How many people live in Ouachita Parish, LA?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 157,900 people living in Ouachita Parish, LA. That makes Ouachita Parish the eighth-most populous parish in Louisiana. It is home to 3.4% of people living in the state.
158K
population of Ouachita Parish, LA (2024)
3.4%
County share of the Louisiana population (2024)
About 157,900 people lived in Ouachita Parish, LA in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Ouachita Parish, LA’s age demographics?
About 26,400 Ouachita Parish residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 16.7% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 17.8% of Louisiana’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 38,200 Ouachita Parish, LA residents, or 24.2% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 23.3% of Louisiana’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A higher share of Ouachita Parish, LA's population is aged under 18 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Ouachita Parish, LA’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic Black or African American residents make up 38% of the Ouachita Parish, LA population, higher than the national share of 12.6%.
In contrast, Ouachita Parish’s Hispanic population accounts for 3.9%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Asian population makes up 1.1% of the parish, compared with 6.5% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
Ouachita Parish, LA has a higher share of a non-Hispanic Black or African American population than Louisiana as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Ouachita Parish, LA is Monroe with about 46,600 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Ouachita Parish, LA ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within parish
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Monroe | 46,622 |
| 2. | West Monroe | 12,476 |
| 3. | Richwood | 3,809 |
| 4. | Sterlington | 2,557 |
| 5. | Balance of Ouachita Parish | 92,410 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
