City profile · Louisiana · Census ACS 2023

Fort Polk South, LA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Fort Polk South - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

8,056
Residents
$62,790
Median income
$1,041
Median rent (state)

Fort Polk South - the verdict

Nationally, Fort Polk South sits in the 40th percentile for household income among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS.

40th
percentile, household income
24th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Fort Polk South, LA

Fort Polk South is a small town in Louisiana, home to 8,056 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Fort Polk South households earn a median of $62,790 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 18.4%. The median resident age is 22.9 years. 28.7% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 23.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Living costs in Louisiana run below the national norm: the state registers 88.2 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,041 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Louisiana run around $212, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Fort Polk South report an average commute of 9.6 minutes, with 64.0% driving alone and 14.6% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 68.9 out of 100 (Moderate).

Population

8,056 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Louisiana

Median Household Income

$62,790 /yr

Poverty 18.4%

Cost of Living Index (state)

88.2 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Louisiana average

How does Fort Polk South compare to other US cities?

Fort Polk South measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 40% higher than other cities
Median rent 24% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Fort Polk South's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Louisiana, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

40thIncome percentile

40th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Fort Polk South, LA Fort Polk South, LA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Fort Polk South, LA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Fort Polk South, LA median $62,790/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Fort Polk South, LA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Fort Polk South, LA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 28.7%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 18.4%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 23.8%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
8,056
Median Income
$62,790
Median Home Value
N/A
Median Age
22.9
Poverty Rate
18.4%
Labor force participation
23.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
28.7%

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
9.6 minutes
Drive Alone
64.0%
Carpool
8.1%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
11.7%
Work from Home
14.6%
Other
1.6%

Based on 4,264 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Louisiana - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$130
avg/month
Natural Gas
$40
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$42
avg/month
Total Utilities
$212
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Louisiana state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Louisiana state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Fort Polk South sits in

Cost of Living Index
88.2
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,041/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
68.9 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Louisiana

Prien
8,248 people
Ponchatoula
7,839 people
Old Jefferson
7,790 people
Scott
8,348 people
Eden Isle
7,753 people
Oak Hills Place
8,380 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Fort Polk South's 8,056 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

South Kensington, MD
8,057 people
Oak Hill, WV
8,057 people
Oberlin, OH
8,054 people
Antigo, WI
8,058 people
Stuttgart, AR
8,060 people
Bondurant, IA
8,061 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Fort Polk South's $62,790 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

North Charleston, SC
$62,789 median income
Grabill, IN
$62,788 median income
Butler, TN
$62,788 median income
Portage, WI
$62,785 median income
Ledbetter, KY
$62,798 median income
Provo, UT
$62,800 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Fort Polk South, LA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Fort Polk South, LA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 59.0% 18.7% 6.7% 11.7% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 19.7% White 59.0% Black or African American 18.7% Asian 2.7% American Indian 0.2% Native Hawaiian 1.0% Some other race 6.7% Two or more races 11.7% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Fort Polk South compares to nearby Louisiana cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Fort Polk South (this city) 8,056 $62,790
Prien 8,248 $91,300
Ponchatoula 7,839 $47,821
Old Jefferson 7,790 $85,466
Census ACS 5-year FIPS LA OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Fort Polk South, LA?

What is the population of Fort Polk South, LA? +

The population of Fort Polk South, LA stands at 8,056 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Fort Polk South, LA? +

In Fort Polk South, the typical household earns $62,790 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Fort Polk South? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Fort Polk South; the closest available measure is the Louisiana state average, a cost of living index of 88.2 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Louisiana vary by metro area.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.