Ouachita County Demographics

A map of Ouachita County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	87,714	87,426	55.3%	54.5%
Black	58,950	58,804	37.2%	36.7%
Hispanic	5,878	5,658	3.7%	3.5%
Multiracial	3,701	5,353	2.3%	3.3%
Asian	1,775	2,276	1.1%	1.4%
Native American/Other	462	851	0.3%	0.5%

Ouachita County, Louisiana has an estimated population of 158,480, a slight decrease from the 160,368 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 55.3% White, 37.2% Black, 3.7% Hispanic, 2.3% Multiracial, 1.1% Asian, and 0.3% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Ouachita County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Ouachita has become less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is 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 Ouachita County, that probability was 56.6% in 2020 and 55.3% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Ouachita County is ranked the 8th most populous county in Louisiana, out of 64 counties. Ouachita County was ranked the 8th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Ouachita County's White Population

87,714 residents of Ouachita County, or 55.3% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Ouachita County is comparable to the share in Louisiana overall, where 55.7% of the population is White. Ouachita County ranks 42nd statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 64 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Ouachita County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Ouachita County's population has increased from 54.5% to 55.3%.

Ouachita County is more White than neighboring Morehouse County (47.2% White). Ouachita County is less White than neighboring Caldwell County (75.3% White), Richland County (60.2% White), Union County (69% White), and Jackson County (65.7% White).

Ouachita County's Black Population

58,950 residents of Ouachita County, or 37.2% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Ouachita County is higher than in Louisiana overall, where 30.5% of the population is Black. Ouachita County ranks 20th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 64 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Ouachita County's Black population has remained roughly the same. Black residents' share of Ouachita County's population has increased from 36.7% to 37.2%.

Ouachita County is more Black than neighboring Caldwell County (19.3% Black), Richland County (35.7% Black), Union County (23.5% Black), and Jackson County (23.6% Black). Ouachita County is less Black than neighboring Morehouse County (48.3% Black).

Ouachita County's Asian Population

1,775 residents of Ouachita County, or 1.1% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Ouachita County is comparable to the share in Louisiana overall, where 1.7% of the population is Asian. Ouachita County ranks 14th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 64 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Ouachita County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 22.0%. Asian residents' share of Ouachita County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.1%.

Ouachita County is more Asian than neighboring Caldwell County (0% Asian), Richland County (0.1% Asian), Union County (0.2% Asian), Jackson County (0.4% Asian), and Morehouse County (0.2% Asian).

Ouachita County's Hispanic Population

5,878 residents of Ouachita County, or 3.7% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Ouachita County is slightly lower than in Louisiana overall, where 7.2% of the population is Hispanic. Ouachita County ranks 36th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 64 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Ouachita County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 3.9%. Hispanic residents' share of Ouachita County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.7%.

Ouachita County is more Hispanic than neighboring Caldwell County (1.2% Hispanic), Richland County (2.3% Hispanic), Jackson County (3.5% Hispanic), and Morehouse County (1.7% Hispanic). Ouachita County is less Hispanic than neighboring Union County (5.8% Hispanic).

Ouachita County's Native American/Other Population

462 residents of Ouachita County, or 0.3% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Ouachita County is comparable to the share in Louisiana overall, where 1% of the population is Native American/Other. Ouachita County ranks 43rd statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 64 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Ouachita County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 45.7%. Native American/Other residents' share of Ouachita County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.3%.

Ouachita County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Caldwell County (0.2% Native American/Other), Richland County (0.1% Native American/Other), and Union County (0.1% Native American/Other). Ouachita County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Jackson County (1.5% Native American/Other), and Morehouse County (0.6% Native American/Other).

Ouachita County's Multiracial Population

3,701 residents of Ouachita County, or 2.3% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Ouachita County is comparable to the share in Louisiana overall, where 3.8% of the population is Multiracial. Ouachita County ranks 23rd statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 64 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Ouachita County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 30.9%. Multiracial residents' share of Ouachita County's population has decreased from 3.3% to 2.3%.

Ouachita County is more Multiracial than neighboring Richland County (1.6% Multiracial), Union County (1.4% Multiracial), and Morehouse County (2% Multiracial). Ouachita County is less Multiracial than neighboring Caldwell County (4% Multiracial), and Jackson County (5.3% 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.