City safety & data profile

OpelousasLA

Opelousas, LA is a 17K-resident city in St. Landry Parish with a median household income of $32,964.

St. Landry Parish, Louisiana. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Opelousas, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Opelousas has a population larger than 34% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $105,100, and 2 hospitals serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

17K
Population
Top 66%
By size
$32,964
Median income
$105,100
Median home
37.4%
Poverty rate

The read on Opelousas

Opelousas posts a median household income higher than 0% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 2 hospitals serve the Opelousas area.

Top 100%
by median income, US cities
2
hospitals in & near Opelousas

Where Opelousas income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$32,964 Bottom 1% higher than 0% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). This entry sits in this band. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. LA $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. 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, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Opelousas, LA beyond the headline numbers

Opelousas sits inside St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, at roughly 30.53°N, -92.08°W. Population 16,591, $32,964 median household income. Median home value $105,100, median rent $717. Poverty rate 37.4%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Opelousas's highest-prevalence health measure is high blood pressure at 53.2%, then obesity at 45.9%. 2 hospitals in/around Opelousas, 2/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Opelousas from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
16,591
Opelousas
Median Income
$32,964
-52% vs avg
Median Home Value
$105,100
-54% vs avg
Median Age
37.1
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (St. Landry Parish) - Opelousas's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
82K-2%
Median Income
$44,462+25%
Median Home Value
$142,500+70%
Poverty Rate
26.8%+0%
Unemployment
6.3%-6%

Economics

Economics indicators for Opelousas, LA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$717/mo
Poverty Rate
37.4% +163% vs avg
Unemployment 11.9%
Bachelor's Degree+ 10.7%
Work From Home 5%
Public Transit 0.5%

Population

White 16.6%
African American 78%
Two or More Ethnicities 2.5%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

High Blood Pressure
53.2%
Obesity
45.9%
Short Sleep Duration
45.6%
Physical Inactivity
42.8%
Current Smoking
25%
Diabetes
22.8%
Frequent Mental Distress
22.7%
Frequent Physical Distress
20.3%
Binge Drinking
13.1%
Lack of Health Insurance
13%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 43.1%
Annual Checkup 84.4%

Other Measures

Current Asthma
12.3%
Coronary Heart Disease
9.8%
Stroke
7.1%

Hospitals 2 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
0
★★
1
★
0
Average Rating
2/5
Total Hospitals
2
With ER
1
OPELOUSAS GENERAL HEALTH SYSTEM
OPELOUSAS · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★☆☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Opelousas, LA? ▼
Opelousas, LA has a population of 16,591 people, located in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana.
What is the median household income in Opelousas? ▼
The median household income in Opelousas, LA is $32,964 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 37.4%.
What is the median home value in Opelousas? ▼
The median home value in Opelousas, LA is $105,100. Median rent is $717/month.
What are the top health concerns in Opelousas? ▼
The top health indicators in Opelousas include High Blood Pressure (53.2%), Obesity (45.9%), Short Sleep Duration (45.6%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Opelousas? ▼
Opelousas has 2 hospitals with an average rating of 2/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Opelousas? ▼
The median age in Opelousas, LA is 37.1 years. 10.7% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Opelousas, LA is located in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana. With a population of 17K and a $32,964 median household income, the community faces health challenges including high blood pressure and obesity. Residents have access to 2 hospitals with an average rating of 2/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Opelousas area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Louisiana

Real-time AQI for every monitored Louisiana location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Lafayette, LA 121K Eunice, LA 10K Broussard, LA 11K Crowley, LA 13K Youngsville, LA 12K Abbeville, LA 12K New Iberia, LA 31K Jennings, LA 10K
All cities in Louisiana → Compare Opelousas vs Lafayette → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Opelousas's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Opelousas area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Opelousas against Louisiana peers on any ranking lens. Explore Louisiana

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (St. Landry Parish) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.