Orleans Parish, LA

County

Add Comparison

2024 Population

371,853

US Senator

Bill Cassidy

Republican Party

US Senator

John Kennedy

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

38.8

1.04% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

22.6%

0.123% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$56,631

2.33% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$315,700

6.51% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

170,586

1.97% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Orleans Parish, LA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

96.6% of the residents in Orleans Parish, LA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Orleans Parish, LA are Tulane University of Louisiana (4,810 degrees awarded in 2023), Delgado Community College (2,980 degrees), and University of New Orleans (1,362 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Orleans Parish, LA was $315,700, and the homeownership rate was 51.2%.

Most people in Orleans Parish, LA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Orleans Parish, LA was 2 cars per household.

Orleans Parish, LA borders Jefferson Parish, LA, Plaquemines Parish, LA, St. Bernard Parish, LA, and St. Tammany Parish, LA.

About the photo: French Quarter

Photo by Wally Gobetz

United States Louisiana New Orleans-Metairie, LA

Population & Diversity

Orleans Parish, LA is home to a population of 372k people, from which 96.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 6.61% of Orleans Parish, LA residents were born outside of the country (24.6k people).

In 2024, there were 1.79 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (200k people) in Orleans Parish, LA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 112k White (Non-Hispanic) and 14.3k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.6%

2024 Citizenship

96.7%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.6% of Orleans Parish, LA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Orleans Parish, LA was 96.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Orleans Parish, LA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Orleans Parish, LA

Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
200k ± 1.51k
White (Non-Hispanic)
112k ± 455
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
14.3k ± 991

8.18%

Hispanic Population

30.4k people

8.18% of the people in Orleans Parish, LA are hispanic (30.4k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Orleans Parish, LA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Louisiana.

Most Common Origin

Honduras
46,145 ± 5,248 people
Mexico
26,336 ± 3,973 people
Vietnam
16,621 ± 3,160 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Louisiana was Honduras, the natal country of 46,145 Louisiana residents, followed by Mexico with 26,336 and Vietnam with 16,621.

Foreign-Born Population

6.61%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

24.6k people

6.52%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

24.5k people

As of 2024, 6.61% of Orleans Parish, LA residents (24.6k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Orleans Parish, LA was 6.52%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Orleans Parish, LA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
4,601 ± 435
Gulf War (2001-)
3,188 ± 441
Gulf War (1990s)
2,240 ± 387

Orleans Parish, LA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.44 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Orleans Parish, LA.

Economy

The economy of Orleans Parish, LA employs 171k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Orleans Parish, LA were Health Care & Social Assistance (25,858 people), Educational Services (23,813 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (17,889 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($132,333), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($79,297), and Finance & Insurance ($77,202).

Employment

Occupations

171k

2024 Value

± 3,430

−1.97%

1 Year decline

± 2.87%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Orleans Parish, LA declined at a rate of −1.97%, from 174k employees to 171k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Orleans Parish, LA, are Management Occupations (21,718 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (16,523 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (14,444 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Orleans Parish, LA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Louisiana.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Louisiana (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

171k

2024 Value

± 3,430

−1.97%

1 Year decline

± 2.87%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Orleans Parish, LA declined at a rate of −1.97%, from 174k employees to 171k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Orleans Parish, LA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (25,858 people), Educational Services (23,813 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (17,889 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Orleans Parish, LA, though some of these residents may live in Orleans Parish, LA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$51,182

Median earning men ± $1,579

$40,974

Median earning women ± $908

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($79,464), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($75,192), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($73,952).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($66,199), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($60,313), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($57,342).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Louisiana.

Y-Axis

1.78%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.94M people employed in Louisiana. This represents a 1.78% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 14.4%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Louisiana.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

1,099
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
700
Retail Trade
580
Other Services (except Public Administration)

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$1.66M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$1.29M
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
$1.21M
Educational Services

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Louisiana went to Donald J. Trump with 60.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (38.2%), followed by Other (0.547%).

Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy are the senators currently representing the state of Louisiana. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Louisiana is currently represented by 6 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Orleans Parish, LA. Showing the available data for Louisiana.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (60.2%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (38.2%)
Democratic Party
Other (0.547%)
Other Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Louisiana went to Donald J. Trump with 60.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (38.2%), followed by Other (0.547%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Louisiana for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Louisiana

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Louisiana.

Bill Cassidy

Senator from Louisiana

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

John Kennedy

Senator from Louisiana

Assumed office on January 3, 2017

Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy are the senators currently representing Louisiana.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Louisiana over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2023, universities in Orleans Parish, LA awarded 13,835 degrees. The student population of Orleans Parish, LA in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 18,999 male students and 31,723 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Orleans Parish, LA are White (6,450 and 49.4%), Black or African American (3,496 and 26.8%), Hispanic or Latino (1,156 and 8.85%), and Asian (833 and 6.38%).

The largest universities in Orleans Parish, LA by number of degrees awarded are Tulane University of Louisiana (4,810 and 34.8%), Delgado Community College (2,980 and 21.5%), and University of New Orleans (1,362 and 9.84%).

The most popular majors in Orleans Parish, LA are General Studies (941 and 6.8%), Casino Dealing (619 and 4.47%), and General Business Administration & Management (584 and 4.22%).

The median tuition costs are $16,617 for private four year colleges, and $6,090 and $13,384 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Orleans Parish, LA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 43.1%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 16.9%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 50,722 (37.5% men and 62.5% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 50,722 students enrolled in Orleans Parish, LA, 37.5% men and 62.5% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 19,995 records, of which 59.1% were women and 40.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
418 degrees awarded
General Finance
350 degrees awarded
General Biological Sciences
346 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Orleans Parish, LA was General Business Administration & Management with 418 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Orleans Parish, LA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Tulane University of Louisiana
4,810 degrees awarded
Delgado Community College
2,980 degrees awarded
University of New Orleans
1,362 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Tulane University of Louisiana with 4,810 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 4,985 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Orleans Parish, LA, which is 0.563 times less than the 8,850 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 6,450 degrees mean that there were 1.84 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 3,496 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($16,617) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($3,082) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,300) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Orleans Parish, LA was $315,700 in 2024, which is 0.949 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $296,400 to $315,700, a 6.51% increase. The homeownership rate in Orleans Parish, LA is 51.2%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Orleans Parish, LA have an average commute time of 22.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Orleans Parish, LA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 25.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Orleans Parish, LA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.86%.

Housing

Property

$315,700

Median Property Value 2024

±$7,417

$79,744

Median Property Taxes

±$1,889

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Orleans Parish, LA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Orleans Parish, LA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

51.2%

Homeownership

2024

63.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 51.2% of the housing units in Orleans Parish, LA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 50.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Orleans Parish, LA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$56,631

Median Household Income

± $1,781

156k

Number of Households

± 3,146

In 2024, the median household income of the 156k households in Orleans Parish, LA grew to $56,631 from the previous year's value of $55,339.

The following chart displays the households in Orleans Parish, LA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Orleans Parish, LA is from Louisiana.

0.465

2023 Wage GINI in Louisiana

0.466

2022 Wage GINI in Louisiana

In 2023, the income inequality in Louisiana was 0.465 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.123% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Louisiana was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Louisiana in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Louisiana across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (62.1%)
Worked At Home (14.9%)
Carpooled (8.63%)

In 2024, 62.1% of workers in Orleans Parish, LA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (14.9%) and those who carpooled to work (8.63%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

22.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Orleans Parish, LA have a shorter commute time (22.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.52% of the workforce in Orleans Parish, LA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Orleans Parish, LA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Orleans Parish, LA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Orleans Parish, LA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 25.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Orleans Parish, LA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.86%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

22.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Orleans Parish, LA (81.1k out of 359k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Orleans Parish, LA is Black, followed by White and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 32.6% of the children was living in poverty in Orleans Parish, LA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 8.5%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 1.03k in Orleans Parish, LA. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 249 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

91.9% of the population of Orleans Parish, LA has health coverage, with 39.2% on employee plans, 28% on Medicaid, 11.1% on Medicare, 12.2% on non-group plans, and 1.46% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Orleans Parish, LA see 895 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (895 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1200 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 147 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.7% were men and 53.3% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

895 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Orleans Parish, LA

Primary care physicians in Orleans Parish, LA see an average of 895 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (895 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Orleans Parish, LA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.1% under 18 years, 22.7% between 18 and 34 years, 39.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 17% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.7% were men and 53.3% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

8.11%

Uninsured

39.2%

Employer Coverage

28%

Medicaid

11.1%

Medicare

12.2%

Non-Group

1.46%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Orleans Parish, LA declined by 4.05% from 8.45% to 8.11%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Orleans Parish, LA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 98.1 in Orleans Parish, LA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Orleans Parish, LA.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 38.1% in Orleans Parish, LA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Orleans Parish, LA.