Tensas Parish, LA

County

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2024 Population

3,935

US Senator

Bill Cassidy

Republican Party

US Senator

John Kennedy

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

47.5

0.211% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

34.4%

4.84% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$36,615

1.5% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$86,300

7.47% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

991

17.3% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Tensas Parish, 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.

99.1% of the residents in Tensas Parish, LA are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Tensas Parish, LA was $86,300, and the homeownership rate was 74.2%.

Most people in Tensas Parish, LA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 32.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Tensas Parish, LA was 2 cars per household.

Tensas Parish, LA borders Catahoula Parish, LA, Concordia Parish, LA, Franklin Parish, LA, Madison Parish, LA, Adams County, MS, Claiborne County, MS, Jefferson County, MS, and Warren County, MS.

United States Louisiana

Population & Diversity

Tensas Parish, LA is home to a population of 3.94k people, from which 99.1% are citizens. As of 2024, 0.915% of Tensas Parish, LA residents were born outside of the country (36 people).

In 2024, there were 1.31 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (2.12k people) in Tensas Parish, LA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.63k White (Non-Hispanic) and 94 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.1%

2024 Citizenship

99.4%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.1% of Tensas Parish, LA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Tensas Parish, LA was 99.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Tensas Parish, LA

Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
2.12k ± 88
White (Non-Hispanic)
1.63k ± 13
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
94 ± 71

1.09%

Hispanic Population

43 people

1.09% of the people in Tensas Parish, LA are hispanic (43 people).

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

Global Diversity

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

Most Common Origin

Honduras
46,145 ± 5,248 people
Mexico
26,336 ± 3,973 people
Vietnam
16,621 ± 3,160 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Louisiana was Honduras, the natal country of 46,145 Louisiana residents, followed by Mexico with 26,336 and Vietnam with 16,621.

Foreign-Born Population

0.915%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

36 people

1.3%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

52 people

As of 2024, 0.915% of Tensas Parish, LA residents (36 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 Tensas Parish, LA was 1.3%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
64 ± 41
Korea
22 ± 29
Gulf War (1990s)
9 ± 21

Tensas Parish, LA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.91 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Tensas Parish, LA employs 991 people. In 2024, the largest industries in Tensas Parish, LA were Retail Trade (154 people), Public Administration (135 people), and Educational Services (128 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($102,813), Transportation & Warehousing ($82,708), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($43,800).

Employment

Occupations

991

2024 Value

± 174

−17.3%

1 Year decline

± 28.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Tensas Parish, LA declined at a rate of −17.3%, from 1.2k employees to 991 employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Tensas Parish, LA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (161 people), Sales & Related Occupations (128 people), and Building & Grounds Cleaning & Maintenance Occupations (121 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Tensas Parish, 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

991

2024 Value

± 174

−17.3%

1 Year decline

± 28.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Tensas Parish, LA declined at a rate of −17.3%, from 1.2k employees to 991 employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Tensas Parish, LA, are Retail Trade (154 people), Public Administration (135 people), and Educational Services (128 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Tensas Parish, LA, though some of these residents may live in Tensas Parish, LA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$31,331

Median earning men ± $6,051

$20,000

Median earning women ± $5,266

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($82,708), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($45,313), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($42,083).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($30,313), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($22,019), and Retail Trade ($16,690).

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

7
Retail Trade
6
Other Services (except Public Administration)
4
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation

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

$3.51k
Wholesale Trade
$2.87k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$1.97k
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 Tensas Parish, 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.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Tensas Parish, LA was $86,300 in 2024, which is 0.259 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $80,300 to $86,300, a 7.47% increase. The homeownership rate in Tensas Parish, LA is 74.2%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Tensas Parish, LA have an average commute time of 32.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Tensas Parish, LA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 15% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Tensas Parish, LA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 2.5%.

Housing

Property

$86,300

Median Property Value 2024

±$7,290

$1,171

Median Property Taxes

±$167

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 Tensas Parish, LA the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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

Rent vs Own

74.2%

Homeownership

2024

62%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 74.2% of the housing units in Tensas Parish, LA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 69.6%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Tensas Parish, 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.

$36,615

Median Household Income

± $4,366

1.58k

Number of Households

± 198

In 2024, the median household income of the 1.58k households in Tensas Parish, LA grew to $36,615 from the previous year's value of $36,074.

The following chart displays the households in Tensas Parish, 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 Tensas Parish, LA is from Louisiana.

0.465

2023 Wage GINI in Louisiana

0.466

2022 Wage GINI in Louisiana

In 2023, the income inequality in Louisiana was 0.465 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.123% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Louisiana was lower than than the national average of 0.476. 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 (84%)
Carpooled (7.65%)
Worked At Home (3.47%)

In 2024, 84% of workers in Tensas Parish, LA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (7.65%) and those who worked at home (3.47%).

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

32.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Tensas Parish, LA have a longer commute time (32.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 12.4% of the workforce in Tensas Parish, LA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 15% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Tensas Parish, LA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 2.5%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

34.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Tensas Parish, LA (1.26k out of 3.67k 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 55 - 64, followed by Females 6 - 11 and then Males 65 - 74.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Tensas Parish, 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.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 47.1% of the children was living in poverty in Tensas Parish, LA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.1%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 151 in Tensas Parish, LA. From 2019 to 2022, the indicator grew 0 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

94.4% of the population of Tensas Parish, LA has health coverage, with 11.1% on employee plans, 47.8% on Medicaid, 22.3% on Medicare, 11.4% on non-group plans, and 1.77% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Tensas Parish, LA see 4,043 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (4,043 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1282 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 627 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 44.4% were men and 55.6% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

4,043 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Tensas Parish, LA

Primary care physicians in Tensas Parish, LA see an average of 4,043 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (4,043 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.7% under 18 years, 9.72% between 18 and 34 years, 34.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 30.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 44.4% were men and 55.6% were women.

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

Uninsured People

5.58%

Uninsured

11.1%

Employer Coverage

47.8%

Medicaid

22.3%

Medicare

11.4%

Non-Group

1.77%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Tensas Parish, LA declined by 17.8% from 6.79% to 5.58%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2014, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 188 in Tensas Parish, LA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Tensas Parish, LA.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 46.6% in Tensas Parish, LA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Tensas Parish, LA.