Rapides County Demographics

A map of Rapides County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	75,793	76,323	59.4%	58.7%
Black	39,187	40,261	30.7%	31.0%
Hispanic	5,386	5,090	4.2%	3.9%
Multiracial	4,725	5,151	3.7%	4.0%
Asian	1,432	1,805	1.1%	1.4%
Native American/Other	1,004	1,393	0.8%	1.1%

Rapides County, Louisiana has an estimated population of 127,527, a slight decrease from the 130,023 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 59.4% White, 30.7% Black, 4.2% Hispanic, 3.7% Multiracial, 1.1% Asian, and 0.8% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Rapides County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Rapides has become slightly 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 Rapides County, that probability was 55.6% in 2020 and 54.9% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Rapides County is ranked the 13th most populous county in Louisiana, out of 64 counties. Rapides County was ranked the 11th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Rapides County's White Population

75,793 residents of Rapides County, or 59.4% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Rapides County is slightly higher than in Louisiana overall, where 55.7% of the population is White. Rapides County ranks 36th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 64 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Rapides County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Rapides County's population has increased from 58.7% to 59.4%.

Rapides County is less White than neighboring Grant County (73.9% White), Evangeline County (64.5% White), Avoyelles County (62.7% White), LaSalle County (75.3% White), and Allen County (64.2% White).

Rapides County's Black Population

39,187 residents of Rapides County, or 30.7% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Rapides County is comparable to the share in Louisiana overall, where 30.5% of the population is Black. Rapides County ranks 28th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 64 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Rapides County's Black population has declined by an estimated 2.7%. Black residents' share of Rapides County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 30.7%.

Rapides County is more Black than neighboring Grant County (15% Black), Evangeline County (25.5% Black), Avoyelles County (27.4% Black), LaSalle County (11.5% Black), and Allen County (20.7% Black).

Rapides County's Asian Population

1,432 residents of Rapides County, or 1.1% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Rapides County is comparable to the share in Louisiana overall, where 1.7% of the population is Asian. Rapides County ranks 16th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 64 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Rapides County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 20.7%. Asian residents' share of Rapides County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.1%.

Rapides County is more Asian than neighboring Grant County (0.8% Asian), Evangeline County (0.4% Asian), Avoyelles County (0.7% Asian), LaSalle County (1% Asian), and Allen County (0.7% Asian).

Rapides County's Hispanic Population

5,386 residents of Rapides County, or 4.2% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Rapides County is slightly lower than in Louisiana overall, where 7.2% of the population is Hispanic. Rapides County ranks 33rd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 64 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Rapides County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 5.8%. Hispanic residents' share of Rapides County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 4.2%.

Rapides County is more Hispanic than neighboring Avoyelles County (4% Hispanic). Rapides County is less Hispanic than neighboring Grant County (6.3% Hispanic), Evangeline County (4.9% Hispanic), LaSalle County (9.1% Hispanic), and Allen County (6% Hispanic).

Rapides County's Native American/Other Population

1,004 residents of Rapides County, or 0.8% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Rapides County is comparable to the share in Louisiana overall, where 1% of the population is Native American/Other. Rapides County ranks 14th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 64 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Rapides County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 27.9%. Native American/Other residents' share of Rapides County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.8%.

Rapides County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Avoyelles County (0.6% Native American/Other), and LaSalle County (0.5% Native American/Other). Rapides County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Grant County (1.1% Native American/Other), Evangeline County (1.2% Native American/Other), and Allen County (1.3% Native American/Other).

Rapides County's Multiracial Population

4,725 residents of Rapides County, or 3.7% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Rapides County is comparable to the share in Louisiana overall, where 3.8% of the population is Multiracial. Rapides County ranks 11th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 64 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Rapides County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 8.3%. Multiracial residents' share of Rapides County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.7%.

Rapides County is more Multiracial than neighboring Grant County (2.9% Multiracial), Evangeline County (3.5% Multiracial), and LaSalle County (2.6% Multiracial). Rapides County is less Multiracial than neighboring Avoyelles County (4.6% Multiracial), and Allen County (7% 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.