What Parts of Louisiana Are Losing the Most People?

We have heard a lot of talk about Louisiana’s shrinking population and it’s definitely true. Outmigration is a problem in the Bayou State. But the big question is why. What is the primary reason people are leaving the state.

Why People Leave Louisiana

The number 1 reason is for a job. Either people get transferred by their employer or they move to another state for a better opportunity. Some young people leave Louisiana for educational opportunities.

What Parts of the State Are Losing the Most People

Cameron parish in the Lake Charles area has lost the largest percentage of their population. The area is down 15% since Hurricane Laura devastated the region in 2020.

3 parishes in northeast Louisiana are also dealing with flight. Tensas and East Carroll parishes have lost about 8% of the population.

Caddo parish numbers are down by 4.5% while Webster parish is also down by that same amount.

What Parts of the State Show Slight Growth

2 suburbs of Baton Rouge, Livingston and Ascension parishes are up 5% and nearly 4%, respectively. St. Tammany parish just north of New Orleans is showing 4% growth.

Another interesting state from the Louisiana Workforce Commission shows about 75,000 people who work in Louisiana actually live in another state. That’s about 4% of the state’s total workforce. The Shreveport-Bossier area is one of the regions where we have lots of workers living in east Texas, but making the drive to work in our area.

Louisiana lawmakers have made massive changes to our state tax code in an effort to try to keep people in the state. The income tax has been lowered, but in the process, sales taxes were increase. The goal is to make the state's tax code more competitive and business-friendly.