Jobs, pay and daily life in Fort Polk South, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Fort Polk South is a city in Louisiana with 7,869 residents. The median household earns $63,800 a year and the median rent is $1,202 a month, which is 22.6% of the median household income. We could not match it to a metropolitan area in the BLS wage tables, so metro pay data is not shown.
How Fort Polk South compares. Among the 80 largest places in Louisiana, Fort Polk South is #71 by population, #80 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #1 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #3 for remote work (#1 = most). Its county, Vernon Parish, is #40 of 64 counties for average pay ($48,821).
Fort Polk South has 7,869 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.2% of the population of Louisiana. It covers 6 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,281 people per square mile. The median age is 23.0, 39% younger than the state median (23.0 against 38.0). It is a census-designated place: a community the Census Bureau counts as a unit, without a city government of its own, so services such as police, roads and zoning usually come from the county.
The median gross rent is $1,202 a month (rent plus utilities), 13% above the state median ($1,202 against $1,064). Over a year that is 22.6% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. 1.4% of households own their home, 98% below the state average (1.4% against 67.4%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Vernon Parish was 4.3%. 25.0% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Vernon Parish; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 62.3% drive alone, 0.0% use public transit, 10.9% walk, 17.5% work from home. 2.2% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 86% below the state average (2.2% against 15.2%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.
34.0% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 26% above the state share (34.0% against 27.0%). 6.5% of residents were born outside the United States, 34% above the state share (6.5% against 4.9%). The poverty rate is 14.0%, 26% below the state rate (14.0% against 18.9%).
The warmest month is Aug, averaging 83°F (28.2°C), and the coolest is Jan at 48°F (8.7°C). About 1,494 mm (59 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (140 mm) and Apr the driest (113 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: DeRidder (15 miles, rent 20% lower); Alexandria (47 miles, rent 23% lower); Natchitoches (48 miles, rent 33% lower); Moss Bluff (52 miles, rent 10% higher). Rent differences are against Fort Polk South; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Louisiana (778) →State guide: LouisianaCountry guideVernon ParishLouisiana rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 778 federal postings open in Louisiana (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
No metropolitan wage table is matched to this city. Employment shares of residents by industry (ACS):
| Industry ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Retail trade | 20.7% |
| Education and health care | 20.6% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 15.4% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 14.0% |
| Public administration | 9.8% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 5.0% |
| Other services | 5.0% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 4.1% |
| Construction | 2.7% |
| Manufacturing | 1.4% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.8% |
| Information | 0.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 0.0% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Fort Polk South lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vernon Parish | 47,117 | $2,698 million | $57,270 | 12,826 | 1,060 | $48,821 | -1.3% | 4.3% | 16,207 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 1,511 | 23.1% | $52,664 | 0.82 |
| Retail trade | 1,413 | 21.6% | $31,115 | 1.10 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,219 | 18.6% | $20,078 | 1.05 |
| Construction | 595 | 9.1% | $60,099 | 0.88 |
| Manufacturing | 409 | 6.3% | $44,575 | 0.39 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 270 | 4.1% | $50,387 | 0.70 |
| Real estate and rental | 232 | 3.5% | $53,517 | 1.17 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 171 | 2.6% | $40,522 | 0.31 |
| Finance and insurance | 151 | 2.3% | $52,589 | 0.29 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 118 | 1.8% | $57,359 | 1.14 |
| Utilities | 115 | 1.8% | $82,806 | 2.36 |
| Wholesale trade | 113 | 1.7% | $56,349 | 0.22 |
| Information | 111 | 1.7% | $56,217 | 0.46 |
| Educational services | 79 | 1.2% | $62,332 | 0.30 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 17 | 0.3% | $25,420 | 0.08 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 15 | 0.2% | $66,243 | 0.31 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 62.3% |
| Public transit | 0.0% |
| Walk | 10.9% |
| Work from home | 17.5% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 2.2% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $63,800 |
| Income per person | $27,179 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,202 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 22.6% |
| Median home value | n/a |
| Homeowners | 1.4% |
| Poverty rate | 14.0% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | n/a |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | n/a |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 3.00%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 23.0 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 96.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 34.0% |
| Born abroad | 6.5% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 25.0% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8.7 | 48 | 127 |
| Feb | 11.1 | 52 | 119 |
| Mar | 15.2 | 59 | 119 |
| Apr | 19.2 | 67 | 113 |
| May | 23.5 | 74 | 113 |
| Jun | 27.2 | 81 | 140 |
| Jul | 28.1 | 83 | 126 |
| Aug | 28.2 | 83 | 127 |
| Sep | 25.3 | 78 | 119 |
| Oct | 19.9 | 68 | 138 |
| Nov | 14.2 | 58 | 115 |
| Dec | 10.1 | 50 | 138 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeRidder | LA | 15 mi | 9,763 | $59,801 | $958 |
| Alexandria | LA | 47 mi | 44,060 | $47,113 | $931 |
| Natchitoches | LA | 48 mi | 17,577 | $37,133 | $802 |
| Moss Bluff | LA | 52 mi | 12,482 | $92,036 | $1,324 |
| Pineville | LA | 52 mi | 14,160 | $49,774 | $910 |
| Sulphur | LA | 58 mi | 20,775 | $61,760 | $994 |
| Lake Charles | LA | 59 mi | 81,143 | $59,235 | $1,109 |
| Eunice | LA | 61 mi | 9,239 | $35,436 | $799 |
| Prien | LA | 62 mi | 7,119 | $87,292 | $1,292 |
| Jennings | LA | 66 mi | 9,553 | $48,558 | $881 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
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7,869 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,202 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 22.6% of the median household income.
$63,800 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.3% (BLS county, Vernon Parish (latest month 2026M09)).
Louisiana. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.