Hester, Louisiana Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 654, Hester's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Hester is a small community located in Louisiana, within St. James Parish. The total population is 654. It ranks as the 320th most populous out of 488 Census-designated places in Louisiana.

Age Demographics

The median age in Hester is 37.3 years. This is 2% lower than the state median of 38.0 years. With 36.1% of the population under 18, Hester has a notably young demographic profile, suggesting a family-oriented community.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Hester is $138,879. This is 129% higher than the state median of $60,756. It is also 72% higher than the national median of $80,734. The ACS records no residents below the poverty line in Hester. In a community this small the estimate rests on very few survey responses, so it should be read as an absence of measurement rather than a measured absence of poverty. The survey records no unemployed residents in Hester, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $194,000. Housing costs are 10% lower than the state median of $216,500. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 1.4x, Hester is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 92.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 38% higher than the state average of 67.4%.

Race & Ethnicity

Every resident counted in Hester was recorded as White (non-Hispanic). A figure of exactly 100.0% reflects a survey sample too small to capture the community's full composition rather than a precise measurement.

Education

13.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 51% lower than the state rate of 27.0%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. No surveyed resident aged 25 or older reported leaving school before earning a high school diploma, though a rate of exactly 100% reflects the limits of a small sample.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Hester, Louisiana is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Louisiana state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 488 Census-designated places in Louisiana. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.