Tensas Parish, Louisiana

LA · FIPS 22107 Republican

Located in Louisiana, Tensas Parish has a population of 3,935 residents and a median age of 47.5 years, making it the #2,968 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 34.4%. The median home value is $86,300, and the median household income is $36,615, which is 51% below the national median.

3,935
Population
#2,968 of 3,222
$36,615
Median Income
-51.3% #3,110 of 3,222
47.5 years
Median Age
+22.1% #403 of 3,222
34.4%
Poverty Rate
+173.3% #3,136 of 3,222

Demographics

Tensas Parish has a population of 3,935, making it the #2,968 most populous county in the US. The median age is 47.5 years, which is 22.1% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.1%
Native Born
0.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Tensas Parish is $36,615, ranking #3,110 out of 3,222 counties — 51.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 34.4% and unemployment stands at 11.4%.

Income#3,110
$36,615
-51.3%
vs nation
3th percentile
Per Capita#3,122
$20,390
-50.6%
vs nation
3th percentile
Poverty#3,136
34.4%
+173.3%
vs nation
3th percentile
Unemployment#3,140
11.4%
+115.8%
vs nation
3th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Tensas Parish is $86,300 (-69.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $601/mo and the homeownership rate is 74.2%.

Home Value#3,126
$86,300
-69.4%
vs nation
3th percentile
Rent#3,051
$601
-48.3%
vs nation
5th percentile
Homeownership#1,668
74.2%
+15.2%
vs nation
48th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Tensas Parish, 14.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 56.8% below the national average, ranking #2,872 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
14.6% −56.8% vs nation
Rank #2,872 of 3,222
11th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Tensas Parish is 72.3 years. 34.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 10.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,437
72.3
-3.9%
vs nation
21th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#3,122
34.4%
+75.9%
vs nation
1th percentile
Diabetes#3,107
17.8%
+59.9%
vs nation
1th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#3,121
46.7%
+25.2%
vs nation
1th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#3,076
6.9
+22.5%
vs nation
2th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#3,038
5.7
+28.8%
vs nation
3th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,759
10.3%
-1.8%
vs nation
44th percentile
Physical Inactivity#3,131
41.9%
+58.8%
vs nation
0th percentile
Food Insecurity#3,026
21.0%
+45.8%
vs nation
4th percentile

Substance Use

28.6% of adults in Tensas Parish smoke , 46.6% are obese , and 16.3% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#3,125
28.6%
+59.3%
vs nation
1th percentile
Adult Obesity#3,091
46.6%
+22.9%
vs nation
2th percentile
Excessive Drinking#426
16.3%
-17.9%
vs nation
87th percentile

Safety

. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 33.3 per 100,000.

Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,551
33.3
+64.2%
vs nation
10th percentile

Families & Children

47.1% of children in Tensas Parish live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 37.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,719
37.0
+69.6%
vs nation
9th percentile
Child Poverty#3,133
47.1%
+148.0%
vs nation
0th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Tensas Parish is 75.3%. The mean commute time is 32.6 min, which is 18.3% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
75.3% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
32.6 min +18.3% vs nation
Rank #517 of 3,222
84th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Tensas Parish voted Republican with a margin of 4.3%. The vote was 47.1% Dem / 51.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 9.4 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +4.3%
47.1% 51.4%
Dem 2,128 votes Rep
2020 DEM +5.1%
52% 46.9%
Dem 2,554 votes Rep
2016 DEM +5.9%
52.3% 46.4%
Dem 2,543 votes Rep
2012 DEM +11.9%
55.6% 43.7%
Dem 2,812 votes Rep
2008 DEM +9.1%
54.1% 45%
Dem 3,040 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Tensas Parish, Louisiana

Tensas Parish, Louisiana has a total population of 3,935, making it the 2,968th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Tensas Parish is 47.5 years, which is 22.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Tensas Parish is $36,615, which ranks #3,110 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 51.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 34.4%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 11.4%.

The median home value in Tensas Parish is $86,300, 69.4% below the national median. Renters in Tensas Parish pay a median gross rent of $601 per month. The homeownership rate is 74.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Tensas Parish, 14.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 56.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 32.6 min.

Tensas Parish is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Black (non-Hispanic) at 54.0% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (41.3%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).

All data for Tensas 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.