St. Mary Parish, Louisiana

LA · FIPS 22101 Republican

Located in Louisiana, St. Mary Parish has a population of 47,828 residents and a median age of 39.7 years, making it the #1,044 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 20.8%. The median home value is $138,900, and the median household income is $52,576, which is 30% below the national median.

47,828
Population
#1,044 of 3,222
$52,576
Median Income
-30.0% #2,626 of 3,222
39.7 years
Median Age
+2.1% #2,201 of 3,222
20.8%
Poverty Rate
+65.0% #2,744 of 3,222

Demographics

St. Mary Parish has a population of 47,828, making it the #1,044 most populous county in the US. The median age is 39.7 years, which is 2.1% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

95.0%
Native Born
5.0%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in St. Mary Parish is $52,576, ranking #2,626 out of 3,222 counties — 30.0% below the national median. The poverty rate is 20.8% and unemployment stands at 5.4%.

Income#2,626
$52,576
-30.0%
vs nation
18th percentile
Per Capita#2,675
$28,265
-31.5%
vs nation
17th percentile
Poverty#2,744
20.8%
+65.0%
vs nation
15th percentile
Unemployment#2,226
5.4%
+1.1%
vs nation
31th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in St. Mary Parish is $138,900 (-50.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $848/mo and the homeownership rate is 68.6%.

Home Value#2,402
$138,900
-50.7%
vs nation
25th percentile
Rent#1,762
$848
-27.1%
vs nation
45th percentile
Homeownership#2,428
68.6%
+6.6%
vs nation
25th percentile

Household Type

Education

In St. Mary Parish, 13.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 59.5% below the national average, ranking #2,970 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
13.6% −59.5% vs nation
Rank #2,970 of 3,222
8th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in St. Mary Parish is 71.8 years. 28.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 9.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,542
71.8
-4.4%
vs nation
17th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,982
28.0%
+43.1%
vs nation
5th percentile
Diabetes#2,987
15.1%
+35.6%
vs nation
5th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#3,045
44.4%
+19.0%
vs nation
3th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,996
6.7
+18.7%
vs nation
5th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,691
5.2
+16.2%
vs nation
14th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,551
9.3%
-11.1%
vs nation
51th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,952
34.8%
+31.9%
vs nation
6th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,645
17.9%
+24.3%
vs nation
16th percentile

Substance Use

24.8% of adults in St. Mary Parish smoke , 44.6% are obese , and 19.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 48.5 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,996
24.8%
+38.1%
vs nation
5th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,985
44.6%
+17.7%
vs nation
5th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,334
19.4%
-2.4%
vs nation
58th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,793
48.5
+50.0%
vs nation
15th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in St. Mary Parish is 11.5 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 16.9 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 16.4 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,253
11.5
+44.2%
vs nation
18th percentile
Suicide Rate#1,041
16.9
-14.4%
vs nation
59th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,046
24.6
+37.9%
vs nation
17th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,152
16.4
-18.8%
vs nation
59th percentile

Families & Children

31.1% of children in St. Mary Parish live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.7 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 32.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#484
5.7
-16.0%
vs nation
65th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#2,515
32.9
+50.6%
vs nation
16th percentile
Child Poverty#2,898
31.1%
+63.7%
vs nation
8th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in St. Mary Parish is 62.9%. The mean commute time is 23.9 min, which is 13.5% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
62.9% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
23.9 min −13.5% vs nation
Rank #2,165 of 3,222
33th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, St. Mary Parish voted Republican with a margin of 31.8%. The vote was 33.6% Dem / 65.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.6 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +31.8%
33.6% 65.4%
Dem 20,897 votes Rep
2020 REP +29.2%
34.7% 63.9%
Dem 23,186 votes Rep
2016 REP +27.6%
35.2% 62.8%
Dem 22,871 votes Rep
2012 REP +18.7%
40% 58.7%
Dem 23,636 votes Rep
2008 REP +16.8%
40.8% 57.6%
Dem 22,903 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About St. Mary Parish, Louisiana

St. Mary Parish, Louisiana has a total population of 47,828, making it the 1,044th most populous county in the United States. The median age in St. Mary Parish is 39.7 years, which is 2.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in St. Mary Parish is $52,576, which ranks #2,626 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 30.0% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 20.8%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.4%.

The median home value in St. Mary Parish is $138,900, 50.7% below the national median. Renters in St. Mary Parish pay a median gross rent of $848 per month. The homeownership rate is 68.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In St. Mary Parish, 13.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 59.5% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 23.9 min.

St. Mary Parish is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 53.4% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (28.8%) and Hispanic or Latino (9.8%).

All data for St. Mary 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.