Ouachita Parish bears the name of the river on which Spanish explorers traveled north to establish the settlement of Fort Miro. The city would be later renamed Monroe after the first steamboat to travel upriver to open the city to more commerce. Today the City of Monroe and neighboring City of West Monroe continue to rely on the Ouachita River for commerce and recreation.
My Favorites
Add Page
Print
Share
You have 0 items saved in "My Favorites"
Use "My Favorites" to collect pages, downloads, properties, companies, and reports that you would like to keep in one place. To store a page, click on the "Add to My Favorites" button at the top of the page. To store a download, click on the plus button next to the download link. To store a property or company, click on the "Add to My Favorites" button listed next to each listing. Reports that are generated are automatically saved to My Favorites. My Favorites will be saved for seven days.
VIEW & EDIT MY FAVORITES

Ouachita Parish Represents the Economic Hub for Northeast Louisiana

Ranked # 4 nationally in economic development by Site Selection magazine, Ouachita Parish acts as a population center and economic hub for northeast Louisiana. Recently, Ouachita Parish has seen a flurry of locations and expansions. CenturyLink, the third largest telecommunications company in the U.S., expanded its national headquarters in Ouachita Parish.  The telecom giant will add another 800 new jobs, increasing the number of employees at its Louisiana headquarters to  nearly 1,200. 

JP Morgan Chase, Gardner Denver Thomas and other companies have all announced expansions in Monroe, the parish seat for Ouachita Parish- a testament to the competitive advantages businesses will find here. Ouachita offers a diverse and thriving economy with:

  • a multimodal transportation system of interstate, Class 1 rail, air, and port service

  • a civilian labor force of 72,158

  • five nearby universities, colleges and vocational schools

  • a population base of 153,720 residents,  earning average household income of $49,177

  • unemployment rate at 8.0%   

  • a stable and thriving housing market

  • numerous industrial parks and certified sites

Ouachtia Parish Communities
Ouachita Parish Demographics
Ouachita Parish Workplace Statistics
Ouachita Parish Transportation Infrastructure
Ouachita Parish Major Employers
Tax Structure: Cost of Business



Ouachita Parish Communities
 

• Monroe - Parish Seat  • Brownsville-Bawcomville
• Richwood • Claiborne
• Sterlington • Swartz
• West Monroe • Calhoun


Ouachita Parish Population Demographics

(2010 U.S. Census) 


Demographics

 

Population

153,720

Households

56,995

Median Age

34.4

Male Population

73,530 (47.8%)

Median Male Age

32.8 

Female Population

80,190 (52.2%)

Median Female Age

35.5 

5 Year Population Projection

153,278 to 177,467

Race

 

White

92,884 (60.4%)

African American

56,216 (36.6%)

American Indian or Alaska Native

381 (.2%)

Asian

1,455 (.9)

Other

2,733 (1.7)

      Hispanic Ethnicity

2,760 (1.8%)

Income

 

Median Household Income

$36,373

Average Household Income

$49,177

Per Capita Income

$18,858


Ouachita Parish Workplace Statistics
 

Workforce

 

Civilian Labor

72,158

Employed

66,586 

Unemployed

5,572 

Unemployment rate

7.7%

White Collar Jobs

59.9%

Service Jobs

19.1%

Blue Collar Jobs

21%

Educational Attainment
Diploma or Higher (Age 25+)

61.5%

High School Graduate

31.8%

Associate Degree

4.5%

Bachelor’s Degree

17.3%

Master’s or Doctorate

7.9%

Weekly Wages- 3Q 2010

 

Average Weekly Wage

$665


Ouachita Parish Transportation Infrastructure
 

Major Interstates  Interstate 20
Major Highways US 80, US 165, LA 2, LA 15, LA 34 
Ports
  • Red River Port - 111 miles
  • Port of Shreveport-Bossier - 113 miles
  • Port of Natchitoches - 89.6  miles
  • Greater Ouachita Port - 2.1 miles
Class 1 Railroads
  • Arkansas & Louisiana Mississippi Railroad (ALM)
  • Kansas City Railroad (KCS)
  • Union Pacific Railroad (UP)
  Airports
  • Monroe Regional Airport - 5.9 miles 


Ouachita Major Parish Employers


Private Employers

Employees
St. Francis Medical Center 

2,262
J. P. Morgan Chase - Monroe

2,100
CenturyLink - Monroe

1,360
Graphic Packaging Intl-West Monroe

1,167 
Glenwood Regional Medical Center 

950 
Accent Marketing

499 
Entergy Louisiana, LLC

470 
Bancroft Bag, Inc.

460 
Southeast Foods Inc

212 
James Machine Works Inc.

207

Public Employers

 
Ouachita Parish School Board

3,025
Monroe City School District

1,387
University of Louisiana at Monroe

1,206
City of Monroe

1,150 


Tax Structure: Cost of Doing Business
 

State Corporate Income Tax

  • 4% on the first $25,000 of net income
  • 5% on the next $25,000
  • 6% on the next $50,000
  • 7% on the next $100,000
  • 8% on the excess of $200,000
  • Louisiana uses single sales factor

State Corporate Franchise Tax

  • $1.50 per $1,000 or major fraction thereof up to $300,000
  • $3.00 per $1,000 or major fraction thereof in excess of $300,000
  • Tax rates for individuals filing single, married, filing separately, or head of household 

Unemployment Insurance Tax

  • Standard rate range is .10% - 6.2%
  • Rate for new employers is the average rate for the particular industry
  • Maximum unemployment weekly benefit is $258 for 26 weeks

Parish Property
 

 75.09 - 133.79 Mills*

Total Sales Taxes in Ouachita Parish**

 East Ouachita Parish - 8.6%

 West Ouachita Parish - 9.6%

Total Sales Taxes in City of Monroe

 9.99%

Total Sales Taxes in Town of Richwood

 9.50%

Total Sales Taxes in Town of Sterlington

 9.50%

Total Sales Taxes in City of West Monroe

 9.50%

* To calculate property tax, multiply the assessed value of the property by the appropriate millage rate. The assessed value is the fair market value of the property times 10% for real property or 15% for personal property.

** Sales taxes include a 4% state tax along with a local portion