Most rural parishes in Louisiana
A surprising number of U.S. counties have 100% rural land-702, in fact. compiled a list of the most rural parishes in Louisiana using data from the . Parishes are ranked by the percent of land area that is rural, as of the 2010 Census, with ties broken by residents per square mile, according to 2020 5-year population estimates.
According to the Census Bureau, rural land encompasses any land that isn't an urban area. To be considered an urban area, a place has to have a densely settled core of census tracts or blocks and count at least 2,500 people, at least 1,500 of whom must be residents of non-institutional buildings. Areas with 50,000 people or more are considered urbanized areas, while areas with between 2,500 and 50,000 people are considered urban clusters.
#50. St. James Parish
- Rural area: 92.3% (223 square miles)
- Urban area: 7.7% (19 square miles)
- Total land area: 242 square miles
--- #61 largest parish in state, #2,926 nationwide
- Population density: 87.5 people / square mile (21,142 residents)
--- #40 lowest density parish in state, #2,152 nationwide
#49. Bossier Parish
- Rural area: 92.6% (778 square miles)
- Urban area: 7.4% (62 square miles)
- Total land area: 840 square miles
--- #17 largest parish in state, #995 nationwide
- Population density: 151.1 people / square mile (126,952 residents)
--- #51 lowest density parish in state, #2,480 nationwide
#48. St. Mary Parish
- Rural area: 93.9% (521 square miles)
- Urban area: 6.2% (34 square miles)
- Total land area: 555 square miles
--- #45 largest parish in state, #1,871 nationwide
- Population density: 90.1 people / square mile (50,020 residents)
--- #42 lowest density parish in state, #2,178 nationwide
#47. Iberia Parish
- Rural area: 94.1% (540 square miles)
- Urban area: 5.9% (34 square miles)
- Total land area: 574 square miles
--- #41 largest parish in state, #1,737 nationwide
- Population density: 123.3 people / square mile (70,763 residents)
--- #48 lowest density parish in state, #2,378 nationwide
#46. Lincoln Parish
- Rural area: 95.0% (448 square miles)
- Urban area: 5.0% (24 square miles)
- Total land area: 472 square miles
--- #47 largest parish in state, #2,186 nationwide
- Population density: 99.9 people / square mile (47,118 residents)
--- #47 lowest density parish in state, #2,250 nationwide
#45. St. Bernard Parish
- Rural area: 95.4% (360 square miles)
- Urban area: 4.6% (17 square miles)
- Total land area: 378 square miles
--- #54 largest parish in state, #2,611 nationwide
- Population density: 123.7 people / square mile (46,694 residents)
--- #49 lowest density parish in state, #2,381 nationwide
#44. Lafourche Parish
- Rural area: 95.5% (1,020 square miles)
- Urban area: 4.5% (48 square miles)
- Total land area: 1,068 square miles
--- #8 largest parish in state, #604 nationwide
- Population density: 91.7 people / square mile (97,980 residents)
--- #44 lowest density parish in state, #2,188 nationwide
#43. Terrebonne Parish
- Rural area: 95.5% (1,176 square miles)
- Urban area: 4.5% (56 square miles)
- Total land area: 1,232 square miles
--- #5 largest parish in state, #495 nationwide
- Population density: 90.4 people / square mile (111,297 residents)
--- #43 lowest density parish in state, #2,181 nationwide
#42. Rapides Parish
- Rural area: 95.5% (1,259 square miles)
- Urban area: 4.5% (59 square miles)
- Total land area: 1,318 square miles
--- #2 largest parish in state, #452 nationwide
- Population density: 98.9 people / square mile (130,376 residents)
--- #46 lowest density parish in state, #2,246 nationwide
#41. St. Martin Parish
- Rural area: 96.0% (708 square miles)
- Urban area: 4.0% (29 square miles)
- Total land area: 738 square miles
--- #25 largest parish in state, #1,199 nationwide
- Population density: 72.7 people / square mile (53,607 residents)
--- #39 lowest density parish in state, #2,009 nationwide
#40. Assumption Parish
- Rural area: 96.2% (326 square miles)
- Urban area: 3.8% (13 square miles)
- Total land area: 339 square miles
--- #56 largest parish in state, #2,715 nationwide
- Population density: 65.7 people / square mile (22,236 residents)
--- #37 lowest density parish in state, #1,922 nationwide
#39. St. Landry Parish
- Rural area: 96.7% (893 square miles)
- Urban area: 3.3% (31 square miles)
- Total land area: 924 square miles
--- #11 largest parish in state, #788 nationwide
- Population density: 89.6 people / square mile (82,786 residents)
--- #41 lowest density parish in state, #2,174 nationwide
#38. Plaquemines Parish
- Rural area: 97.0% (756 square miles)
- Urban area: 3.0% (24 square miles)
- Total land area: 780 square miles
--- #22 largest parish in state, #1,107 nationwide
- Population density: 29.9 people / square mile (23,305 residents)
--- #17 lowest density parish in state, #1,209 nationwide
#37. Webster Parish
- Rural area: 97.4% (578 square miles)
- Urban area: 2.6% (15 square miles)
- Total land area: 593 square miles
--- #40 largest parish in state, #1,648 nationwide
- Population density: 65.4 people / square mile (38,813 residents)
--- #36 lowest density parish in state, #1,917 nationwide
#36. Acadia Parish
- Rural area: 97.5% (639 square miles)
- Urban area: 2.5% (16 square miles)
- Total land area: 655 square miles
--- #30 largest parish in state, #1,439 nationwide
- Population density: 95.2 people / square mile (62,371 residents)
--- #45 lowest density parish in state, #2,219 nationwide
#35. Pointe Coupee Parish
- Rural area: 98.2% (547 square miles)
- Urban area: 1.8% (10 square miles)
- Total land area: 557 square miles
--- #44 largest parish in state, #1,863 nationwide
- Population density: 39.3 people / square mile (21,883 residents)
--- #29 lowest density parish in state, #1,462 nationwide
#34. Jefferson Davis Parish
- Rural area: 98.2% (640 square miles)
- Urban area: 1.8% (11 square miles)
- Total land area: 651 square miles
--- #31 largest parish in state, #1,448 nationwide
- Population density: 48.2 people / square mile (31,425 residents)
--- #31 lowest density parish in state, #1,660 nationwide
#33. Vernon Parish
- Rural area: 98.3% (1,306 square miles)
- Urban area: 1.7% (22 square miles)
- Total land area: 1,328 square miles
--- #1 largest parish in state, #448 nationwide
- Population density: 37.1 people / square mile (49,315 residents)
--- #27 lowest density parish in state, #1,403 nationwide
#32. Washington Parish
- Rural area: 98.3% (658 square miles)
- Urban area: 1.7% (11 square miles)
- Total land area: 670 square miles
--- #28 largest parish in state, #1,406 nationwide
- Population density: 69.2 people / square mile (46,325 residents)
--- #38 lowest density parish in state, #1,969 nationwide
#31. Vermilion Parish
- Rural area: 98.5% (1,155 square miles)
- Urban area: 1.5% (18 square miles)
- Total land area: 1,173 square miles
--- #6 largest parish in state, #524 nationwide
- Population density: 51.0 people / square mile (59,787 residents)
--- #34 lowest density parish in state, #1,708 nationwide
#30. Iberville Parish
- Rural area: 98.6% (610 square miles)
- Urban area: 1.4% (9 square miles)
- Total land area: 619 square miles
--- #37 largest parish in state, #1,558 nationwide
- Population density: 52.7 people / square mile (32,626 residents)
--- #35 lowest density parish in state, #1,734 nationwide
#29. Concordia Parish
- Rural area: 98.6% (687 square miles)
- Urban area: 1.4% (10 square miles)
- Total land area: 697 square miles
--- #27 largest parish in state, #1,333 nationwide
- Population density: 28.0 people / square mile (19,533 residents)
--- #16 lowest density parish in state, #1,156 nationwide
#28. Evangeline Parish
- Rural area: 98.7% (654 square miles)
- Urban area: 1.3% (9 square miles)
- Total land area: 662 square miles
--- #29 largest parish in state, #1,419 nationwide
- Population density: 50.6 people / square mile (33,491 residents)
--- #33 lowest density parish in state, #1,705 nationwide
#27. Morehouse Parish
- Rural area: 98.7% (785 square miles)
- Urban area: 1.3% (10 square miles)
- Total land area: 795 square miles
--- #20 largest parish in state, #1,078 nationwide
- Population density: 31.7 people / square mile (25,189 residents)
--- #21 lowest density parish in state, #1,263 nationwide
#26. Avoyelles Parish
- Rural area: 98.8% (822 square miles)
- Urban area: 1.2% (10 square miles)
- Total land area: 832 square miles
--- #18 largest parish in state, #1,009 nationwide
- Population density: 48.6 people / square mile (40,465 residents)
--- #32 lowest density parish in state, #1,666 nationwide
#25. Beauregard Parish
- Rural area: 98.8% (1,144 square miles)
- Urban area: 1.2% (14 square miles)
- Total land area: 1,157 square miles
--- #7 largest parish in state, #534 nationwide
- Population density: 32.3 people / square mile (37,387 residents)
--- #23 lowest density parish in state, #1,282 nationwide
#24. Grant Parish
- Rural area: 99.0% (637 square miles)
- Urban area: 1.0% (6 square miles)
- Total land area: 643 square miles
--- #33 largest parish in state, #1,480 nationwide
- Population density: 34.7 people / square mile (22,339 residents)
--- #25 lowest density parish in state, #1,337 nationwide
#23. Natchitoches Parish
- Rural area: 99.1% (1,240 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.9% (12 square miles)
- Total land area: 1,252 square miles
--- #4 largest parish in state, #486 nationwide
- Population density: 30.7 people / square mile (38,505 residents)
--- #19 lowest density parish in state, #1,230 nationwide
#22. Jackson Parish
- Rural area: 99.2% (565 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.8% (4 square miles)
- Total land area: 569 square miles
--- #42 largest parish in state, #1,792 nationwide
- Population density: 27.8 people / square mile (15,822 residents)
--- #15 lowest density parish in state, #1,150 nationwide
#21. Richland Parish
- Rural area: 99.3% (555 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.8% (4 square miles)
- Total land area: 559 square miles
--- #43 largest parish in state, #1,859 nationwide
- Population density: 36.2 people / square mile (20,251 residents)
--- #26 lowest density parish in state, #1,375 nationwide
#20. Madison Parish
- Rural area: 99.3% (620 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.7% (4 square miles)
- Total land area: 624 square miles
--- #36 largest parish in state, #1,546 nationwide
- Population density: 17.8 people / square mile (11,137 residents)
--- #7 lowest density parish in state, #822 nationwide
#19. LaSalle Parish
- Rural area: 99.3% (620 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.7% (4 square miles)
- Total land area: 625 square miles
--- #34 largest parish in state, #1,544 nationwide
- Population density: 23.9 people / square mile (14,950 residents)
--- #11 lowest density parish in state, #1,039 nationwide
#18. Allen Parish
- Rural area: 99.3% (757 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.7% (5 square miles)
- Total land area: 762 square miles
--- #23 largest parish in state, #1,147 nationwide
- Population density: 33.6 people / square mile (25,572 residents)
--- #24 lowest density parish in state, #1,307 nationwide
#17. East Carroll Parish
- Rural area: 99.4% (418 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.7% (3 square miles)
- Total land area: 421 square miles
--- #50 largest parish in state, #2,408 nationwide
- Population density: 16.5 people / square mile (6,947 residents)
--- #6 lowest density parish in state, #786 nationwide
#16. Franklin Parish
- Rural area: 99.4% (621 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.6% (4 square miles)
- Total land area: 625 square miles
--- #35 largest parish in state, #1,545 nationwide
- Population density: 32.2 people / square mile (20,109 residents)
--- #22 lowest density parish in state, #1,276 nationwide
#15. Union Parish
- Rural area: 99.4% (872 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.6% (5 square miles)
- Total land area: 877 square miles
--- #13 largest parish in state, #918 nationwide
- Population density: 25.4 people / square mile (22,270 residents)
--- #13 lowest density parish in state, #1,085 nationwide
#14. De Soto Parish
- Rural area: 99.5% (872 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.5% (4 square miles)
- Total land area: 876 square miles
--- #14 largest parish in state, #925 nationwide
- Population density: 31.3 people / square mile (27,395 residents)
--- #20 lowest density parish in state, #1,248 nationwide
#13. Winn Parish
- Rural area: 99.6% (946 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.5% (4 square miles)
- Total land area: 950 square miles
--- #10 largest parish in state, #742 nationwide
- Population density: 14.9 people / square mile (14,165 residents)
--- #4 lowest density parish in state, #736 nationwide
#12. Claiborne Parish
- Rural area: 99.6% (752 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.4% (3 square miles)
- Total land area: 755 square miles
--- #24 largest parish in state, #1,166 nationwide
- Population density: 21.0 people / square mile (15,854 residents)
--- #9 lowest density parish in state, #928 nationwide
#11. Bienville Parish
- Rural area: 99.7% (809 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.3% (3 square miles)
- Total land area: 811 square miles
--- #19 largest parish in state, #1,043 nationwide
- Population density: 16.5 people / square mile (13,391 residents)
--- #5 lowest density parish in state, #785 nationwide
#10. Sabine Parish
- Rural area: 99.7% (864 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.3% (2 square miles)
- Total land area: 867 square miles
--- #15 largest parish in state, #949 nationwide
- Population density: 27.6 people / square mile (23,915 residents)
--- #14 lowest density parish in state, #1,138 nationwide
#9. East Feliciana Parish
- Rural area: 100.0% (453 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 453 square miles
--- #49 largest parish in state, #2,258 nationwide
- Population density: 42.4 people / square mile (19,228 residents)
--- #30 lowest density parish in state, #1,523 nationwide
#8. West Feliciana Parish
- Rural area: 100.0% (403 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 403 square miles
--- #52 largest parish in state, #2,508 nationwide
- Population density: 38.3 people / square mile (15,441 residents)
--- #28 lowest density parish in state, #1,431 nationwide
#7. West Carroll Parish
- Rural area: 100.0% (360 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 360 square miles
--- #55 largest parish in state, #2,656 nationwide
- Population density: 30.4 people / square mile (10,934 residents)
--- #18 lowest density parish in state, #1,223 nationwide
#6. St. Helena Parish
- Rural area: 100.0% (408 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 408 square miles
--- #51 largest parish in state, #2,474 nationwide
- Population density: 25.0 people / square mile (10,227 residents)
--- #12 lowest density parish in state, #1,070 nationwide
#5. Red River Parish
- Rural area: 100.0% (389 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 389 square miles
--- #53 largest parish in state, #2,574 nationwide
- Population density: 21.7 people / square mile (8,462 residents)
--- #10 lowest density parish in state, #951 nationwide
#4. Caldwell Parish
- Rural area: 100.0% (529 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 529 square miles
--- #46 largest parish in state, #1,978 nationwide
- Population density: 18.8 people / square mile (9,959 residents)
--- #8 lowest density parish in state, #853 nationwide
#3. Catahoula Parish
- Rural area: 100.0% (708 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 708 square miles
--- #26 largest parish in state, #1,303 nationwide
- Population density: 13.5 people / square mile (9,586 residents)
--- #3 lowest density parish in state, #694 nationwide
#2. Tensas Parish
- Rural area: 100.0% (603 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 603 square miles
--- #39 largest parish in state, #1,619 nationwide
- Population density: 7.4 people / square mile (4,435 residents)
--- #2 lowest density parish in state, #465 nationwide
#1. Cameron Parish
- Rural area: 100.0% (1,285 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 1,285 square miles
--- #3 largest parish in state, #468 nationwide
- Population density: 5.4 people / square mile (6,963 residents)
--- #1 lowest density parish in state, #388 nationwide