Counties in Louisiana by poverty rate

East Carroll Parish had the highest poverty rate of 64 counties in 2016, at 43.5%. St. Tammany Parish had the lowest, at 9.8%. The median was 21.5% and the figure for Louisiana was 20.1%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Median21.564 counties
Louisiana20.1History

Top 40 counties, 2016

CSVChart (SVG)

East Carroll ParishEast Carroll Parish: 43.5 %43.5Madison ParishMadison Parish: 41.3 %41.3Claiborne ParishClaiborne Parish: 34.9 %34.9Natchitoches ParishNatchitoches Parish: 31.9 %31.9Tensas ParishTensas Parish: 31.6 %31.6Lincoln ParishLincoln Parish: 30.2 %30.2Evangeline ParishEvangeline Parish: 29.4 %29.4Franklin ParishFranklin Parish: 29.2 %29.2Morehouse ParishMorehouse Parish: 28.7 %28.7Concordia ParishConcordia Parish: 28.5 %28.5Washington ParishWashington Parish: 27.8 %27.8Catahoula ParishCatahoula Parish: 27.5 %27.5Richland ParishRichland Parish: 27.2 %27.2St. Landry ParishSt. Landry Parish: 26.6 %26.6Caddo ParishCaddo Parish: 26.4 %26.4Red River ParishRed River Parish: 26.3 %26.3Avoyelles ParishAvoyelles Parish: 25.9 %25.9St. Helena ParishSt. Helena Parish: 24.7 %24.7Ouachita ParishOuachita Parish: 24.5 %24.5Winn ParishWinn Parish: 24.3 %24.3Orleans ParishOrleans Parish: 24.1 %24.1Webster ParishWebster Parish: 24.1 %24.1West Carroll ParishWest Carroll Parish: 23.8 %23.8West Feliciana ParishWest Feliciana Parish: 23.7 %23.7Bienville ParishBienville Parish: 23.5 %23.5St. Bernard ParishSt. Bernard Parish: 23.5 %23.5Iberia ParishIberia Parish: 23.4 %23.4Acadia ParishAcadia Parish: 23.1 %23.1Iberville ParishIberville Parish: 22.8 %22.8Caldwell ParishCaldwell Parish: 22.6 %22.6St. Mary ParishSt. Mary Parish: 22.2 %22.2Grant ParishGrant Parish: 21.5 %21.5Tangipahoa ParishTangipahoa Parish: 21.5 %21.5Allen ParishAllen Parish: 21.4 %21.4Assumption ParishAssumption Parish: 21.2 %21.2Jackson ParishJackson Parish: 21.2 %21.2De Soto ParishDe Soto Parish: 21.1 %21.1Terrebonne ParishTerrebonne Parish: 21.1 %21.1Union ParishUnion Parish: 20.2 %20.2East Feliciana ParishEast Feliciana Parish: 20 %20
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2016 (%)Change on 2015
1East Carroll Parish43.50 pts
2Madison Parish41.3+3.7 pts
3Claiborne Parish34.9+4 pts
4Natchitoches Parish31.9+2.3 pts
5Tensas Parish31.6-3.5 pts
6Lincoln Parish30.2+4.7 pts
7Evangeline Parish29.4+3.7 pts
8Franklin Parish29.2+3.8 pts
9Morehouse Parish28.7-2.4 pts
10Concordia Parish28.5-1 pts
11Washington Parish27.8+1.6 pts
12Catahoula Parish27.5+0.3 pts
13Richland Parish27.2+2.5 pts
14St. Landry Parish26.6-0.4 pts
15Caddo Parish26.4+4.2 pts
16Red River Parish26.3+0.6 pts
17Avoyelles Parish25.9+0.6 pts
18St. Helena Parish24.7+4.8 pts
19Ouachita Parish24.5+1.5 pts
20Winn Parish24.3+0.3 pts
21Orleans Parish24.1+0.1 pts
21Webster Parish24.1-1.8 pts
23West Carroll Parish23.8+1.1 pts
24West Feliciana Parish23.7-0.2 pts
25Bienville Parish23.5-1.9 pts
25St. Bernard Parish23.5+3.1 pts
27Iberia Parish23.4+2.6 pts
28Acadia Parish23.1-0.6 pts
29Iberville Parish22.8+0.5 pts
30Caldwell Parish22.6-0.3 pts
31St. Mary Parish22.2+2.5 pts
32Grant Parish21.5+0.2 pts
32Tangipahoa Parish21.5-2.5 pts
34Allen Parish21.4+1 pts
35Assumption Parish21.2+4.4 pts
35Jackson Parish21.2+0.1 pts
37De Soto Parish21.1-3.8 pts
37Terrebonne Parish21.1+1 pts
39Union Parish20.2-1.7 pts
40East Feliciana Parish20-1.8 pts
41Calcasieu Parish19.9+2.4 pts
41East Baton Rouge Parish19.9+1.4 pts
41Rapides Parish19.9-1.7 pts
44Pointe Coupee Parish19.7+0.4 pts
45Vermilion Parish19.6+1.5 pts
46Jefferson Davis Parish19.3-1 pts
46LaSalle Parish19.3+0.8 pts
48St. James Parish19+0.7 pts
49Sabine Parish18.5+0.4 pts
49St. John the Baptist Parish18.5-2 pts
49St. Martin Parish18.5+0.2 pts
52Lafayette Parish18.1+1.1 pts
53Lafourche Parish17.1+3 pts
54West Baton Rouge Parish16.8+1.7 pts
55Bossier Parish16.7+2.2 pts
56Jefferson Parish16.1-0.2 pts
57Plaquemines Parish15.4-1.9 pts
58Vernon Parish14.9-2.6 pts
59Beauregard Parish14.8-4.7 pts
60St. Charles Parish13.1+1.3 pts
61Livingston Parish12.6-0.9 pts
62Cameron Parish12.3-0.4 pts
63Ascension Parish10.70 pts
64St. Tammany Parish9.8-2.7 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People living in families or alone with income below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people whose poverty status can be determined. United States: Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), all ages.

Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_poverty_rate.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people of all ages in poverty, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2016/2016-state-and-county/est16all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

East Carroll Parish, with 43.5% in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

St. Tammany Parish, with 9.8% in 2016.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people of all ages in poverty, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Poverty rate (US official measure): other rankings

Counties in Louisiana: more rankings