Town · Louisiana
Waterproof, Louisiana
Waterproof, town, in Tensas Parish, Louisiana. Waterproof had 489 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 11.7% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 541 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 576 (±165). GEOID 2279940.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
489
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 541 · ACS 2020-2024: 576 ±165
Median household income
$21,786
±$9,727 (90% margin)
Louisiana: $60,756
Median home value
$47,300
±$12,870 (90% margin)
Louisiana: $216,500
Median gross rent
$469
±$51 (90% margin)
Louisiana: $1,064
Where is Waterproof and what county is it in?
Waterproof is a town in Tensas Parish, Louisiana. It covers 0.7 square miles of land, 776 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Waterproof, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 489 people lived in Waterproof on July 1, 2025, down 11.7% since 2020, a steeper fall than Louisiana's (−0.9%). The 2020 Census counted 541 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 576 (±165).
| Measure | Waterproof | Tensas Parish | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 576 ±165 | 3,935 | no clear change |
| Households | 200 ±57 | 1,578 | −87 |
| Average household size | 2.88 ±0.90 | 2.33 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 319 ±64 | 2,792 | −126 |
Waterproof's population since 2000
From 834 in 2000 to 489 in 2025: down 41.4%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Waterproof 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 Waterproof?
The median resident of Waterproof is 37.1 years old; 29.3% are under 18 and 21.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic Black residents at 91.0%, then non-Hispanic Asian residents at 6.6%.
| Measure | Waterproof | Tensas Parish | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.1 ±22.4 | 47.5 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 29.3% ±7.9 pts | 21.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 21.9% ±7.1 pts | 28.1% | – |
| Male | 25.0% ±9.5 pts | 48.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.0% ±7.5 pts | 1.1% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 0.9% ±1.3 pts | 41.3% | – |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 91.0% ±6.4 pts | 54.0% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 6.6% ±5.9 pts | 1.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±7.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±7.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.6% ±2.4 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±7.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 3.8% ±4.2 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.7% ±1.6 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 1.7% ±2.5 pts | 5.0% | – |
| With a disability | 22.4% ±8.0 pts | 20.5% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 14.2% ±9.3 pts | 5.6% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 79.3% ±8.6 pts | 80.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 20.7% ±17.5 pts | 14.6% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 0.0% ±13.7 pts | 6.0% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 98.4% ±2.7 pts | 92.6% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±7.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
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 Waterproof earn?
Half of Waterproof's 200 households earn less than $21,786 a year (±$9,727), against $36,615 in Tensas Parish and $60,756 in Louisiana. In 2015-2019 it was $31,075 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 70.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Waterproof | Tensas Parish | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $21,786 ±$9,727 | $36,615 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $27,132 ±$6,725 | $47,851 | – |
| Per capita income | $11,867 ±$3,811 | $20,390 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 70.7% ±15.6 pts | 34.4% | +24.4 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 86.4% ±18.3 pts | 54.8% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 56.5% ±14.3 pts | 31.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 78.5% ±12.5 pts | 83.0% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 67.5% ±16.4 pts | 70.0% | – |
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 Waterproof?
Owners occupy 76.0% of Waterproof's occupied homes and renters 24.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $47,300 by its owner (±$12,870). The median renter pays $469 a month including utilities, and 73.7% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Waterproof | Tensas Parish | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $47,300 ±$12,870 | $86,300 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $469 ±$51 | $601 | −$133 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 73.7% ±28.9 pts | 52.5% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $856 ±$39 | $981 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 76.0% ±12.8 pts | 74.2% | +23.7 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 24.0% ±12.8 pts | 25.8% | – |
| Housing units | 319 ±64 | 2,792 | −126 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±24.0 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±50.4 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 73.0% ±11.6 pts | 76.8% | – |
| Mobile homes | 14.4% ±8.5 pts | 18.7% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±13.1 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±13.1 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 11.3% ±7.5 pts | 6.0% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 29.0% ±13.9 pts | 9.5% | – |
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 Waterproof work and get to work?
77.5% of Waterproof's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 31.8 minutes.
| Measure | Waterproof | Tensas Parish | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 21.6% ±11.6 pts | 35.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 12.1% ±16.5 pts | 11.4% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 77.5% ±18.8 pts | 84.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 0.0% ±39.0 pts | 7.6% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±39.0 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±39.0 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Worked from home | 5.0% ±8.1 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 31.8 min ±15.6 | 32.5 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 Waterproof?
No census tract lies mostly in Waterproof; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 3Tensas Parish | 1,469 | $26,103 |
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 Waterproof) · Census block assignment files
How does Waterproof compare with other places in Louisiana?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Waterproof is the 13,280th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 216th-most populous of 304 in Louisiana.
Waterproof 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 | 216th | 304 |
Waterproof's figures with every place in Louisiana (CSV)
Every place in Louisiana, sortable · Compare Waterproof 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 Waterproof?
24 of the 57 figures for Waterproof 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 Waterproof 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 Waterproof.