De Soto County Demographics

A map of De Soto County's Population by Race

De Soto County, Louisiana has an estimated population of 27,026, a less than 1% change from the 26,812 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 58.8% White, 34.4% Black, 3.2% Hispanic, 2.7% Multiracial, 0.6% Native American/Other, and 0.3% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of De Soto County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

De Soto has become less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Louisiana overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In De Soto County, that probability was 55.2% in 2020 and 53.4% in the most recent ACS estimates.

De Soto County is ranked the 36th most populous county in Louisiana, out of 64 counties. De Soto County was ranked the 36th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

De Soto County's White Population

15,889 residents of De Soto County, or 58.8% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in De Soto County is slightly higher than in Louisiana overall, where 55.7% of the population is White. De Soto County ranks 40th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 64 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, De Soto County's White population has grown by an estimated 5.1%. White residents' share of De Soto County's population has increased from 56.4% to 58.8%.

De Soto County is more White than neighboring Red River County (55.5% White), and Caddo County (42.1% White). De Soto County is less White than neighboring Shelby County (59.7% White), Sabine County (66.4% White), and Panola County (71.1% White).

De Soto County's Black Population

9,308 residents of De Soto County, or 34.4% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in De Soto County is slightly higher than in Louisiana overall, where 30.5% of the population is Black. De Soto County ranks 23rd statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 64 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, De Soto County's Black population has declined by an estimated 2.9%. Black residents' share of De Soto County's population has decreased from 35.8% to 34.4%.

De Soto County is more Black than neighboring Shelby County (15.1% Black), Sabine County (14.6% Black), and Panola County (11.2% Black). De Soto County is less Black than neighboring Red River County (40.3% Black), and Caddo County (48.7% Black).

De Soto County's Asian Population

94 residents of De Soto County, or 0.3% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in De Soto County is comparable to the share in Louisiana overall, where 1.7% of the population is Asian. De Soto County ranks 40th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 64 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, De Soto County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 5.1%. Asian residents' share of De Soto County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.3%.

De Soto County is more Asian than neighboring Red River County (0% Asian), and Shelby County (0% Asian). De Soto County is less Asian than neighboring Sabine County (0.4% Asian), Caddo County (1.2% Asian), and Panola County (0.5% Asian).

De Soto County's Hispanic Population

863 residents of De Soto County, or 3.2% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in De Soto County is slightly lower than in Louisiana overall, where 7.2% of the population is Hispanic. De Soto County ranks 48th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 64 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, De Soto County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 13.3%. Hispanic residents' share of De Soto County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.2%.

De Soto County is more Hispanic than neighboring Red River County (1.9% Hispanic). De Soto County is less Hispanic than neighboring Shelby County (19.9% Hispanic), Sabine County (3.5% Hispanic), Caddo County (3.8% Hispanic), and Panola County (10.4% Hispanic).

De Soto County's Native American/Other Population

150 residents of De Soto County, or 0.6% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in De Soto County is comparable to the share in Louisiana overall, where 1% of the population is Native American/Other. De Soto County ranks 9th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 64 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, De Soto County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 52.2%. Native American/Other residents' share of De Soto County's population has decreased from 1.2% to 0.6%.

De Soto County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Red River County (0% Native American/Other), and Panola County (0.5% Native American/Other). De Soto County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Shelby County (1.5% Native American/Other), and Sabine County (7.6% Native American/Other).

De Soto County's Multiracial Population

722 residents of De Soto County, or 2.7% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in De Soto County is comparable to the share in Louisiana overall, where 3.8% of the population is Multiracial. De Soto County ranks 20th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 64 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, De Soto County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 22.3%. Multiracial residents' share of De Soto County's population has decreased from 3.5% to 2.7%.

De Soto County is more Multiracial than neighboring Red River County (2.4% Multiracial). De Soto County is less Multiracial than neighboring Shelby County (3.7% Multiracial), Sabine County (7.4% Multiracial), Caddo County (3.6% Multiracial), and Panola County (6.3% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.