Key Details

  • As of 2023, Louisiana ranks 25th in population, with a population of 4,573,749.
  • There are 2,124,961 housing units in Louisiana, with 67.2% occupied by owners.
  • 86.7% of Louisianians 25 and older have completed high school, while 26.1% of people older than 25 have a bachelor's degree or higher.
  • Elected in 2023 and assumed office in 2024, Jeff Landry, a Republican, is the 57th Governor of Louisiana.
  • The median household income in 2022 is $57,852, lower than the national average.
  • Louisiana's life expectancy at birth is 73 years.

Louisiana Population Demographics

Louisiana is home to 4,573,749 residents, making it the 25th largest state by population size. Its population is notably diverse, with whites making up 62.6% of the populace, followed by blacks or African Americans at 32.6%.

Minority races in Louisiana are the Asians and American Indians at 1.9% and 0.9%. 2% of Lousinains are from 2 or more races, while 7.3% of the population have Hispanic or Latino origins.

The gender distribution is consistent with national trends—slightly higher female population of 51.1%. Males account for 48.9% of Louisiana residents. 23.3% of the Louisiana population are under 18 years old, and 17.4% are over 65 years old.

Louisiana has a significant immigrant population, with about 4.2% foreign-born residents and 5.3% of its labor force being immigrants.

Elections and Voting

Louisiana primarily operates within a two-party system, the Democratic and Republican Parties. The last non-partisan governor of the state was James Houston Davis, who served two non-consecutive terms from 1944 - 1948 and 1960 - 1964. Although initially an independent candidate, Davis consulted with the Democratic Party.

One of the state's famous governors is Huey P. Long, known as "The Kingfish." He was a populist leader who served Louisiana between 1928 and 1932. Louisiana was predominantly a blue state until 1996 when a Republican won the governorship election after decades of Democratic rule.

Louisiana has a Republican Triplex. Jeff Landry, a Republican, is the governor of Louisiana sworn into office in January 2024. The state is represented by two senators, Republicans. At the House of Representatives, Louisiana has six congressional districts, all represented by Republicans.

At the presidential polls, Louisiana leans heavily towards the red party. From the 2000 elections to the 2020 polls, over 57% of the voters voted in favor of the Republican presidential candidates.

Housing, Income, and Employment

There are 2,124,961 housing units in Louisiana, with over 12.3% of these housing units vacant. The average number of persons per household is 2.56, which aligns closely with the national average of 2.57 persons, indicating typical household and family structures.

The median home value in the state is $198,300, which is lower than the national average of $281,900. The price for low-tier homes in the state is around $100,000, $200,000 for mid-tier homes, and over $300,000 for high-tier homes.

Despite the lower housing costs, many residents face challenges in owning a home due to the lower median household income, which is $57,852 lower than the median value to acquire a low-tier home. This disparity has led to Louisiana's strong renting culture, as the state's median gross rent is $996 below the national average of $1,268.

Louisiana's unemployment rate is around 4.1%, slightly higher than the national average of 3.7%. The high unemployment rate reflects the state's ongoing economic challenges.

Louisiana Crime Rates

In 2022, Louisiana's violent crime rate index was 628 per 100,000 residents against the national average of 380 incidents per 100,000 persons. The total number of violent crimes reported in 2022 was 15,764, with aggravated assault accounting for 80% of violent crimes in the state. Other violent crimes recorded include robbery at 10%, rape at 7%, and homicide at 3%.

The state recorded a property crime rate of 2,748 incidents per 100,000 residents, higher than the national average of 1,954 per 100,000 persons. Total property crime reported for the period was 88,540 incidents. Larceny-theft has the highest crime recorded at 72%. Burglary accounts for 19% of property crimes, while motor vehicle theft and arson accounts for 9% of the total property crimes in Louisiana.

Orleans Parish has a violent crime rate of 1,120 incidents per 100,000 residents, which is significantly higher than both the state and national averages. Likewise, it's property crimes, which stands at 4,800 incidents per 100,000 residents.

Camaro Parish reports the lowest rate of crimes committed in the state. Its violent crime rate is about nine incidents per 100,000 people, while its property crime rate is 700 incidents per 100,000. Both indexes are far below the state and national average, indicating a low prevalence of crime in the Parish.

How to Find People in Louisiana

Locating people in Louisiana can be achieved through various methods, including social media, public records, and online search tools. Each of these platforms offers unique features to access contact information and other types of information about an individual.

Social media tools such as Twitter and LinkedIn allow users to search for individuals by name, location, workplace, and educational institutions. Public resources offer access to public records and state archives to access historical records. Online search tools provide a comprehensive database of phone directories, public records, and social media profiles.

These tools help to locate friends and family, lost contacts, professional contacts, and public figures. In addition, these platforms offer additional information besides a person's contact details. You can find information about a person's employment history, mutual friends, interests, criminal records, and historical records.

Interesting Facts About Louisiana

  • Louisiana is the only state in the US with Parishes instead of counties. The term parishes comes from church units set up by the Spanish.
  • Louisiana is named after the king of France, Louis XIV, who reigned from 1643 to 1714. He called it La Louisiane, "the place related to Louis".
  • Louisiana has the largest alligator population in the US, with almost 2,000,000 alligators.
  • Louisiana is the only state that has a cemetery facing north-south rather than east-west.
  • The official state drink is milk.
  • Louisiana is the only state in the US still operating under the Napoleonic Code.