City safety & data profile

RustonLA

Ruston, LA is a 22K-resident city in Lincoln Parish with a median household income of $31,120.

Lincoln Parish, Louisiana. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Ruston, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Ruston has a population larger than 50% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $225,300, and 2 hospitals serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

22K
Population
Top 50%
By size
$31,120
Median income
$225,300
Median home
39.8%
Poverty rate

The read on Ruston

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

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

Where Ruston income ranks nationally

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

$31,120 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 Ruston, LA beyond the headline numbers

Ruston sits inside Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, at roughly 32.52°N, -92.64°W. Population 22,340, $31,120 median household income. Median home value $225,300, median rent $816. Poverty rate 39.8%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Ruston's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 42.2%, then obesity at 42.2%. 2 hospitals in/around Ruston, 2/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

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

Population
22,340
Ruston
Median Income
$31,120
-54% vs avg
Median Home Value
$225,300
Near average
Median Age
24.3
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Lincoln Parish) - Ruston'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
48K+3%
Median Income
$39,172+10%
Median Home Value
$210,100+80%
Poverty Rate
31.2%+3%
Unemployment
3.8%-69%

Economics

Economics indicators for Ruston, LA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$816/mo
Poverty Rate
39.8% +180% vs avg
Unemployment 3.4%
Bachelor's Degree+ 40.2%
Work From Home 14.9%
Public Transit 0%

Population

White 47.7%
African American 43.2%
Asian 2%
Two or More Ethnicities 5.2%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
42.2%
Obesity
42.2%
High Blood Pressure
36.3%
Physical Inactivity
31.3%
Frequent Mental Distress
23.4%
Binge Drinking
17.7%
Current Smoking
16.2%
Frequent Physical Distress
14.8%
Diabetes
12.8%
Current Asthma
11.1%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 53.6%
Annual Checkup 78.9%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
8.9%
Coronary Heart Disease
6.1%
Stroke
3.9%

Hospitals 2 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
0
★★
1
★
0
Average Rating
2/5
Total Hospitals
2
With ER
1
NORTHERN LOUISIANA MEDICAL CENTER
RUSTON · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★☆☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Ruston, LA? ▼
Ruston, LA has a population of 22,340 people, located in Lincoln Parish, Louisiana.
What is the median household income in Ruston? ▼
The median household income in Ruston, LA is $31,120 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 39.8%.
What is the median home value in Ruston? ▼
The median home value in Ruston, LA is $225,300. Median rent is $816/month.
What are the top health concerns in Ruston? ▼
The top health indicators in Ruston include Short Sleep Duration (42.2%), Obesity (42.2%), High Blood Pressure (36.3%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Ruston? ▼
Ruston has 2 hospitals with an average rating of 2/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Ruston? ▼
The median age in Ruston, LA is 24.3 years. 40.2% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Ruston, LA is located in Lincoln Parish, Louisiana. With a population of 22K and a $31,120 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and obesity. Residents have access to 2 hospitals with an average rating of 2/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Ruston 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

Claiborne, LA 12K West Monroe, LA 13K Monroe, LA 50K Minden, LA 13K El Dorado, AR 18K Bastrop, LA 11K Natchitoches, LA 18K Magnolia, AR 12K
All cities in Louisiana → Compare Ruston vs Claiborne → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Ruston'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 Ruston 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 Ruston 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 (Lincoln 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.