Rapides Parish is a county of 127,527 people in Louisiana. 23% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $181,100. The foreign-born share is 3%. The poverty rate is 19.9%, above the 12.5% national rate. The median household earns $54,967, about 33% below the national median.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $54,967, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 37.9
US median: 38.9
Less educated
23% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 46%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Rapides Parish
What changed most since 1990
White share69.9% → 59.4%(−10.4 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Adults with a bachelor's degree14.6% → 23.1%(+8.5 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
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)21.7%(1,538)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)27.4%(1,939)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era36.2%(2,564)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War6.3%(446)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.6%(46)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 7,079 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
Over time
Rapides Parish, decade by decade
Rapides Parish population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
131,556
$49,948
$122,164
14.6%
54.3
2000
126,337
$54,387
$124,419
16.5%
59.4
2010
131,613
$58,489
$158,962
19.4%
64.1
2020
130,023
$58,194
$178,412
21.7%
69.6
2024
127,527
$54,967
$181,100
23.1%
68.6
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
