Rapides Parish, Louisiana: commercial real estate data.
Rapides Parish, Louisiana has a population of 127,527 across 1,318 square miles, down 3.2 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $7.41 bn in 2024, 3,172 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 48 7(a) approvals worth $36.2 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Rapides Parish
How many people live in Rapides Parish
- Population127,527
- Households48,954
- Average household size2.61
- Median household income$54,967
- Median age37.9
- Median gross rent$950 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$181,100
- Home value to household income3.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher23.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over85,151
- Population under 1831,881
- Share under 1825.0 percent
- Population 65 and over21,686
- Share 65 and over17.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6473,960
- Civilian labor force57,505
- Unemployment rate5.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.1 percent
- Rank by population among Louisiana parishes13th of 64
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents513th
Rapides Parish is the 13th largest of 64 Louisiana parishes by population. A median home costs 3.3 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 25.0 percent against 17.0 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Rapides Parish
Is Rapides Parish growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-3.17 percent
- Census 2020 base population130,016
- Births, 20241,543
- Deaths, 20241,638
- Natural change, 2024-95
- Net domestic migration, 2024-962
- Net international migration, 2024503
- Total net migration, 2024-459
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-3,980
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2765th
The county has lost 3.17 percent of its population since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Rapides Parish
Where people moving to Rapides Parish come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,965
- People arriving, from those returns3,813
- Adjusted gross income arriving$94.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$48,182
- Largest single originRapides Parish Non-migrants (43,917 households)
- Largest single destination (43,917 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rapides Parish Non-migrants | 43,917 | 91,925 | $3.40 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 592 | 1,102 | $40.3 m |
| Other flows - South | 383 | 722 | $28.6 m |
| Grant Parish | 259 | 582 | $9.8 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 249 | 457 | $9.5 m |
| Avoyelles Parish | 171 | 374 | $7.4 m |
| Other flows - West | 125 | 231 | $7.0 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 84 | 149 | $4.7 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Rapides 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.
Rapides Parish
What the Rapides Parish economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$7.41 bn
- County GDP, 2023$7.23 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.6 percent
- GDP change over five years23.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among Louisiana parishes12th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents562nd
- GDP per resident$58,140
Output grew 2.6 percent in the latest year and 23.9 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.
Rapides Parish
Who employs people in Rapides Parish
- Covered employment, annual average56,422
- Establishments reporting4,093
- Average annual pay$51,777
- Average weekly wage$996
- Sector 62, employment12,102
- Sector 62, average annual pay$50,674
- Sector 44-45, employment7,022
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$34,501
- Sector 72, employment5,087
- Sector 72, average annual pay$20,358
- Sector 31-33, employment3,643
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$74,660
- Sector 56, employment3,160
- Sector 23, employment2,991
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 12,102 | 672 | $50,674 |
| Sector 44-45 | 7,022 | 596 | $34,501 |
| Sector 72 | 5,087 | 322 | $20,358 |
| Sector 31-33 | 3,643 | 90 | $74,660 |
| Sector 56 | 3,160 | 274 | $43,071 |
| Sector 23 | 2,991 | 306 | $70,315 |
| Sector 54 | 1,787 | 391 | $69,322 |
| Sector 42 | 1,515 | 162 | $67,000 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 12,102 jobs, 21.4 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Rapides Parish
What businesses operate in Rapides Parish
- Establishments, all industries3,172
- Employment at those establishments46,374
- Annual payroll$2.31 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents24.9
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.
Rapides Parish
What is being built in Rapides Parish
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024237
- Declared construction value permitted$56.9 m
- Single family units authorised215
- Multifamily units authorised22
- Multifamily share of units9.3 percent
- Average declared value per unit$240,096
- Units authorised per 1,000 households4.8
Multifamily is 9.3 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Rapides Parish
How much SBA lending happens in Rapides Parish
- 7(a) approvals recorded48
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$36.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$753,771
- Median 7(a) approval$250,000
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,330,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)872
- Jobs per approval18.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active20
- Distinct industries receiving approvals35
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer14.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms7
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter34
- Franchise loans7
- Franchise share of approvals14.6 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (4)
- Most active lenderRed River Bank (15)
- 504 approvals recorded4
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.5 m
- Average 504 approval$372,250
- Median 504 approval$462,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval19.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved51.0
- Most active CDCLouisiana Capital Certified Development Company, Inc. (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals92.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$37.7 m
The average approval of $753,771 sits well above the median of $250,000, 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 14.6 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.
Rapides Parish
Do SBA loans in Rapides Parish get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded13
- Paid in full11
- Charged off2
- Charge off rate on resolved loans15.4 percent
- Status: Cancelled3
- Status: Paid in full11
- Status: Exempt from disclosure31
- Status: Charged off2
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Of the 13 loans that have reached a final outcome, 15.4 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.
Rapides Parish
Which parts of Rapides Parish get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending6
- Alexandria, approvals30
- PINEVILLE, approvals13
- DEVILLE, approvals2
- Woodworth, approvals1
- LAFAYETTE, approvals1
- Boyce, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Alexandria | 30 | $19,637,700 |
| PINEVILLE | 13 | $10,463,300 |
| DEVILLE | 2 | $500,000 |
| Woodworth | 1 | $3,000,000 |
| LAFAYETTE | 1 | $250,000 |
| Boyce | 1 | $2,330,000 |
Alexandria accounts for 30 approvals against 13 in PINEVILLE. 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.
Rapides Parish
How big is Rapides Parish
- Land area1,318 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Louisiana parishes2nd of 64
- Width, east to west53 mi
- Height, north to south43.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land97
- Establishments per square mile2.41
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 Rapides 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 Rapides Parish site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population127,527
- Households48,954
- Average household size2.61
- Median household income$54,967
- Median age37.9
Common questions
Rapides Parish questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Rapides Parish, Louisiana?
127,527, in 48,954 households, ranking 13th of 64 Louisiana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Rapides Parish growing?
The population has fallen 3.17 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,543 births against 1,638 deaths, with net migration of -459. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Rapides Parish?
$54,967. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $181,100, which is 3.3 times income, and median gross rent is $950 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Rapides Parish?
3,172 establishments, employing 46,374 people with an annual payroll of $2.31 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 Rapides Parish?
Average annual pay is $51,777, or $996 a week, across 56,422 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Rapides Parish?
48 7(a) approvals totalling $36.2 m since FY2020, across 20 lenders, with a median approval of $250,000, plus 4 504 approvals worth $1.5 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Rapides Parish get paid back?
Of the 13 loans that have reached a final outcome, 11 were paid in full and 2 charged off, a charge off rate of 15.4 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Rapides Parish?
237 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $56.9 m. Multifamily was 9.3 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Rapides 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 Rapides Parish come from?
The largest single origin is Rapides Parish Non-migrants, with 43,917 households. Arriving households report an average income of $48,182 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 Rapides 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 Rapides 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.