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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Rapides Parish

Louisiana · 130,023 residents · 1,324 sq mi
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The short version

Rapides Parish is a county of 130,023 people in Louisiana. 22% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The foreign-born share is 2%. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $147,200. The poverty rate is 18.7%, above the 12.8% national rate. The median household earns $48,013, about 28% below the national median.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 39.3
US median: 38.8
Less educated
22% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 43%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
130,023
+3%since 2000
from 126,337 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
39.3
+11%since 2000
from 35.5 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
1,324 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
126K128K129K131K133K19902000201020202024Rapides Parish
2024128K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 56%(7,745)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.5%(8,478)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 147.2%(9,409)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.8%(8,830)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246%(7,760)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3411.9%(15,470)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4412.4%(16,129)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5411.9%(15,446)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6413.8%(17,899)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7410.5%(13,589)
US avg: 10%
75 to 845.3%(6,936)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.8%(2,332)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$48,013
+7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $29,856 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$27,291
+70%since 2000
from $16,088 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
32.0%
+7.9 ptssince 2009
from 24.0% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
18.7%
−1.8 ptssince 2000
from 20.5% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information10%
US avg: 11.1%
Wholesale trade7.4%
US avg: 6.7%
Retail trade5%
US avg: 10%
Finance & insurance4.9%
US avg: 5.5%
Other services4.6%
US avg: 6.6%
Professional, scientific, technical3.5%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing3.1%
US avg: 2.5%
Public administration3.1%
US avg: 4.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing3%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction1.6%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing1.4%
US avg: 0.5%
Education & health services1.4%
US avg: 0.8%
Arts, entertainment, food0.9%
US avg: 2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$147,200
+43%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $68,300 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$825
+26%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $434 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
65.0%
−3.1 ptssince 2000
from 68.0% in 2000
35.0% rent
Persons per household
2.57 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.57 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
3.1
+19%since 2009
from 2.6 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic65.7%(83,059)
Black30.3%(38,298)
Hispanic / Latino1.4%(1,739)
Asian0.8%(1,071)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic58.7%(76,323)
Black31%(40,261)
Hispanic / Latino3.9%(5,090)
Asian1.4%(1,805)
Other3.1%(3,966)
Segregation Score
50
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican1.8%(2,378)
Spaniard0.3%(450)
Puerto Rican0.3%(419)
Nicaraguan0.2%(246)
Guatemalan0.1%(121)
Ecuadorian0.1%(88)
Cuban0%(58)
Colombian0%(58)
+ 4 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Pakistani0.3%(333)
Filipino0.2%(315)
Laotian0.2%(307)
Chinese0.2%(258)
Asian Indian0.2%(205)
Vietnamese0.1%(134)
Japanese0.1%(91)
Cambodian0%(26)
Korean0%(4)
Thai0%(2)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(32)
Ancestry
American16%(20,917)
French6.7%(8,753)
Irish5.5%(7,123)
English4.7%(6,148)
German4.2%(5,526)
Italian2%(2,651)
French Canadian1.2%(1,513)
Scottish0.7%(965)
Scotch-Irish0.7%(942)
Belgian0.7%(896)
Dutch0.5%(674)
+ 33 more ancestry groups with data
British0.3%(404)
Norwegian0.3%(356)
Welsh0.2%(293)
Polish0.2%(274)
Swedish0.2%(199)
Lebanese0.1%(161)
Palestinian0.1%(157)
West Indian0.1%(128)
Syrian0.1%(119)
Haitian0.1%(114)
Swiss0.1%(99)
Portuguese0.1%(89)
Hungarian0.1%(80)
Bulgarian0.1%(77)
Russian0.1%(75)
Czech0.1%(73)
Greek0.1%(69)
Croatian0%(54)
Danish0%(53)
Austrian0%(51)
Kenyan0%(40)
Somali0%(40)
Canadian0%(34)
Jordanian0%(31)
Finnish0%(26)
Ethiopian0%(26)
Romanian0%(24)
Slovak0%(22)
Turkish0%(18)
Ukrainian0%(16)
Brazilian0%(11)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
21.7%
+5.1 ptssince 2000
from 16.5% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
86.5%
+11.9 ptssince 2000
from 74.6% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
8.4%
+2.5 ptssince 2000
from 5.9% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
24.0 min
+63%since 2000
from 14.7 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
81.3%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 82.6% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
10.0%
+2.1 ptssince 2009
from 7.8% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.8%
−1.8 ptssince 2011
from 7.6% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
58.0%
−0.2 ptssince 2011
from 58.2% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
70.2%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
34.4%
+2.3 ptssince 2009
from 32.1% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.3%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 48.2% in 2009
Female
51.7%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 51.8% in 2009
Foreign born
2.5%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 2.4% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
9.2%
−7.1 ptssince 2013
from 16.3% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
88.1%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
86.7%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married38.7%(18,742)
Married46.7%(22,596)
Widowed2.5%(1,195)
Divorced12.1%(5,839)
Women 15+
Never married33.2%(17,612)
Married41.4%(21,950)
Widowed10.8%(5,727)
Divorced14.5%(7,688)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
9.2%
−7.1 ptssince 2013
from 16.3% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
46.9%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
12.4%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
18.8%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
30.5%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
4.8%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
59.2%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
46.7%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)23.5%(2,220)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)17.6%(1,666)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era36.9%(3,488)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War6.7%(636)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II6.5%(615)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 9,465 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

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Pop 129,921
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Pop 111,122
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Head to head

Compare Rapides Parish to nearby counties

RAPIDES PARISH VS
Grant Parish
Income$64,016+33%
Home value$143,300−3%
Population22,075−82%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RAPIDES PARISH VS
Avoyelles Parish
Income$39,325−18%
Home value$122,400−17%
Population37,941−70%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RAPIDES PARISH VS
Evangeline Parish
Income$41,915−13%
Home value$124,600−15%
Population31,980−75%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RAPIDES PARISH VS
Vernon Parish
Income$57,270+19%
Home value$156,000+6%
Population45,091−64%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Rapides Parish, Louisiana?

Rapides Parish, Louisiana has about 130,023 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Rapides Parish, Louisiana earns about $48,013 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Rapides Parish, Louisiana expensive?

In Rapides Parish, Louisiana, the median home is worth about $147,200, and the typical rent is about $825 a month.

How educated are people in Rapides Parish, Louisiana?

About 21.7% of adults age 25 and over in Rapides Parish, Louisiana hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Rapides Parish, Louisiana?

About 18.7% of people in Rapides Parish, Louisiana live below the federal poverty line.

Has Rapides Parish, Louisiana grown since 1990?

Yes, Rapides Parish, Louisiana has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 1,533 residents, a change of about -1 percent over that period.

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

How we source and harmonize this data →