In East Carroll Parish, Louisiana, benefit checks have brought in more money than paychecks since 2021
In 2024, 45 cents of every dollar of income here came from a benefit check: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, veterans' benefits and the like (45.3%, Bureau of Economic Analysis). Across the country it was 18 cents.
More distressed than 99% of U.S. counties.
What drives East Carroll Parish's score
In East Carroll Parish, housing costs weigh most: the score for housing costs is 95.0. Rent on a two-bedroom takes 29.2% of the median household's income (fiscal year 2027), higher than in 95% of U.S. counties. Jobs come next, at 95.0.
The County Distress Index combines five things we measure for every county: jobs, late payments on loans, income and the safety net, collections and bankruptcy, and housing costs. Each gets a score from 0 to 100; the higher the score, the worse off the county is compared with others.
East Carroll Parish does better than most counties on one measure: people without health insurance (4.0%, 2020 to 2024).
The five parts count equally; together they hold 14 measures. Under each part, a bar shows where East Carroll Parish ranks among all 3,144 U.S. counties on that measure, as a percentile: the share of counties it is higher than. A longer bar means more trouble.
- 95.0 of 100
Housing costs
Biggest factorHUD's fair market rents, fiscal year 2027; renters, 2020–24 Census survey
- Rent on a two-bedroom as a share of the median income29.2% · fiscal year 202795th percentile
- Renters paying half their income or more in rent35.7% · 2020 to 202495th percentile
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- 95.0 of 100
Jobs
Adults not working, 2020–24 Census survey; unemployment through Aug 2026
- Adults 25 to 54 not working39.4% · 2020 to 202495th percentile
- Unemployment rate, 12-month average12.1% · Sep 2025 to Aug 202695th percentile
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- 93.9 of 100
Collections and bankruptcy
Credit records, August 2025; bankruptcy filings, 2025
- People with unpaid debt sent to a collector41.5% · August 202595th percentile
- Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people322.2 · 202592nd percentile
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- 90.8 of 100
Late payments
Credit records, August 2025; credit scores, Q4 2025
- People with a car or retail loan behind11.5% · August 202595th percentile
- People with a credit card behind7.8% · August 202582nd percentile
- People with a subprime credit score43.0% · Q4 202595th percentile
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- 75.7 of 100
Income and safety net
Poverty and income, 2024; disability and insurance, 2020–24 Census survey
- Children below the poverty line50.0% · 202495th percentile
- People with a disability21.0% · 2020 to 202484th percentile
- Median household income (lower income, longer bar)$36,713 · 202495th percentile
- People below the poverty line44.4% · 202495th percentile
- People without health insurance4.0% · 2020 to 20248th percentile
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Sources: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau income; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; Urban Institute, Debt in America; Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. County Distress Index by American Default Research, from data through Aug 2026.
Where the money in East Carroll Parish comes from
The Bureau of Economic Analysis adds up all the income that reaches the people of a county and splits it three ways: pay from work, income from investments and rent, and benefit checks.
Cents of every dollar of income, 2024
East Carroll Parish
Louisiana
United States
- Pay from work
- Investments and rent
- Benefit checks
In East Carroll Parish in 2024, pay from work was 39 cents of every dollar of income. Income from investments and rentals was 16 cents. Benefit checks were 45 cents. Across the country, pay is 61 cents of the dollar and benefit checks are 18.
In 1969, pay was 72 cents of every dollar here and benefit checks were 16 cents.
In East Carroll Parish, benefit checks have brought in more than pay since 2021
Benefit checks and pay from work as shares of all personal income, East Carroll Parish, Louisiana: 45.3% and 38.5% in 2024. Yearly, 1969–2024.
Use this chart Free to use with credit
The quote: In 2024, benefit checks made up 45.3% of all personal income in East Carroll Parish, Louisiana (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAINC4).
Benefit checks are Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid paid on people's behalf, veterans' benefits, and food and income support, so a high share usually means an older population, low pay, or both. In East Carroll Parish, 15.7% of residents are 65 or older (Census Bureau, 2024), against 17.2% nationally.
How East Carroll Parish has changed
The number of people living in East Carroll Parish fell by about half between 1969 and 2024, from 12,974 to 6,892. The number of jobs located there fell by about three in 10 from 1990 to 2024.
Unemployment fell from 13.6% in 1990 to 13.0% in 2025.
| Measure | Then | Now |
|---|---|---|
| People living in the countyBEA | 1969 12,974 | 2024 6,892 |
| Jobs located in the countyBLS QCEW | 1990 2,095 | 2024 1,427 |
| Unemployment rateBLS LAUS | 1990 13.6% | 2025 13.0% |
| People below the poverty lineCensus SAIPE | 1989 60.4% | 2024 44.4% |
| Median household income (not adjusted for prices)Census SAIPE | 1989 $11,578 | 2024 $36,713 |
| Share of income from benefit checksBEA | 1969 16.3% | 2024 45.3% |
Figures are as each agency published them, not adjusted for prices. We don't chart the distress score over time because it compares counties at one moment.
Dated events in East Carroll Parish's history
Largest decennial census count
The county's largest recorded population was the 1940 Census count of 19,023. The 2020 Census counted 7,459, 39% of the peak. Census Bureau
1877
East Carroll Parish was founded March 26, 1877. Wikipedia
1971
Tornado: $2.5 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
2008
Flash flood: $3 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
2009
Thunderstorm wind: $700 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
2011
Flood: $12 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
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Since 1973
32 federal disaster and emergency declarations have covered East Carroll Parish, 7 of them for flooding. FEMA
Storms are listed if they did $1 million or more in damage or killed someone.
East Carroll Parish beside its neighbors
East Carroll Parish scores higher than all six counties that border it, in Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi. Of the group, East Carroll Parish gets the largest share of its income from benefit checks (45.3%).
| County | Score | Poverty | Benefit checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Carroll Parish, LA | 99 | 44.4% | 45.3% |
| Madison Parish, LA | 99 | 33.3% | 41.5% |
| Chicot County, AR | 97 | 27.9% | 41.3% |
| Richland Parish, LA | 96 | 26.4% | 38.2% |
| Warren County, MS | 88 | 18.8% | 28.2% |
| Issaquena County, MS | 87 | 55.7% | 31.9% |
| West Carroll Parish, LA | 80 | 19.1% | 43.5% |
Distress score: American Default Research, County Distress Index, data through Aug 2026; each county scored against all 3,144. Poverty rate: Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. Benefit checks: Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024. Neighbors share a border, from Census county maps.
Is East Carroll Parish the poorest county in Louisiana?
Yes, East Carroll Parish's poverty rate was 44.4% in 2024, the highest of 64 counties in Louisiana (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, East Carroll Parish ranks 1st of 64 in the state.
East Carroll Parish, Louisiana: common questions
What is the poverty rate in East Carroll Parish, Louisiana?
44.4% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates: about two in five people. Among children it was 50.0%.
Is East Carroll Parish the poorest county in Louisiana?
Yes, East Carroll Parish's poverty rate was 44.4% in 2024, the highest of 64 counties in Louisiana (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, East Carroll Parish ranks 1st of 64 in the state.
What is the population of East Carroll Parish, Louisiana?
About 6,892 people in 2024, by the Bureau of Economic Analysis's count. The 2020 Census counted 7,459, 39% of the county's peak of 19,023 in 1940.
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
We rank every U.S. county on 14 federal measures of money trouble, grouped into five equally weighted parts, and average them. The published score is the share of the other 3,143 counties with a lower average. The methodology lists every measure and its source.
If you're behind on your mortgage in East Carroll Parish
A U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-approved housing counselor works at a nonprofit agency approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The counseling to avoid foreclosure is free, and a counselor can help you talk to your mortgage company and understand what it offers, according to the Consumer Financial Protection BureauSourceCFPB.
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Southeast Louisiana Legal Services
Legal aid
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Acadiana Legal Service Corporation
Legal aid
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HUD-approved housing counselors
Counseling to avoid foreclosure is free. Our help directory lists 1,311 approved agencies by state.
The score, its 14 measures and their sources, in one file. Free to use with credit to American Default Research.
Download the CSV for East Carroll Parish · Every U.S. county (CSV)
Sources and method
- American Default Research · County Distress Index Data through Aug 2026, built from HUD Fair Market Rents and Census income; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; Urban Institute, Debt in America; U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. Our methodology
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts (CAINC4) · income shares Where the money in East Carroll Parish comes from, 2024.
- History The agencies named in each row and the linked records above.