Counties in Louisiana by poverty rate

East Carroll Parish had the highest poverty rate of 64 counties in 2021, at 39.9%. Ascension Parish had the lowest, at 11.4%. The median was 20.6% and the figure for Louisiana was 19.5%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Median20.664 counties
Louisiana19.5History

Top 40 counties, 2021

CSVChart (SVG)

East Carroll ParishEast Carroll Parish: 39.9 %39.9Madison ParishMadison Parish: 35.3 %35.3Concordia ParishConcordia Parish: 33.7 %33.7Tensas ParishTensas Parish: 32.1 %32.1Morehouse ParishMorehouse Parish: 30.9 %30.9Avoyelles ParishAvoyelles Parish: 30.5 %30.5Claiborne ParishClaiborne Parish: 29.8 %29.8Winn ParishWinn Parish: 26.8 %26.8Catahoula ParishCatahoula Parish: 26.7 %26.7Evangeline ParishEvangeline Parish: 26.3 %26.3St. Landry ParishSt. Landry Parish: 26.3 %26.3Bienville ParishBienville Parish: 26 %26Ouachita ParishOuachita Parish: 25.5 %25.5Lincoln ParishLincoln Parish: 25.4 %25.4St. Helena ParishSt. Helena Parish: 25.3 %25.3Orleans ParishOrleans Parish: 25.2 %25.2Richland ParishRichland Parish: 25 %25Washington ParishWashington Parish: 24.5 %24.5Franklin ParishFranklin Parish: 24 %24Iberia ParishIberia Parish: 24 %24Webster ParishWebster Parish: 24 %24Caddo ParishCaddo Parish: 23.6 %23.6Red River ParishRed River Parish: 23.6 %23.6St. Mary ParishSt. Mary Parish: 22.9 %22.9Caldwell ParishCaldwell Parish: 22.7 %22.7Iberville ParishIberville Parish: 22.5 %22.5West Carroll ParishWest Carroll Parish: 22.4 %22.4Natchitoches ParishNatchitoches Parish: 22.3 %22.3West Feliciana ParishWest Feliciana Parish: 22.2 %22.2St. Bernard ParishSt. Bernard Parish: 21.7 %21.7Union ParishUnion Parish: 20.8 %20.8Acadia ParishAcadia Parish: 20.6 %20.6Grant ParishGrant Parish: 20.6 %20.6Allen ParishAllen Parish: 20.5 %20.5Jackson ParishJackson Parish: 20.4 %20.4Vermilion ParishVermilion Parish: 20.2 %20.2East Feliciana ParishEast Feliciana Parish: 20.1 %20.1Rapides ParishRapides Parish: 19.9 %19.9Sabine ParishSabine Parish: 19.7 %19.7De Soto ParishDe Soto Parish: 19.6 %19.6
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)Change on 2020
1East Carroll Parish39.9+2.3 pts
2Madison Parish35.3+1.7 pts
3Concordia Parish33.7+5.1 pts
4Tensas Parish32.1+1.3 pts
5Morehouse Parish30.9+7.6 pts
6Avoyelles Parish30.5+8.9 pts
7Claiborne Parish29.8-2.1 pts
8Winn Parish26.8+4.2 pts
9Catahoula Parish26.7-1.7 pts
10Evangeline Parish26.3+1.8 pts
10St. Landry Parish26.3+3.7 pts
12Bienville Parish26+3.2 pts
13Ouachita Parish25.5+1.8 pts
14Lincoln Parish25.4+3.7 pts
15St. Helena Parish25.3+2.6 pts
16Orleans Parish25.2+4.1 pts
17Richland Parish25+2.5 pts
18Washington Parish24.5+2 pts
19Franklin Parish24-0.1 pts
19Iberia Parish24+1.5 pts
19Webster Parish24+4.3 pts
22Caddo Parish23.6+2.7 pts
22Red River Parish23.6-0.1 pts
24St. Mary Parish22.9+3.1 pts
25Caldwell Parish22.7+1.3 pts
26Iberville Parish22.5-1.2 pts
27West Carroll Parish22.4+1.6 pts
28Natchitoches Parish22.3+0.6 pts
29West Feliciana Parish22.2+0.3 pts
30St. Bernard Parish21.7+0.4 pts
31Union Parish20.8-5.9 pts
32Acadia Parish20.6-0.1 pts
32Grant Parish20.6+2.4 pts
34Allen Parish20.5-0.6 pts
35Jackson Parish20.4-0.5 pts
36Vermilion Parish20.2+4.8 pts
37East Feliciana Parish20.1+0.2 pts
38Rapides Parish19.9+1.2 pts
39Sabine Parish19.7-2.4 pts
40De Soto Parish19.6-0.2 pts
41LaSalle Parish19.4+2.1 pts
42East Baton Rouge Parish19.2+2.8 pts
43Assumption Parish19+3.2 pts
44Pointe Coupee Parish18.8+1.5 pts
45St. Martin Parish18.4+1.4 pts
46Calcasieu Parish18.3+1.7 pts
47Tangipahoa Parish17.8-2.3 pts
48Lafayette Parish17.7+1.5 pts
48Vernon Parish17.7+1.6 pts
50Jefferson Parish17.5+1.4 pts
51Jefferson Davis Parish17.2-0.4 pts
52St. James Parish17+4 pts
53Terrebonne Parish16.9+1.2 pts
54St. John the Baptist Parish16.8-0.1 pts
55Beauregard Parish15.9+1.4 pts
56Lafourche Parish15.7+1.2 pts
57Bossier Parish15.2-2.6 pts
57West Baton Rouge Parish15.2+0.6 pts
59Plaquemines Parish14.5-2.1 pts
60Cameron Parish14+0.9 pts
61St. Tammany Parish12.7+2.7 pts
62Livingston Parish12+0.3 pts
63St. Charles Parish11.8+0.5 pts
64Ascension Parish11.4+1.8 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/2021/2021-state-and-county/est21all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

East Carroll Parish, with 39.9% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Ascension Parish, with 11.4% in 2021.

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