St. Helena Parish, Louisiana Demographics 2026

Population Overview

St. Helena Parish is located in Louisiana with a total population of 10,858. It is the 56th most populous county out of 64 in Louisiana. The county encompasses 2 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in St. Helena Parish is 43.0 years. This is 13% higher than the state median of 38.0 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in St. Helena Parish is $41,934. This is 31% lower than the state median of $60,756. It is also 48% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 32.4%. This is 71% higher than the state poverty rate of 18.9%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 17.6%. This is 180% higher than the state rate of 6.3%. The median home value is $77,300. Housing costs are 64% lower than the state median of $216,500. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 1.8x, St. Helena Parish is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 79.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 17% higher than the state average of 67.4%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in St. Helena Parish is Black or African American, making up 50.7% of the population. White (non-Hispanic) residents account for 44.6%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (50.7% vs 30.5%). The Hispanic or Latino population (0.9%) is well below the state average of 7.2%. The Asian population (0.4%) is well below the state average of 1.7%.

Education

11.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is among the lowest rates in the state, which may correlate with employment and income patterns. This is 58% lower than the state rate of 27.0%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 82.3%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for St. Helena Parish come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Louisiana and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.