Guyanese0%(85)
Serbian0%(66)
Moroccan0%(51)
Bulgarian0%(33)
Barbadian0%(14)
Somali0%(11)
Iraqi0%(9)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
22.4%
−3.3 ptsvs 2000
vs 25.8% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
68.1%
−6.6 ptsvs 2000
vs 74.7% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Graduate degree
9.2%
−1.6 ptsvs 2000
vs 10.7% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
22.0 min
+34%vs 2000
vs 16.4 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married50.8%(73,183)
Married35.9%(51,707)
Widowed2.8%(4,095)
Divorced10.4%(14,973)
Women 15+
Never married47.5%(79,405)
Married30.9%(51,550)
Widowed7.9%(13,264)
Divorced13.6%(22,779)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
8.1%
−10.9 ptssince 2013
from 19.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
45.4%
+2.7 ptssince 2020
from 42.7% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
12.4%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 12.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
19.4%
+1.8 ptssince 2020
from 17.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
31.7%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 31.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.3%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 2.1% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
55.8%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 54.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
45.6%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 44.6% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)23%(3,188)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)24.1%(3,341)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era34.3%(4,753)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.2%(444)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1%(145)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 13,858 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper

Places similar to Orleans Parish

Mobile County
Pop 411,658
Cumberland County
Pop 338,473
St. Louis
Pop 278,144
Genesee County
Pop 401,093
Places similar to Orleans Parish
Head to head

Compare Orleans Parish to nearby counties

ORLEANS PARISH VS
St. Tammany Parish
Income$81,202+339%
Home value$284,000+314%
Population279,108−23%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ORLEANS PARISH VS
St. Charles Parish
Income$80,897+338%
Home value$263,700+284%
Population50,586−86%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ORLEANS PARISH VS
St. John the Baptist Parish
Income$66,630+261%
Home value$193,200+182%
Population39,875−89%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ORLEANS PARISH VS
Hancock County
Income$67,708+266%
Home value$224,200+227%
Population46,873−87%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Orleans Parish, Louisiana?

Orleans Parish, Louisiana has about 496,938 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Orleans Parish, Louisiana?

The typical household in Orleans Parish, Louisiana earns about $18,477 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Orleans Parish, Louisiana expensive?

In Orleans Parish, Louisiana, the median home is worth about $68,600, and the typical rent is about $379 a month.

How educated are people in Orleans Parish, Louisiana?

About 22.4% of adults age 25 and over in Orleans Parish, Louisiana hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Orleans Parish, Louisiana?

About 31.6% of people in Orleans Parish, Louisiana live below the federal poverty line.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →