East Carroll Parish is the most financially distressed of Louisiana's 64 parishes

That's on the County Distress Index, published by American Default Research, which scores every U.S. county 0–100 across five domains. A county's score is the share of U.S. counties it is more distressed than; the average Louisiana parish scores 83.3.

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By Ross Kilburn · Founder, American Default Research
Scores as of Aug 2026 · How the county score works
Data from

    Louisiana parishes by financial distress

    County Distress Index score for Louisiana's 64 parishes, from green (least distressed, 0–29) to red (most distressed, 80–100). Data from 2024 to Aug 2026.

    East Carroll Parish → 1st of 64 · score 99

    East Carroll 99
    0–2930–4950–6970–7980–100
    Least distressedMost distressed
    Source: American Default Research, County Distress Index · American Default
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    52of 64

    parishes score high or very high

    44 very high, 8 high

    Where financial distress is highest and lowest

    East Carroll Parish leads the distress ranking

    East Carroll Parish is 1st of 64 among Louisiana's parishes, with a score of 99. Concordia Parish is 2nd, at 99.

    Ascension Parish is at the other end

    Ascension Parish is 64th of 64 on this distress measure, with a score of 34. A lower index score means fewer signs of financial strain across the measures used here. It does not mean every household in the parish is doing well.

    Poverty and distress in Louisiana

    Each dot below is one parish, placed by its poverty rate and its County Distress Index score.

    East Carroll has Louisiana's highest poverty rate and the highest County Distress Index score

    Poverty share from the U.S. Census Bureau, 2024; County Distress Index score, 0 to 100.

    0 25 50 75 100 8% 12% 16% 20% 24% 28% 32% 36% 40% 44% East Carroll Parish: poverty 44.4%, score 99Concordia Parish: poverty 27.7%, score 99Madison Parish: poverty 33.3%, score 99Morehouse Parish: poverty 28.5%, score 98St. John the Baptist Parish: poverty 19.0%, score 98Claiborne Parish: poverty 26.6%, score 98Webster Parish: poverty 20.7%, score 98Caddo Parish: poverty 22.1%, score 98Natchitoches Parish: poverty 26.9%, score 97Tensas Parish: poverty 27.4%, score 97St. Bernard Parish: poverty 18.0%, score 97Avoyelles Parish: poverty 25.0%, score 97Catahoula Parish: poverty 22.6%, score 96Orleans Parish: poverty 21.3%, score 96Richland Parish: poverty 26.4%, score 96St. Landry Parish: poverty 24.5%, score 96Bienville Parish: poverty 25.8%, score 95Caldwell Parish: poverty 21.8%, score 95St. Helena Parish: poverty 20.8%, score 95St. Mary Parish: poverty 21.8%, score 94Red River Parish: poverty 22.9%, score 94Allen Parish: poverty 23.6%, score 94Washington Parish: poverty 25.6%, score 94Tangipahoa Parish: poverty 19.4%, score 93Iberia Parish: poverty 22.6%, score 93Franklin Parish: poverty 25.8%, score 92Winn Parish: poverty 23.7%, score 92Evangeline Parish: poverty 25.9%, score 92Ouachita Parish: poverty 19.6%, score 90Rapides Parish: poverty 18.8%, score 90De Soto Parish: poverty 17.0%, score 87Jefferson Parish: poverty 17.1%, score 87Lincoln Parish: poverty 25.5%, score 87Union Parish: poverty 20.3%, score 86Sabine Parish: poverty 21.0%, score 86Calcasieu Parish: poverty 15.5%, score 86Acadia Parish: poverty 20.9%, score 85East Baton Rouge Parish: poverty 22.2%, score 85Jackson Parish: poverty 17.8%, score 84Pointe Coupee Parish: poverty 17.2%, score 84Assumption Parish: poverty 20.1%, score 82Vernon Parish: poverty 15.7%, score 82West Carroll Parish: poverty 19.1%, score 81Iberville Parish: poverty 21.5%, score 80Terrebonne Parish: poverty 18.0%, score 79Grant Parish: poverty 21.1%, score 79St. James Parish: poverty 15.7%, score 77St. Martin Parish: poverty 16.7%, score 77Vermilion Parish: poverty 22.4%, score 73Bossier Parish: poverty 16.5%, score 73Jefferson Davis Parish: poverty 17.8%, score 71Beauregard Parish: poverty 15.1%, score 70East Feliciana Parish: poverty 18.4%, score 64Lafayette Parish: poverty 16.5%, score 64Lafourche Parish: poverty 14.8%, score 62St. Charles Parish: poverty 12.3%, score 61West Baton Rouge Parish: poverty 12.1%, score 60Plaquemines Parish: poverty 15.0%, score 58Livingston Parish: poverty 12.2%, score 58West Feliciana Parish: poverty 23.3%, score 52LaSalle Parish: poverty 18.0%, score 52St. Tammany Parish: poverty 10.2%, score 50Cameron Parish: poverty 12.9%, score 38Ascension Parish: poverty 9.5%, score 34 AscensionEast Carroll Distress score Poverty rate, 2024 0 25 50 75 100 10% 20% 30% 40% East Carroll Parish: poverty 44.4%, score 99Concordia Parish: poverty 27.7%, score 99Madison Parish: poverty 33.3%, score 99Morehouse Parish: poverty 28.5%, score 98St. John the Baptist Parish: poverty 19.0%, score 98Claiborne Parish: poverty 26.6%, score 98Webster Parish: poverty 20.7%, score 98Caddo Parish: poverty 22.1%, score 98Natchitoches Parish: poverty 26.9%, score 97Tensas Parish: poverty 27.4%, score 97St. Bernard Parish: poverty 18.0%, score 97Avoyelles Parish: poverty 25.0%, score 97Catahoula Parish: poverty 22.6%, score 96Orleans Parish: poverty 21.3%, score 96Richland Parish: poverty 26.4%, score 96St. Landry Parish: poverty 24.5%, score 96Bienville Parish: poverty 25.8%, score 95Caldwell Parish: poverty 21.8%, score 95St. Helena Parish: poverty 20.8%, score 95St. Mary Parish: poverty 21.8%, score 94Red River Parish: poverty 22.9%, score 94Allen Parish: poverty 23.6%, score 94Washington Parish: poverty 25.6%, score 94Tangipahoa Parish: poverty 19.4%, score 93Iberia Parish: poverty 22.6%, score 93Franklin Parish: poverty 25.8%, score 92Winn Parish: poverty 23.7%, score 92Evangeline Parish: poverty 25.9%, score 92Ouachita Parish: poverty 19.6%, score 90Rapides Parish: poverty 18.8%, score 90De Soto Parish: poverty 17.0%, score 87Jefferson Parish: poverty 17.1%, score 87Lincoln Parish: poverty 25.5%, score 87Union Parish: poverty 20.3%, score 86Sabine Parish: poverty 21.0%, score 86Calcasieu Parish: poverty 15.5%, score 86Acadia Parish: poverty 20.9%, score 85East Baton Rouge Parish: poverty 22.2%, score 85Jackson Parish: poverty 17.8%, score 84Pointe Coupee Parish: poverty 17.2%, score 84Assumption Parish: poverty 20.1%, score 82Vernon Parish: poverty 15.7%, score 82West Carroll Parish: poverty 19.1%, score 81Iberville Parish: poverty 21.5%, score 80Terrebonne Parish: poverty 18.0%, score 79Grant Parish: poverty 21.1%, score 79St. James Parish: poverty 15.7%, score 77St. Martin Parish: poverty 16.7%, score 77Vermilion Parish: poverty 22.4%, score 73Bossier Parish: poverty 16.5%, score 73Jefferson Davis Parish: poverty 17.8%, score 71Beauregard Parish: poverty 15.1%, score 70East Feliciana Parish: poverty 18.4%, score 64Lafayette Parish: poverty 16.5%, score 64Lafourche Parish: poverty 14.8%, score 62St. Charles Parish: poverty 12.3%, score 61West Baton Rouge Parish: poverty 12.1%, score 60Plaquemines Parish: poverty 15.0%, score 58Livingston Parish: poverty 12.2%, score 58West Feliciana Parish: poverty 23.3%, score 52LaSalle Parish: poverty 18.0%, score 52St. Tammany Parish: poverty 10.2%, score 50Cameron Parish: poverty 12.9%, score 38Ascension Parish: poverty 9.5%, score 34 AscensionEast Carroll Distress score Poverty rate, 2024
    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024; American Default Research, County Distress Index, Aug 2026. · American Default
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    East Carroll Parish has the highest poverty rate

    East Carroll Parish has Louisiana's highest poverty rate, 44.4%. It is also 1st of 64 on the County Distress Index.

    Ascension Parish has the lowest poverty rate

    Its rate is 9.5%, and it is 64th of 64 on the County Distress Index. It is also the least distressed parish.

    Find and compare every Louisiana parish

    Sort by any column. Each name opens that parish’s page.
    1 East Carroll Parish 99 44.4 rent burden
    2 Concordia Parish 99 27.7 late payments
    3 Madison Parish 99 33.3 jobs
    4 Morehouse Parish 98 28.5 collections and bankruptcies
    5 St. John the Baptist Parish 98 19.0 late payments
    6 Claiborne Parish 98 26.6 late payments
    7 Webster Parish 98 20.7 late payments
    8 Caddo Parish 98 22.1 collections and bankruptcies
    9 Natchitoches Parish 97 26.9 late payments
    10 Tensas Parish 97 27.4 jobs
    11 St. Bernard Parish 97 18.0 rent burden
    12 Avoyelles Parish 97 25.0 collections and bankruptcies
    13 Catahoula Parish 96 22.6 late payments
    14 Orleans Parish 96 21.3 rent burden
    15 Richland Parish 96 26.4 collections and bankruptcies
    16 St. Landry Parish 96 24.5 late payments
    17 Bienville Parish 95 25.8 collections and bankruptcies
    18 Caldwell Parish 95 21.8 collections and bankruptcies
    19 St. Helena Parish 95 20.8 late payments
    20 St. Mary Parish 94 21.8 late payments
    21 Red River Parish 94 22.9 late payments
    22 Allen Parish 94 23.6 collections and bankruptcies
    23 Washington Parish 94 25.6 late payments
    24 Tangipahoa Parish 93 19.4 late payments
    25 Iberia Parish 93 22.6 collections and bankruptcies
    26 Franklin Parish 92 25.8 jobs
    27 Winn Parish 92 23.7 jobs
    28 Evangeline Parish 92 25.9 poverty
    29 Ouachita Parish 90 19.6 collections and bankruptcies
    30 Rapides Parish 90 18.8 collections and bankruptcies
    31 De Soto Parish 87 17.0 collections and bankruptcies
    32 Jefferson Parish 87 17.1 rent burden
    33 Lincoln Parish 87 25.5 collections and bankruptcies
    34 Union Parish 86 20.3 jobs
    35 Sabine Parish 86 21.0 jobs
    36 Calcasieu Parish 86 15.5 collections and bankruptcies
    37 Acadia Parish 85 20.9 late payments
    38 East Baton Rouge Parish 85 22.2 late payments
    39 Jackson Parish 84 17.8 jobs
    40 Pointe Coupee Parish 84 17.2 late payments
    41 Assumption Parish 82 20.1 late payments
    42 Vernon Parish 82 15.7 jobs
    43 West Carroll Parish 81 19.1 jobs
    44 Iberville Parish 80 21.5 late payments
    45 Terrebonne Parish 79 18.0 late payments
    46 Grant Parish 79 21.1 collections and bankruptcies
    47 St. James Parish 77 15.7 collections and bankruptcies
    48 St. Martin Parish 77 16.7 late payments
    49 Vermilion Parish 73 22.4 poverty
    50 Bossier Parish 73 16.5 collections and bankruptcies
    51 Jefferson Davis Parish 71 17.8 jobs
    52 Beauregard Parish 70 15.1 collections and bankruptcies
    53 East Feliciana Parish 64 18.4 jobs
    54 Lafayette Parish 64 16.5 collections and bankruptcies
    55 Lafourche Parish 62 14.8 rent burden
    56 St. Charles Parish 61 12.3 rent burden
    57 West Baton Rouge Parish 60 12.1 late payments
    58 Plaquemines Parish 58 15.0 rent burden
    59 Livingston Parish 58 12.2 late payments
    60 West Feliciana Parish 52 23.3 rent burden
    61 LaSalle Parish 52 18.0 late payments
    62 St. Tammany Parish 50 10.2 collections and bankruptcies
    63 Cameron Parish 38 12.9 collections and bankruptcies
    64 Ascension Parish 34 9.5 late payments

    Source: U.S. Census Bureau SAIPE 2024. Ranks use unrounded index scores.

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    Sources and method

    Poverty rates from the Census Bureau’s 2024 Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates; distress scores from the County Distress Index. Ranks use unrounded index scores, so two parishes showing the same rounded score can hold different ranks.

    We write with assistance from AI tools. Figures come from the data and sources named on this page.