Louisiana continues to trail the rest of the country – and most of its Southern neighbors – on key poverty and income measurements, according to U.S. Census Bureau data released this week. The Pelican State also took a modest step backwards on health insurance coverage, though Louisiana still has a higher coverage rate than the nation as a whole. 

The data comes from the American Community Survey, which the U.S. Census Bureau releases each September with detailed estimates about poverty, income, health insurance coverage and other measures. 

Nearly 1 in 5 of Louisiana residents (18.7%) lived below the federal poverty line in 2024, one of the highest rates in the nation, and the economic gap between white Louisianans and people of color widened. Louisiana’s poverty rate in 2024 was statistically unchanged from the previous year, even as the national poverty rate decreased slightly over the same period, from 12.5% to 12.1%. 

Median household income in Louisiana also flatlined in 2024, even as our neighboring states and the rest of the nation saw an income uptick after accounting for inflation. Louisiana’s median household income in 2024 was $60,986 – far below the national median of $81,604 and less than all our Southern neighbors except Mississippi. 

Mississippi, Texas, Alabama and Arkansas all experienced real median income growth in 2024 while Louisiana’s median income was statistically unchanged from 2023.


“These disappointing numbers are another indicator that far too many of our friends and neighbors still struggle to make ends meet,” said Jan Moller, Invest in Louisiana’s executive director. “This should serve as a wake-up call for state policymakers to invest more resources in our children and communities.” 

Key findings from the data include: 

  • The number of people working – or seeking work – increased modestly. Nearly three-fourths (73.8%) of households with children under 6 had all parents in the workforce – up from 70.7% in 2023. This highlights the continued need for policymakers to invest in high-quality, affordable early childhood education. 
  • The poverty rate for white Louisianans fell slightly, from 13.4% to 11.8%, but poverty for other racial groups either stayed the same or increased. 
  • Nearly 1 in 10 Louisianans (9%) live in “deep poverty” with household income below 50% of the federal poverty line. Only the District of Columbia (10.3%) has a higher percentage of its population in deep poverty. 
  • Louisiana’s population increased slightly to 4,597,740 in 2024, up from 4,573,749 in 2023. However, the state’s population remains lower than in 2021, when Hurricane Ida made landfall in the state. 
  • The percentage of people in Louisiana without health insurance in 2024 was 7.7%, up from 6.9% in 2023. Nationally, 8.2% of Americans were uninsured last year. 
  • The percentage of people with private health insurance remained steady, but there was a decrease in those with public coverage from programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. This is likely due to the expiration of pandemic-era protections, which sharply reduced the number of people on the state’s Medicaid rolls. 

While Louisiana’s poverty and income levels were mostly unchanged in 2024, that might not be the case much longer. The federal tax and budget megabill, signed into law by President Trump in July, includes massive cuts to Medicaid, food assistance and other programs that provide support for Louisianans with low incomes. When those public supports end, many Louisianans who are already struggling could find it harder to provide for their basic needs.