Town · Louisiana
Cotton Valley, Louisiana
Cotton Valley, town, in Webster Parish, Louisiana. Cotton Valley had 743 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 5.7% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 787 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 701 (±227). GEOID 2217915.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
743
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 787 · ACS 2020-2024: 701 ±227
Median household income
$36,316
±$7,922 (90% margin)
Louisiana: $60,756
Median home value
$68,600
±$29,448 (90% margin)
Louisiana: $216,500
Median gross rent
$725
±$350 (90% margin)
Louisiana: $1,064
Where is Cotton Valley and what county is it in?
Cotton Valley is a town in Webster Parish, Louisiana. It covers 2.6 square miles of land, 299 residents per square mile in 2020.
Cotton Valley is in the Minden, LA micropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Cotton Valley, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 743 people lived in Cotton Valley on July 1, 2025, down 5.7% since 2020, a steeper fall than Louisiana's (−0.9%). The 2020 Census counted 787 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 701 (±227).
| Measure | Cotton Valley | Webster Parish | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 701 ±227 | 35,820 | no clear change |
| Households | 266 ±74 | 14,334 | −178 |
| Average household size | 2.62 ±0.51 | 2.43 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 352 ±75 | 18,377 | −246 |
Cotton Valley's population since 2000
From 1,189 in 2000 to 743 in 2025: down 37.5%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Cotton Valley as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Cotton Valley?
The median resident of Cotton Valley is 36.4 years old; 29.4% are under 18 and 20.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 51.5%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 47.2%.
| Measure | Cotton Valley | Webster Parish | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.4 ±12.1 | 41.1 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 29.4% ±8.0 pts | 22.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 20.4% ±8.8 pts | 20.7% | – |
| Male | 43.4% ±8.5 pts | 48.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.0% ±6.2 pts | 2.3% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 51.5% ±16.2 pts | 61.3% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 47.2% ±16.3 pts | 33.5% | −21.1 pts |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.2 pts | 0.3% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.2 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.2 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.3% ±1.4 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.2 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±6.2 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.7% ±2.2 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 12.1% ±6.8 pts | 6.4% | – |
| With a disability | 24.3% ±9.4 pts | 17.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.6% ±3.2 pts | 5.2% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 83.4% ±8.1 pts | 86.0% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 4.5% ±4.3 pts | 13.3% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 3.4% ±4.1 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 94.8% ±6.2 pts | 92.4% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±6.4 pts | 1.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Cotton Valley earn?
Half of Cotton Valley's 266 households earn less than $36,316 a year (±$7,922), against $41,182 in Webster Parish and $60,756 in Louisiana. In 2015-2019 the median was $25,163 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $11,153 after inflation. 24.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Cotton Valley | Webster Parish | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $36,316 ±$7,922 | $41,182 | +$11,153 |
| Mean household income | $48,260 ±$7,996 | $62,266 | – |
| Per capita income | $18,027 ±$3,637 | $25,664 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 24.8% ±11.3 pts | 23.1% | −27.2 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 26.7% ±20.5 pts | 29.3% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 31.6% ±13.3 pts | 27.0% | – |
| Households with a computer | 94.0% ±4.8 pts | 91.0% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 66.9% ±13.3 pts | 66.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Cotton Valley?
Owners occupy 62.0% of Cotton Valley's occupied homes and renters 38.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $68,600 by its owner (±$29,448). The median renter pays $725 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Cotton Valley | Webster Parish | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $68,600 ±$29,448 | $114,500 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $725 ±$350 | $795 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 37.2% ±25.0 pts | 57.1% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $925 ±$190 | $1,235 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 62.0% ±12.8 pts | 66.8% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 38.0% ±12.8 pts | 33.2% | – |
| Housing units | 352 ±75 | 18,377 | −246 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 5.7% ±9.3 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±34.2 pts | 6.2% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 65.1% ±11.6 pts | 67.3% | – |
| Mobile homes | 23.3% ±10.8 pts | 22.2% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±12.0 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 2.8% ±4.8 pts | 6.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 1.4% ±1.9 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 9.8% ±6.4 pts | 10.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Cotton Valley work and get to work?
87.1% of Cotton Valley's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 29.3 minutes.
| Measure | Cotton Valley | Webster Parish | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 43.6% ±9.5 pts | 49.3% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% ±4.9 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 87.1% ±9.6 pts | 81.1% | – |
| Carpooled | 0.0% ±19.8 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±19.8 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±19.8 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 5.4% ±8.3 pts | 6.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 29.3 min ±7.7 | 27.3 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Cotton Valley?
No census tract lies mostly in Cotton Valley; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 314Webster Parish | 2,443 | $46,458 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Cotton Valley) · Census block assignment files
How does Cotton Valley compare with other places in Louisiana?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Cotton Valley is the 11,547th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 180th-most populous of 304 in Louisiana.
Cotton Valley is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 180th | 304 |
Cotton Valley's figures with every place in Louisiana (CSV)
Every place in Louisiana, sortable · Compare Cotton Valley with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Cotton Valley?
24 of the 57 figures for Cotton Valley on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Cotton Valley are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Cotton Valley.