Opelousas, LA

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2024 Population

81,670

US Senator

Bill Cassidy

Republican Party

US Senator

John Kennedy

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

37.8

0.8% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

26.8%

11.5% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$44,462

2.57% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$142,500

0.28% 1-year decline

2024 Employed Population

30,720

0.862% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Opelousas, LA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

99% of the residents in Opelousas, LA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Opelousas, LA are Louisiana Academy of Beauty (19 degrees awarded in 2024) and Opelousas School of Cosmetology (18 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Opelousas, LA was $142,500, and the homeownership rate was 70.1%.

Most people in Opelousas, LA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 29.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Opelousas, LA was 2 cars per household.

Opelousas, LA borders Baton Rouge, LA and Lafayette, LA.

United States Louisiana

Population & Diversity

Opelousas, LA is home to a population of 81.7k people, from which 99% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.62% of Opelousas, LA residents were born outside of the country (1.33k people).

In 2024, there were 1.31 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (42.5k people) in Opelousas, LA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 32.5k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 2.12k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99%

2024 Citizenship

99.1%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99% of Opelousas, LA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Opelousas, LA was 99.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Opelousas, LA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Opelousas, LA

White (Non-Hispanic)
42.5k ± 408
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
32.5k ± 563
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
2.12k ± 508

3.07%

Hispanic Population

2.51k people

3.07% of the people in Opelousas, LA are hispanic (2.51k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Opelousas, LA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for Louisiana.

Most Common Origin

Honduras
48,818 ± 5,396 people
Mexico
27,788 ± 4,080 people
Vietnam
17,351 ± 3,228 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Louisiana was Honduras, the natal country of 48,818 Louisiana residents, followed by Mexico with 27,788 and Vietnam with 17,351.

Foreign-Born Population

1.62%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1.33k people

1.5%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.24k people

As of 2024, 1.62% of Opelousas, LA residents (1.33k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Opelousas, LA was 1.5%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Opelousas, LA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
836 ± 186
Gulf War (2001-)
557 ± 167
Gulf War (1990s)
502 ± 186

Opelousas, LA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.5 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Opelousas, LA.

Health

92.8% of the population of Opelousas, LA has health coverage, with 32.6% on employee plans, 35.1% on Medicaid, 13.5% on Medicare, 10.9% on non-group plans, and 0.67% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Louisiana see 1,441 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,441 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1692 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 283 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.5% were men and 51.5% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Louisiana.

1,441 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Louisiana

Primary care physicians in Louisiana see an average of 1,441 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,441 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Louisiana in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 28% under 18 years, 19.5% between 18 and 34 years, 36% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.5% were men and 51.5% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

7.16%

Uninsured

32.6%

Employer Coverage

35.1%

Medicaid

13.5%

Medicare

10.9%

Non-Group

0.67%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Opelousas, LA declined by 0.951% from 7.22% to 7.16%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Opelousas, LA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Economy

The economy of Opelousas, LA employs 30.7k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Opelousas, LA were Health Care & Social Assistance (5,590 people), Retail Trade (3,963 people), and Construction (3,056 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($66,845), Manufacturing ($60,873), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($60,357).

Employment

Occupations

30.7k

2024 Value

± 1,507

−0.862%

1 Year decline

± 7.03%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Opelousas, LA declined at a rate of −0.862%, from 31k employees to 30.7k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Opelousas, LA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (3,083 people), Construction & Extraction Occupations (2,850 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (2,527 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Opelousas, LA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Louisiana.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Louisiana (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

30.7k

2024 Value

± 1,507

−0.862%

1 Year decline

± 7.03%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Opelousas, LA declined at a rate of −0.862%, from 31k employees to 30.7k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Opelousas, LA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (5,590 people), Retail Trade (3,963 people), and Construction (3,056 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Opelousas, LA, though some of these residents may live in Opelousas, LA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$44,537

Median earning men ± $2,501

$30,684

Median earning women ± $2,071

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($68,977), Manufacturing ($63,916), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($60,094).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($66,597), Information ($58,250), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($43,438).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Louisiana.

Y-Axis

1.78%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.94M people employed in Louisiana. This represents a 1.78% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 14.4%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Louisiana.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

114
Retail Trade
111
Health Care and Social Assistance
108
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$212k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$127k
Construction
$126k
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Louisiana went to Donald J. Trump with 60.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (38.2%), followed by Other (0.547%).

Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy are the senators currently representing the state of Louisiana. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Louisiana is currently represented by 6 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Opelousas, LA. Showing the available data for Louisiana.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (60.2%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (38.2%)
Democratic Party
Other (0.547%)
Other Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Louisiana went to Donald J. Trump with 60.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (38.2%), followed by Other (0.547%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Louisiana for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Louisiana

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Louisiana.

Bill Cassidy

Senator from Louisiana

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

John Kennedy

Senator from Louisiana

Assumed office on January 3, 2017

Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy are the senators currently representing Louisiana.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Louisiana over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2024, universities in Opelousas, LA awarded 37 degrees. The student population of Opelousas, LA in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 1 male students and 52 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Opelousas, LA are White (26 and 70.3%) and Black or African American (11 and 29.7%).

The largest universities in Opelousas, LA by number of degrees awarded are Louisiana Academy of Beauty (19 and 51.4%) and Opelousas School of Cosmetology (18 and 48.6%).

The most popular majors in Opelousas, LA are General Cosmetology (36 and 97.3%) and Cosmetology, Barber, & Nail Instructor (1 and 2.7%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2024 there were 53 students enrolled in Opelousas, LA, 1.89% men and 98.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 25 records, of which 100% were women and 0% men.

Completions

Concentrations

General Cosmetology

Most Common

36 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate recipients in Opelousas, LA was General Cosmetology with 36 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate from schools in Opelousas, LA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Louisiana Academy of Beauty
19 degrees awarded
Opelousas School of Cosmetology
18 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Louisiana Academy of Beauty with 19 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2024, 0 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Opelousas, LA, which is 0 times less than the 37 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 26 degrees mean that there were 2.36 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 11 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Opelousas, LA was $142,500 in 2024, which is 0.428 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $142,900 to $142,500, a 0.28% decrease. The homeownership rate in Opelousas, LA is 70.1%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Opelousas, LA have an average commute time of 29.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Opelousas, LA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$142,500

Median Property Value 2024

±$9,546

$22,551

Median Property Taxes

±$1,141

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Opelousas, LA the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Opelousas, LA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

70.1%

Homeownership

2024

67.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 70.1% of the housing units in Opelousas, LA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 70%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Opelousas, LA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$44,462

Median Household Income

± $2,416

32.2k

Number of Households

± 1,465

In 2024, the median household income of the 32.2k households in Opelousas, LA declined from $44,462 from the previous year's value of $45,637.

The following chart displays the households in Opelousas, LA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Opelousas, LA is from Louisiana.

0.464

2024 Wage GINI in Louisiana

0.465

2023 Wage GINI in Louisiana

In 2024, the income inequality in Louisiana was 0.464 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.265% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Louisiana was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Louisiana in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Louisiana across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (78.1%)
Carpooled (10.9%)
Worked At Home (7.29%)

In 2024, 78.1% of workers in Opelousas, LA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10.9%) and those who worked at home (7.29%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

29.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Opelousas, LA have a longer commute time (29.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 5.46% of the workforce in Opelousas, LA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Opelousas, LA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Opelousas, LA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Opelousas, LA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

26.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Opelousas, LA (21.5k out of 80.3k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Males 6 - 11 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Opelousas, LA is Black, followed by White and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.