St. James Parish, LA

County

Add Comparison

2024 Population

19,528

US Senator

Bill Cassidy

Republican Party

US Senator

John Kennedy

Republican Party

2024 Poverty Rate

11.1%

5.77% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$65,531

1.54% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$211,800

7.08% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

8,618

2.59% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in St. James 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.

99.3% of the residents in St. James Parish, LA are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in St. James Parish, LA was $211,800, and the homeownership rate was 84.4%.

Most people in St. James Parish, LA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 28.3 minutes. The average car ownership in St. James Parish, LA was 2 cars per household.

St. James Parish, LA borders Ascension Parish, LA, Assumption Parish, LA, Lafourche Parish, LA, and St. John the Baptist Parish, LA.

United States Louisiana New Orleans-Metairie, LA

Population & Diversity

St. James Parish, LA is home to a population of 19.5k people, from which 99.3% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.78% of St. James Parish, LA residents were born outside of the country (347 people).

In 2024, there were 1.04 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (9.62k people) in St. James Parish, LA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 9.26k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 195 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.3%

2024 Citizenship

99.4%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.3% of St. James Parish, LA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in St. James Parish, LA was 99.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in St. James Parish, LA

White (Non-Hispanic)
9.62k ± 12
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
9.26k ± 143
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
195 ± 137

1.96%

Hispanic Population

382 people

1.96% of the people in St. James Parish, LA are hispanic (382 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in St. James 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

1.78%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

347 people

1.55%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

307 people

As of 2024, 1.78% of St. James Parish, LA residents (347 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 St. James Parish, LA was 1.55%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
211 ± 89
Gulf War (2001-)
88 ± 64
Gulf War (1990s)
84 ± 67

St. James Parish, LA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.4 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of St. James Parish, LA employs 8.62k people. In 2024, the largest industries in St. James Parish, LA were Manufacturing (1,873 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,133 people), and Retail Trade (1,055 people), and the highest paying industries were Manufacturing ($107,594), Wholesale Trade ($76,500), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($61,101).

Employment

Occupations

8.62k

2024 Value

± 671

−2.59%

1 Year decline

± 11.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in St. James Parish, LA declined at a rate of −2.59%, from 8.85k employees to 8.62k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in St. James Parish, LA, are Production Occupations (1,166 people), Sales & Related Occupations (959 people), and Management Occupations (845 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of St. James 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

8.62k

2024 Value

± 671

−2.59%

1 Year decline

± 11.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in St. James Parish, LA declined at a rate of −2.59%, from 8.85k employees to 8.62k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in St. James Parish, LA, are Manufacturing (1,873 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,133 people), and Retail Trade (1,055 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of St. James Parish, LA, though some of these residents may live in St. James Parish, LA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$62,602

Median earning men ± $6,783

$35,621

Median earning women ± $4,252

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Manufacturing ($110,772), Public Administration ($100,455), and Wholesale Trade ($69,856).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($250,001), Manufacturing ($67,917), and Public Administration ($56,818).

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

20
Other Services (except Public Administration)
17
Transportation and Warehousing
17
Retail Trade

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

$249k
Manufacturing
$131k
Transportation and Warehousing
$27.1k
Health Care and Social Assistance

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 St. James 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.

Housing & Living

The median property value in St. James Parish, LA was $211,800 in 2024, which is 0.637 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $197,800 to $211,800, a 7.08% increase. The homeownership rate in St. James Parish, LA is 84.4%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in St. James Parish, LA have an average commute time of 28.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in St. James Parish, LA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 7.23% of the population was living with severe housing problems in St. James Parish, LA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.27%.

Housing

Property

$211,800

Median Property Value 2024

±$17,347

$6,369

Median Property Taxes

±$555

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 St. James Parish, LA the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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

Rent vs Own

84.4%

Homeownership

2024

66.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 84.4% of the housing units in St. James Parish, LA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 85.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in St. James 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.

$65,531

Median Household Income

± $4,784

7.54k

Number of Households

± 633

In 2024, the median household income of the 7.54k households in St. James Parish, LA grew to $65,531 from the previous year's value of $64,536.

The following chart displays the households in St. James 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 $60k - $75k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for St. James 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 (85.8%)
Carpooled (6.69%)
Worked At Home (5.42%)

In 2024, 85.8% of workers in St. James Parish, LA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (6.69%) and those who worked at home (5.42%).

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

28.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in St. James Parish, LA have a longer commute time (28.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.15% of the workforce in St. James Parish, LA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 7.23% of the population was living with severe housing problems in St. James Parish, LA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.27%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

11.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in St. James Parish, LA (2.15k out of 19.4k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Females 65 - 74 and then Males 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in St. James 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, 23% of the children was living in poverty in St. James Parish, LA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.9%.

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 580 in St. James Parish, LA. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 222 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

95.3% of the population of St. James Parish, LA has health coverage, with 46.9% on employee plans, 22.7% on Medicaid, 17% on Medicare, 8.23% on non-group plans, and 0.48% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in St. James Parish, LA see 3,948 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (3,948 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2428 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 1199 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.4% were men and 52.6% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

3,948 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in St. James Parish, LA

Primary care physicians in St. James Parish, LA see an average of 3,948 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (3,948 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.2% under 18 years, 16.8% between 18 and 34 years, 39.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 19.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.4% were men and 52.6% were women.

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

Uninsured People

4.72%

Uninsured

46.9%

Employer Coverage

22.7%

Medicaid

17%

Medicare

8.23%

Non-Group

0.48%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in St. James Parish, LA declined by 29.8% from 6.73% to 4.72%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in St. James 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 80.9 in St. James Parish, LA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in St. James 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 43.9% in St. James Parish, LA.

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