State profile · LA
Largest Cities in Louisiana
Ranked by resident population across 477 tracked cities and towns in Louisiana, using Census ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023). This compares cities and Census-designated places, not metropolitan areas.
- 477
- Cities
- 2,995,255
- Combined city pop.
- $54,720
- Avg median income
- 18.1%
- Avg poverty rate
Data updated July 2026
The headline finding
New Orleans is the largest of 477 tracked cities in Louisiana, which ranks #48 of 52 nationally on avg median income.
- New Orleans
- largest tracked city (376,035 people)
- #48
- national rank, avg median income
- 477
- cities tracked in this state
Every figure here is read live from the same table rendered below.
88% of Louisiana's 477 tracked cities are small towns under 10,000 people -- none crosses the 1-million-resident mark.
How we calculate this mix & the national home-value percentile below
Every tracked city in Louisiana is bucketed by population: small town under 10,000; mid-size 10,000–99,999; large 100,000–999,999; megacity 1,000,000+. The national home-value comparison below plots Louisiana's average tracked-city home value against all 52 US states/territories, ranked the same way as the per-city percentiles: the state's percentile is the share of states with a lower average home value. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.
Largest cities in Louisiana
By population, hover or tap a bar for income detail
- New Orleans
New Orleans, LA
376,035 residents
- Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, LA
223,699 residents
- Shreveport
Shreveport, LA
183,483 residents
- Metairie 138,995
Metairie, LA
138,995 residents
- Lafayette 121,537
Lafayette, LA
121,537 residents
- Lake Charles 81,679
Lake Charles, LA
81,679 residents
- Kenner 65,113
Kenner, LA
65,113 residents
- Bossier City 62,832
Bossier City, LA
62,832 residents
- Monroe 47,241
Monroe, LA
47,241 residents
- Alexandria 44,566
Alexandria, LA
44,566 residents
- Prairieville 35,010
Prairieville, LA
35,010 residents
- Houma 32,760
Houma, LA
32,760 residents
What this shows New Orleans, LA is the most populous city profiled in Louisiana; the full list of all 477 cities follows below.
How Louisiana ranks nationally
Avg median income
$54,720
#48 of 52 · highest income
Avg home value
$156,143
#41 of 52 · highest values
Avg poverty rate
18.1%
#49 of 52 · lowest poverty
Tracked cities
477
#26 of 52 · most tracked cities
Louisiana ranks #48 of 52 nationally on average median income and #49 of 52 on average poverty rate, derived live by comparing it against every other tracked state. Averages are computed only across the cities PlainCities tracks in each state, not full state populations.
How Louisiana's home values compare nationally
Average tracked-city home value vs. all 52 US states/territories
$156,143 Among the most affordable more affordable than 79% of 52 US states
Each bar is a $50K-wide band; taller bars hold more US states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Which cities does Louisiana include?
What to do with Louisiana's city data
477 cities is a lot to browse, here's where to start.
- New Orleans is Louisiana's largest tracked city by population, start there if you want the fullest picture of a major LA metro. New Orleans profile
- Lewisburg has the highest median household income of any tracked city in Louisiana, a different lens than population size alone. Lewisburg profile
- See how Louisiana's cities stack up nationally, not just against each other. National rankings
City counts and averages on this page cover only the 477 places with sufficient Census ACS data, smaller towns below the reporting threshold are not included.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cities does PlainCities track in Louisiana?
PlainCities profiles 477 cities and towns in Louisiana, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the largest city in Louisiana?
New Orleans is the largest tracked city in Louisiana, with a population of 376,035.
What is the average household income in Louisiana?
Across the 477 tracked cities in Louisiana, the average median household income is $54,720. Individual cities vary widely, with Lewisburg reporting the highest median income at $162,958.
What is the average poverty rate in Louisiana?
The average poverty rate across Louisiana's tracked cities is 18.1%, based on Census ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
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.