Rapides Parish, Louisiana
Located in Louisiana, Rapides Parish has a population of 127,527 residents and a median age of 37.9 years, making it the #513 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 19.9%. The median home value is $181,100, and the median household income is $54,967, which is 27% below the national median.
Demographics
Rapides Parish has a population of 127,527, making it the #513 most populous county in the US. The median age is 37.9 years, which is 2.6% below the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Rapides Parish is $54,967, ranking #2,476 out of 3,222 counties — 26.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 19.9% and unemployment stands at 5.1%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Rapides Parish is $181,100 (-35.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $950/mo and the homeownership rate is 64.8%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Rapides Parish, 23.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 31.4% below the national average, ranking #1,488 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Rapides Parish is 70.5 years. 22.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
20.4% of adults in Rapides Parish smoke , 42.0% are obese , and 19.8% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 53.9 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Rapides Parish is 16.2 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 17.0 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 19.9 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
25.9% of children in Rapides Parish live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 6.0 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 32.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Rapides Parish is 61.0%. The mean commute time is 23.4 min, which is 15.4% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Rapides Parish voted Republican with a margin of 36.7%. The vote was 31% Dem / 67.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.7 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Rapides Parish, Louisiana
Rapides Parish, Louisiana has a total population of 127,527, making it the 513th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Rapides Parish is 37.9 years, which is 2.6% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Rapides Parish is $54,967, which ranks #2,476 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 26.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 19.9%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.1%.
The median home value in Rapides Parish is $181,100, 35.8% below the national median. Renters in Rapides Parish pay a median gross rent of $950 per month. The homeownership rate is 64.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Rapides Parish, 23.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 31.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 23.4 min.
Rapides Parish is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 59.4% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (30.7%) and Hispanic or Latino (4.2%).
All data for Rapides Parish, Louisiana comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.