The county economy from official statistics, with source and year on every table.
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By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Ouachita Parish is a county of Louisiana with 158,480 residents. Its economy produced $9,307 million in 2024 (ranked #10 of 64 counties) and had 69,384 jobs with an average annual pay of $50,059 (#33 for pay). The unemployment rate was 3.8% in 2026M09. It is part of the Monroe, LA metropolitan area (central county).
Ouachita Parish produced about $9,307 million of goods and services in 2024, which is 2.8% of the combined output of the 64 counties of Louisiana that BEA reports (about 3.4% of the state's population lives here), and ranks it 10th of 64 on that measure. Per resident that is $58,726, 18% below the state average; the average for all counties of the state taken together is $71,374. In current dollars output grew 4.6% from 2023 to 2024, before adjusting for inflation. The gap between its output rank (10th) and its output-per-resident rank (24th) shows that population is large relative to the value of what is produced here.
BLS counts 69,384 jobs located in Ouachita Parish on average in 2024, spread over 5,397 employer sites (about 13 jobs per site). That is 0.44 jobs for every resident, above the 0.31 of the typical county in Louisiana, which tells you whether the county is a place people mostly commute to for work or a place they commute from. The average annual pay per job was $50,059, 17% below the average of all counties in the state ($50,059 against $60,637). Average pay is total wages divided by jobs, so it is pulled up by high earners and counts part-time jobs as whole jobs; it is not the pay of a typical worker. The number of jobs rose 0.2% from 2023 to 2024.
The three largest private industries are health care and social assistance (24.6% of private jobs, $49,276 a year on average), retail trade (14.1% of private jobs, $32,857 a year on average), accommodation and food services (11.9% of private jobs, $19,839 a year on average). Together they hold 50.5% of private-sector jobs. Among industries with at least 3% of jobs, the best paying is manufacturing at $77,360 a year, followed by wholesale trade ($76,212). The county is specialised in an industry: health care and social assistance (1.5 times the US share, 14,546 jobs). A location quotient above 1 means an industry employs a larger share of workers here than in the whole country, so these are the industries where local employers compete hardest for skills. Several of the biggest employers pay well below the county average: retail trade ($32,857), accommodation and food services ($19,839). Jobs there are plentiful but the pay is lower than the headline average suggests.
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate in Ouachita Parish was 3.8%, about the same as the average of the state's counties (3.8% against 3.8%). The labour force (people working or looking for work) numbered 70,764. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 3.7% (2026M08) to 4.8% (2026M06); the latest month is preliminary and BLS revises it. These county rates are not seasonally adjusted, so compare the same month across years.
The median household income was $54,688 (ACS 2020–2024), 10% below the state median ($54,688 against $60,756). The guide covers 3 cities with this as the main county: Monroe, Claiborne, West Monroe. Open any of them for rent, home values, commuting and climate. Within the county, median rent runs from $826 in West Monroe to $1,206 in Claiborne, so where you live matters as much as which county you pick.
Counties close to Ouachita Parish in output are Saint Charles Parish, Ascension Parish, Bossier Parish, Rapides Parish. Compare their jobs, pay and unemployment on their own pages.
| Measure ⇅ | Value ⇅ | Rank among the 64 counties of Louisiana ⇅ |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 158,480 | 8 of 64 |
| GDP 2024 | $9,307 million | 10 of 64 |
| GDP per resident | $58,726 | 24 of 64 |
| Jobs (QCEW 2024) | 69,384 | 8 of 64 |
| Average annual pay | $50,059 | 33 of 64 |
| Job change vs 2023 | +0.2% | 41 of 64 |
| Unemployment rate (lower is better) | 3.8% | 21 of 64 |
| Median household income | $54,688 | 32 of 64 |
Federal jobs in Louisiana (780) →All cities of LouisianaState guide: Louisiana
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.
Cities of this guide whose main county is Ouachita Parish.
| City ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ | Median home value ⇅ | Bachelor's+ ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe | 47,004 | $40,505 | $886 | $198,900 | 32.4% |
| Claiborne | 13,308 | $72,420 | $1,206 | $219,200 | 35.5% |
| West Monroe | 12,729 | $49,386 | $826 | $192,400 | 22.0% |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 14,546 | 24.6% | $49,276 | 1.46 |
| Retail trade | 8,310 | 14.1% | $32,857 | 1.20 |
| Accommodation and food services | 7,018 | 11.9% | $19,839 | 1.11 |
| Administrative and waste services | 5,263 | 8.9% | $45,652 | 1.29 |
| Manufacturing | 4,618 | 7.8% | $77,360 | 0.81 |
| Construction | 3,932 | 6.6% | $59,295 | 1.08 |
| Professional and technical services | 2,694 | 4.6% | $68,181 | 0.56 |
| Finance and insurance | 2,627 | 4.4% | $73,847 | 0.93 |
| Wholesale trade | 1,959 | 3.3% | $76,212 | 0.72 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 1,941 | 3.3% | $50,394 | 0.93 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,656 | 2.8% | $53,234 | 0.56 |
| Information | 1,061 | 1.8% | $71,003 | 0.82 |
| Real estate and rental | 957 | 1.6% | $48,527 | 0.89 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 821 | 1.4% | $18,687 | 0.70 |
| Management of companies | 579 | 1.0% | $99,236 | 0.49 |
| Utilities | 490 | 0.8% | $86,896 | 1.86 |
| Educational services | 447 | 0.8% | $42,466 | 0.31 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 108 | 0.2% | $42,158 | 0.19 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 101 | 0.2% | $75,344 | 0.38 |
A location quotient above 1 means the industry is more concentrated here than in the US. BLS withholds sectors with too few employers.
| Measure ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Labour force | 70,764 |
| Employed residents | 68,091 |
| Unemployed residents | 2,673 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% |
| Jobs located in the county (QCEW) | 69,384 |
| Employer sites | 5,397 |
Residents employed and jobs located here differ: many residents commute to other counties.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP 2024 ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Unemployment ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Baton Rouge Parish | 452,938 | $47,132 million | $104,059 | 270,603 | $66,778 | 3.7% |
| Jefferson Parish | 430,920 | $31,830 million | $73,864 | 184,764 | $63,803 | 3.6% |
| Orleans Parish | 371,853 | $30,835 million | $82,924 | 188,050 | $67,626 | 4.2% |
| Saint Tammany Parish | 272,421 | $17,382 million | $63,807 | 96,674 | $59,351 | 3.6% |
| Lafayette Parish | 247,997 | $19,778 million | $79,752 | 137,173 | $58,120 | 3.3% |
| Caddo Parish | 230,004 | $17,943 million | $78,011 | 108,246 | $57,843 | 3.8% |
| Calcasieu Parish | 207,088 | $18,357 million | $88,646 | 88,649 | $61,711 | 3.9% |
| Ouachita Parish | 158,480 | $9,307 million | $58,726 | 69,384 | $50,059 | 3.8% |
| Livingston Parish | 148,115 | $4,247 million | $28,674 | 31,123 | $46,193 | 3.4% |
| Tangipahoa Parish | 136,738 | $6,435 million | $47,064 | 47,214 | $46,783 | 4.4% |
| Ascension Parish | 130,314 | $12,654 million | $97,107 | 50,590 | $71,805 | 3.3% |
| Bossier Parish | 129,789 | $7,656 million | $58,990 | 44,354 | $52,165 | 3.5% |
| Rapides Parish | 127,527 | $7,414 million | $58,140 | 56,422 | $51,777 | 3.6% |
| Terrebonne Parish | 106,186 | $7,139 million | $67,228 | 47,894 | $62,320 | 3.6% |
| Lafourche Parish | 96,252 | $6,287 million | $65,320 | 34,853 | $67,112 | 3.6% |
| Saint Landry Parish | 81,670 | $3,178 million | $38,908 | 23,554 | $47,117 | 4.6% |
| Iberia Parish | 68,599 | $3,822 million | $55,721 | 24,074 | $57,316 | 4.1% |
| Vermilion Parish | 57,123 | $1,950 million | $34,135 | 12,560 | $48,191 | 3.5% |
| Acadia Parish | 56,955 | $2,067 million | $36,296 | 14,380 | $45,093 | 3.7% |
| Saint Charles Parish | 51,396 | $12,725 million | $247,584 | 26,212 | $97,088 | 3.6% |
| Saint Martin Parish | 51,353 | $1,973 million | $38,413 | 12,308 | $53,750 | 3.6% |
| Lincoln Parish | 48,174 | $2,777 million | $57,637 | 18,599 | $46,245 | 4.2% |
| Saint Mary Parish | 47,828 | $3,528 million | $73,757 | 19,838 | $61,932 | 4.2% |
| Vernon Parish | 47,117 | $2,698 million | $57,270 | 12,826 | $48,821 | 4.3% |
| Washington Parish | 45,120 | $1,772 million | $39,269 | 11,134 | $46,079 | 4.3% |
| Saint Bernard Parish | 44,419 | $1,744 million | $39,262 | 11,254 | $61,869 | 4.1% |
| Saint John the Baptist Parish | 40,743 | $4,073 million | $99,980 | 13,187 | $72,947 | 4.7% |
| Avoyelles Parish | 38,905 | $1,177 million | $30,260 | 9,801 | $42,336 | 4.2% |
| Natchitoches Parish | 36,693 | $2,047 million | $55,774 | 14,311 | $46,001 | 5.1% |
| Beauregard Parish | 36,676 | $1,972 million | $53,758 | 9,062 | $50,147 | 3.8% |
| Webster Parish | 35,820 | $1,561 million | $43,593 | 11,054 | $49,290 | 4.5% |
| Evangeline Parish | 32,060 | $1,177 million | $36,700 | 7,827 | $43,671 | 4.1% |
| Jefferson Davis Parish | 31,924 | $1,046 million | $32,757 | 8,020 | $44,133 | 3.8% |
| Iberville Parish | 29,815 | $3,436 million | $115,253 | 16,461 | $87,754 | 4.1% |
| West Baton Rouge Parish | 27,974 | $2,340 million | $83,656 | 13,248 | $67,548 | 3.7% |
| De Soto Parish | 27,026 | $2,895 million | $107,118 | 8,423 | $66,608 | 4.0% |
| Morehouse Parish | 24,551 | $755 million | $30,743 | 6,213 | $44,568 | 5.2% |
| Plaquemines Parish | 22,803 | $4,007 million | $175,711 | 12,528 | $88,198 | 3.4% |
| Allen Parish | 22,477 | $1,080 million | $48,070 | 7,378 | $49,734 | 4.1% |
| Grant Parish | 22,095 | $576 million | $26,068 | 3,426 | $55,612 | 3.7% |
| Sabine Parish | 21,977 | $1,249 million | $56,833 | 5,336 | $45,249 | 4.2% |
| Union Parish | 20,821 | $752 million | $36,127 | 5,454 | $42,245 | 4.2% |
| Assumption Parish | 20,484 | $735 million | $35,862 | 3,944 | $57,400 | 3.6% |
| Pointe Coupee Parish | 20,217 | $1,079 million | $53,350 | 5,461 | $52,812 | 3.9% |
| Richland Parish | 19,822 | $857 million | $43,253 | 6,232 | $43,083 | 4.4% |
| Saint James Parish | 19,528 | $3,330 million | $170,527 | 7,650 | $78,993 | 4.3% |
| Franklin Parish | 19,408 | $619 million | $31,898 | 4,650 | $38,451 | 4.6% |
| East Feliciana Parish | 19,271 | $687 million | $35,629 | 5,105 | $57,732 | 3.8% |
| Concordia Parish | 18,174 | $715 million | $39,351 | 5,266 | $45,993 | 5.0% |
| West Feliciana Parish | 15,327 | $1,274 million | $83,149 | 4,914 | $71,626 | 2.8% |
| Jackson Parish | 14,884 | $604 million | $40,563 | 3,866 | $54,041 | 4.0% |
| La Salle Parish | 14,789 | $634 million | $42,850 | 4,680 | $48,856 | 3.3% |
| Claiborne Parish | 13,833 | $516 million | $37,274 | 2,992 | $47,473 | 5.3% |
| Winn Parish | 13,467 | $702 million | $52,140 | 4,417 | $48,856 | 4.2% |
| Bienville Parish | 12,638 | $825 million | $65,251 | 3,868 | $51,581 | 4.9% |
| Saint Helena Parish | 10,858 | $264 million | $24,335 | 1,643 | $50,007 | 5.5% |
| Madison Parish | 9,513 | $464 million | $48,774 | 3,163 | $38,648 | 5.3% |
| Caldwell Parish | 9,500 | $249 million | $26,244 | 2,242 | $41,701 | 4.4% |
| West Carroll Parish | 9,464 | $237 million | $25,017 | 1,997 | $42,812 | 5.2% |
| Catahoula Parish | 8,583 | $235 million | $27,407 | 2,264 | $38,908 | 4.5% |
| Red River Parish | 7,443 | $990 million | $133,035 | 2,502 | $48,864 | 4.3% |
| East Carroll Parish | 7,072 | $166 million | $23,441 | 1,427 | $41,831 | 9.1% |
| Cameron Parish | 5,015 | $1,057 million | $210,707 | 4,009 | $116,309 | 3.8% |
| Tensas Parish | 3,935 | $160 million | $40,667 | 815 | $44,513 | 5.9% |
158,480 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024).
$9,307 million in 2024 (BEA, current dollars).
3.8% in 2026M09 (BLS, not seasonally adjusted; the latest month may be revised).
69,384 jobs on average in 2024 with an average annual pay of $50,059 (BLS QCEW).