Rapides Parish, LA

County

Add Comparison

2024 Population

127,527

US Senator

Bill Cassidy

Republican Party

US Senator

John Kennedy

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

37.9

0.265% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

19.9%

5.03% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$54,967

1.75% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$181,100

1.12% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

54,545

0.458% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Rapides 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.

98.3% of the residents in Rapides Parish, LA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Rapides Parish, LA are Central Louisiana Technical Community College (1,368 degrees awarded in 2023), Louisiana State University-Alexandria (846 degrees), and Blue Cliff College-Alexandria (288 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Rapides Parish, LA was $181,100, and the homeownership rate was 64.8%.

Most people in Rapides Parish, LA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Rapides Parish, LA was 2 cars per household.

Rapides Parish, LA borders Allen Parish, LA, Avoyelles Parish, LA, Evangeline Parish, LA, Grant Parish, LA, LaSalle Parish, LA, Natchitoches Parish, LA, and Vernon Parish, LA.

United States Louisiana Alexandria, LA

Population & Diversity

Rapides Parish, LA is home to a population of 128k people, from which 98.3% are citizens. As of 2024, 2.79% of Rapides Parish, LA residents were born outside of the country (3.55k people).

In 2024, there were 1.93 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (75.8k people) in Rapides Parish, LA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 39.2k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 4k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.3%

2024 Citizenship

98.2%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.3% of Rapides Parish, LA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Rapides Parish, LA was 98.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Rapides Parish, LA

White (Non-Hispanic)
75.8k ± 354
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
39.2k ± 625
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
4k ± 688

4.22%

Hispanic Population

5.39k people

4.22% of the people in Rapides Parish, LA are hispanic (5.39k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Rapides 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

2.79%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

3.55k people

3.22%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

4.13k people

As of 2024, 2.79% of Rapides Parish, LA residents (3.55k 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 Rapides Parish, LA was 3.22%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
2,346 ± 338
Gulf War (2001-)
1,538 ± 307
Gulf War (1990s)
1,423 ± 296

Rapides Parish, LA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.53 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Rapides Parish, LA employs 54.5k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Rapides Parish, LA were Health Care & Social Assistance (11,334 people), Retail Trade (7,253 people), and Educational Services (5,113 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($94,219), Public Administration ($60,693), and Finance & Insurance ($60,329).

Employment

Occupations

54.5k

2024 Value

± 2,091

−0.458%

1 Year decline

± 5.54%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Rapides Parish, LA declined at a rate of −0.458%, from 54.8k employees to 54.5k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Rapides Parish, LA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (6,288 people), Sales & Related Occupations (5,919 people), and Management Occupations (4,330 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Rapides 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

54.5k

2024 Value

± 2,091

−0.458%

1 Year decline

± 5.54%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Rapides Parish, LA declined at a rate of −0.458%, from 54.8k employees to 54.5k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Rapides Parish, LA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (11,334 people), Retail Trade (7,253 people), and Educational Services (5,113 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Rapides Parish, LA, though some of these residents may live in Rapides Parish, LA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$49,302

Median earning men ± $2,423

$34,633

Median earning women ± $1,206

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Manufacturing ($68,702), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($65,824), and Public Administration ($62,202).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($58,822), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($46,455), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($45,537).

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

243
Health Care and Social Assistance
210
Retail Trade
197
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

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

$687k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$262k
Construction
$238k
Retail Trade

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 Rapides 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 Rapides Parish, LA awarded 2,921 degrees. The student population of Rapides Parish, LA in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 2,678 male students and 5,419 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Rapides Parish, LA are White (1,647 and 56.6%), Black or African American (925 and 31.8%), American Indian or Alaska Native (95 and 3.26%), and Two or More Races (74 and 2.54%).

The largest universities in Rapides Parish, LA by number of degrees awarded are Central Louisiana Technical Community College (1,368 and 46.8%), Louisiana State University-Alexandria (846 and 29%), and Blue Cliff College-Alexandria (288 and 9.86%).

The most popular majors in Rapides Parish, LA are Welding Technology (433 and 14.8%), Nursing Assistant & Patient Care Assistant (189 and 6.47%), and Licensed Practical & Vocational Nurse Training (162 and 5.55%).

The median tuition costs in Rapides Parish, LA are $19,590 for private four year colleges, and $4,950 and $5,150 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 Rapides Parish, LA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 88.8%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 63%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 8,097 (33.1% men and 66.9% 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 8,097 students enrolled in Rapides Parish, LA, 33.1% men and 66.9% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 4,698 records, of which 66.5% were women and 33.5% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Studies
120 degrees awarded
General Psychology
114 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
91 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Rapides Parish, LA was General Studies with 120 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Central Louisiana Technical Community College
1,368 degrees awarded
Louisiana State University-Alexandria
846 degrees awarded
Blue Cliff College-Alexandria
288 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Central Louisiana Technical Community College with 1,368 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 1,104 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Rapides Parish, LA, which is 0.608 times less than the 1,817 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 1,647 degrees mean that there were 1.78 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 925 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 ($19,590) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,100) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($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 Rapides Parish, LA was $181,100 in 2024, which is 0.544 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $179,100 to $181,100, a 1.12% increase. The homeownership rate in Rapides Parish, LA is 64.8%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Rapides Parish, LA have an average commute time of 22.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Rapides Parish, LA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 15% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Rapides Parish, LA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.69%.

Housing

Property

$181,100

Median Property Value 2024

±$8,652

$31,735

Median Property Taxes

±$1,452

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 Rapides Parish, LA the largest share of households pay taxes in the None range.

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

Rent vs Own

64.8%

Homeownership

2024

68.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 64.8% of the housing units in Rapides Parish, LA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 65.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Rapides 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.

$54,967

Median Household Income

± $2,192

49k

Number of Households

± 1,834

In 2024, the median household income of the 49k households in Rapides Parish, LA declined from $54,967 from the previous year's value of $55,946.

The following chart displays the households in Rapides 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 $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Rapides 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 (80.4%)
Carpooled (6.52%)
Worked At Home (5.46%)

In 2024, 80.4% of workers in Rapides Parish, LA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (6.52%) and those who worked at home (5.46%).

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

22.2 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Rapides Parish, LA have a shorter commute time (22.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.73% of the workforce in Rapides Parish, LA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Rapides 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 Rapides Parish, LA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Rapides Parish, LA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 15% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Rapides Parish, LA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.69%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

19.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Rapides Parish, LA (24.8k out of 125k 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 35 - 44 and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Rapides Parish, LA is Black, followed by White and Two Or More.

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, 25.9% of the children was living in poverty in Rapides Parish, LA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 6.6%.

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 1.01k in Rapides Parish, LA. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 248 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 Rapides Parish, LA has health coverage, with 36% on employee plans, 29.8% on Medicaid, 10% on Medicare, 13.5% on non-group plans, and 2.6% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Rapides Parish, LA see 1,191 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,191 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1898 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 170 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.9% were men and 52.1% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,191 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Rapides Parish, LA

Primary care physicians in Rapides Parish, LA see an average of 1,191 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,191 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 26.5% under 18 years, 19.5% between 18 and 34 years, 37.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.9% were men and 52.1% were women.

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

Uninsured People

8.05%

Uninsured

36%

Employer Coverage

29.8%

Medicaid

10%

Medicare

13.5%

Non-Group

2.6%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Rapides Parish, LA declined by 9.55% from 8.9% to 8.05%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Rapides 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 83.5 in Rapides Parish, LA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Rapides 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 42% in Rapides Parish, LA.

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