Orleans Parish, Louisiana: commercial real estate data.
Orleans Parish, Louisiana has a population of 371,853 across 169 square miles, down 5.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $30.84 bn in 2024, 10,027 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 316 7(a) approvals worth $173.6 m.
122 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Orleans Parish
How many people live in Orleans Parish
- Population371,853
- Households155,821
- Average household size2.39
- Median household income$56,631
- Median age38.8
- Median gross rent$1,251 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$315,700
- Home value to household income5.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income26.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher42.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree19.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over265,201
- Population under 1873,203
- Share under 1819.7 percent
- Population 65 and over63,917
- Share 65 and over17.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64234,733
- Civilian labor force184,482
- Unemployment rate7.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over61.8 percent
- Rank by population among Louisiana parishes3rd of 64
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents201st
Orleans Parish is the 3rd largest of 64 Louisiana parishes by population. A median home costs 5.6 times median household income, which is a stretched ownership market and usually shows up as rental demand. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 19.7 percent against 17.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Orleans Parish
Is Orleans Parish growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-5.58 percent
- Census 2020 base population384,130
- Births, 20243,809
- Deaths, 20243,610
- Natural change, 2024199
- Net domestic migration, 2024-4,950
- Net international migration, 20242,272
- Total net migration, 2024-2,678
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-27,766
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents3022nd
The county has lost 5.58 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Births exceeded deaths in 2024 but more people left than arrived, so the population is being sustained internally rather than attracting.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Orleans Parish
Where people moving to Orleans Parish come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving10,080
- People arriving, from those returns15,811
- Adjusted gross income arriving$719.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$71,395
- Largest single originOrleans Parish Non-migrants (117,457 households)
- Largest single destination (117,457 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orleans Parish Non-migrants | 117,457 | 212,138 | $9.71 bn |
| Jefferson Parish | 2,715 | 4,905 | $140.4 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 2,577 | 3,648 | $245.3 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,278 | 1,887 | $142.1 m |
| St. Tammany Parish | 516 | 860 | $27.5 m |
| Other flows - West | 437 | 599 | $29.7 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 436 | 593 | $31.1 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 426 | 569 | $42.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Orleans Parish Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Orleans Parish
What the Orleans Parish economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$30.84 bn
- County GDP, 2023$29.68 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.9 percent
- GDP change over five years32.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among Louisiana parishes3rd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents192nd
- GDP per resident$82,924
Output grew 3.9 percent in the latest year and 32.6 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Orleans Parish
Who employs people in Orleans Parish
- Covered employment, annual average188,050
- Establishments reporting17,204
- Average annual pay$67,626
- Average weekly wage$1,300
- Sector 72, employment36,213
- Sector 72, average annual pay$35,825
- Sector 62, employment24,943
- Sector 62, average annual pay$64,606
- Sector 61, employment17,598
- Sector 61, average annual pay$66,816
- Sector 54, employment14,384
- Sector 54, average annual pay$108,272
- Sector 44-45, employment13,060
- Sector 56, employment10,522
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 72 | 36,213 | 2,076 | $35,825 |
| Sector 62 | 24,943 | 1,622 | $64,606 |
| Sector 61 | 17,598 | 420 | $66,816 |
| Sector 54 | 14,384 | 3,638 | $108,272 |
| Sector 44-45 | 13,060 | 1,682 | $37,369 |
| Sector 56 | 10,522 | 1,024 | $55,738 |
| Sector 48-49 | 6,310 | 408 | $66,167 |
| Sector 71 | 5,928 | 447 | $41,565 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 36,213 jobs, 19.3 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job exceeds median household income, which usually means single earner households and a wage base that can carry rent.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Orleans Parish
What businesses operate in Orleans Parish
- Establishments, all industries10,027
- Employment at those establishments177,086
- Annual payroll$10.44 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents27.0
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Orleans Parish
What is being built in Orleans Parish
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024710
- Declared construction value permitted$186.7 m
- Single family units authorised202
- Multifamily units authorised508
- Multifamily share of units71.5 percent
- Average declared value per unit$263,014
- Units authorised per 1,000 households4.6
Multifamily is 71.5 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Orleans Parish
How much SBA lending happens in Orleans Parish
- 7(a) approvals recorded316
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$173.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$549,426
- Median 7(a) approval$200,000
- 10th percentile approval$41,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,261,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)3,302
- Jobs per approval10.4
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active51
- Distinct industries receiving approvals136
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer15.5 percent
- Loans on real estate terms49
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter230
- Franchise loans31
- Franchise share of approvals9.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (41)
- Most active lenderNewtek Bank, National Association (59)
- 504 approvals recorded35
- 504 gross approval dollars$27.3 m
- Average 504 approval$778,886
- Median 504 approval$588,000
- Distinct CDCs active6
- 504 jobs per approval11.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved15.0
- Most active CDCNew Orleans Regional Business Development Loan Corporation (18)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals90.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$200.9 m
The average approval of $549,426 sits well above the median of $200,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 15.5 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Orleans Parish
Do SBA loans in Orleans Parish get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded44
- Paid in full40
- Charged off4
- Charge off rate on resolved loans9.1 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure210
- Status: Paid in full40
- Status: Cancelled50
- Status: Charged off4
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed12
Of the 44 loans that have reached a final outcome, 9.1 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Orleans Parish
Which parts of Orleans Parish get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending5
- NEW ORLEANS, approvals312
- New Orleans,, approvals1
- MANDEVILLE, approvals1
- HARVEY, approvals1
- Prosper, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| NEW ORLEANS | 312 | $169,364,200 |
| New Orleans, | 1 | $241,000 |
| MANDEVILLE | 1 | $303,500 |
| HARVEY | 1 | $100,000 |
| Prosper | 1 | $3,610,000 |
NEW ORLEANS accounts for 312 approvals against 1 in New Orleans,. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Orleans Parish
How big is Orleans Parish
- Land area169 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Louisiana parishes64th of 64
- Width, east to west31 mi
- Height, north to south22.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land2,200
- Establishments per square mile59.33
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Orleans Parish site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Orleans Parish site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population371,853
- Households155,821
- Average household size2.39
- Median household income$56,631
- Median age38.8
Common questions
Orleans Parish questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Orleans Parish, Louisiana?
371,853, in 155,821 households, ranking 3rd of 64 Louisiana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Orleans Parish growing?
The population has fallen 5.58 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 3,809 births against 3,610 deaths, with net migration of -2,678. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Orleans Parish?
$56,631. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $315,700, which is 5.6 times income, and median gross rent is $1,251 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Orleans Parish?
10,027 establishments, employing 177,086 people with an annual payroll of $10.44 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Orleans Parish?
Average annual pay is $67,626, or $1,300 a week, across 188,050 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Orleans Parish?
316 7(a) approvals totalling $173.6 m since FY2020, across 51 lenders, with a median approval of $200,000, plus 35 504 approvals worth $27.3 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Orleans Parish get paid back?
Of the 44 loans that have reached a final outcome, 40 were paid in full and 4 charged off, a charge off rate of 9.1 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Orleans Parish?
710 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $186.7 m. Multifamily was 71.5 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Orleans Parish?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Orleans Parish come from?
The largest single origin is Orleans Parish Non-migrants, with 117,457 households. Arriving households report an average income of $71,395 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Orleans Parish on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Orleans Parish?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.