Town · Allen Parish, Louisiana

Oberlin, Louisiana

Oberlin is a town in Allen Parish, Louisiana. It has 1,809 residents. Oberlin, Louisiana has a quality-of-life score of 3 out of 100 (very low), ranking #15,199 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Louisiana it ranks #185 of 262 cities and towns. It ranks best on students per teacher (low), homicide rate (low) and time spent in the emergency room (low). It ranks worst on arts, entertainment and recreation (low), median household income (low) and preventable hospital stays (high).

3Very low

Quality-of-life score: #15,199 of 15,651 cities and towns
Louisiana: #185 of 262 in LA
Population: 1,809 (2020-2024)
Land area: 4 mi²
Density: 412.9 /mi²
FIPS code: 2257450

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 72 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety41#9,163/15,637
Economy6#14,649/15,631
Housing35#9,802/14,977
Health2#15,305/15,609
Healthcare22#12,208/15,650
Environment24#11,816/15,453
Education14#13,474/15,649
Infrastructure2#15,261/15,650
Community15#13,308/15,651
Leisure & amenities3#15,199/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Oberlin, Louisiana ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Allen Parish value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Students per teacher · low10.7×
95/100Louisiana 13.7×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsAllen Parish value
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
94/100Louisiana 11.8 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100k2024Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAllen Parish value
Time spent in the emergency room · low110 min
92/100Louisiana 135 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesAllen Parish value
Uninsured residents (under 65) · low1.8%
92/100Louisiana 9.2%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010High uncertainty
Effective property tax rate · low0.47%
90/100Louisiana 0.55%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090High uncertainty
Public libraries · high1.8 /10k
89/100Louisiana 0.8 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAllen Parish value

Weaknesses

Arts, entertainment and recreation · low0.4 /10k
1/100Louisiana 5.0 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAllen Parish value
Median household income · low$31,738
2/100Louisiana $61,038United States $81,6042020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013
Preventable hospital stays · high4,926 /100k
2/100Louisiana 3,516 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAllen Parish value
Flu vaccinations · low23.0%
2/100Louisiana 38.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAllen Parish value
Distance to an airport · high153 mi
2/100Louisiana 80 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAllen Parish value
Adult obesity · high46.6%
3/100Louisiana 42.3%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
1,577 (2015-2019) → 1,809 (2020-2024)
+15%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
61.1% (2015-2019) → 78.0% (2020-2024)
+17 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Child poverty rateImproving
37.3% (2015-2019) → 23.7% (2020-2024)
−14 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Improving
13.5% (2015-2019) → 1.8% (2020-2024)
−12 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%
High school diploma or higherImproving
80.2% (2015-2019) → 87.3% (2020-2024)
+7.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%
Poverty rateImproving
28.7% (2015-2019) → 22.1% (2020-2024)
−6.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Oberlin, Louisiana improved on 2 of 10 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 8 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved2

High school++7.1 points80.2% → 87.3%
Broadband+17 points61.1% → 78.0%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 10 measures

Change of every measure of Oberlin, Louisiana between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	20.9 min2015-2019	19.3 min2020-2024	−1.7 min	Within the margin of error	67%
Bachelor's degree or higher	10.9%2015-2019	8.8%2020-2024	−2.1 points	Within the margin of error	16%
Broadband subscriptions	61.1%2015-2019	78.0%2020-2024	+17 points	Improved	85%
High school diploma or higher	80.2%2015-2019	87.3%2020-2024	+7.1 points	Improved	90%
Home price to income ratio	2.4×2015-2019	3.0×2020-2024	+0.6×	Within the margin of error	40%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4142015-2019	0.4582020-2024	+0.044	Within the margin of error	19%
Median household income	$33,7502015-2019	$31,7382020-2024	−6%	Within the margin of error	4%
Poverty rate	28.7%2015-2019	22.1%2020-2024	−6.6 points	Within the margin of error	86%
Rent as share of income	27.9%2015-2019	28.6%2020-2024	+0.7 points	Within the margin of error	49%
Rent-burdened households	45.1%2015-2019	47.2%2020-2024	+2.1 points	Within the margin of error	48%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Oberlin, Louisiana five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Oberlin, Louisiana in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Oberlin, Louisiana itself moved −3.5 points in standing on average over the same 9 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,809 residents (±449)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under 10 women (−9.1 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,809 residents (±449)

Oberlin, Louisiana
Louisiana share

White49%†884
Black44%†804
Hispanic or Latino4.3%†

Education

1,195 residents (±250)

Oberlin, Louisiana
Louisiana share

No high school diploma13%†152
High school or GED48%568
Some college26%†314

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

719 households (±172)

Oberlin, Louisiana
Louisiana share

Under $25k31%†221
$25k–50k32%†228
$50k–75k14%†98
$75k–100k10%†75
$100k–150k5.3%†38
$150k–200k8.2%†59
$200k or more0.0%0

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

719 households (±172)

Oberlin, Louisiana
Louisiana share

Own56%403
Rent44%†316

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

245 households (±124)

Oberlin, Louisiana
Louisiana share

Under $75067%†163
$750–1,00021%†51
$1,000–1,50013%†31

Home values

403 homes (±120)

Oberlin, Louisiana
Louisiana share

Under $150k67%†271
$150k–250k31%†124
$250k–400k0.0%0

Age of homes

877 homes (±183)

Oberlin, Louisiana
Louisiana share

2010 or later15%†129
2000–200913%†116
1980–199935%†303

Size of homes

877 homes (±183)

Oberlin, Louisiana
Louisiana share

Studio1.5%†13
1 bedroom13%†116
2 bedrooms28%†245

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

589 workers (±182)

Oberlin, Louisiana
Louisiana share

Drive alone98%†577
Carpool2.0%†12
Public transit0.0%0
Walk0.0%0
Bike0.0%0
Work from home0.0%0
Other0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (+18.7 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

589 workers (±182)

Oberlin, Louisiana
Louisiana share

Under 15 min47%†274
15–29 min30%†179
30–44 min5.9%†35

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Allen Parish, the county holding most of Oberlin's residents.

Allen Parish has 310 employer establishments, 138 for every 10,000 residents (0.55× the US rate of 248; 0.58× Louisiana's), with 3,450 paid employees at an average annual pay of $47,061. The Census Bureau also counts 1,272 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 310; 1,272 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 138; US 248 · Louisiana 236
Paid employees: 3,450
Average annual pay: $47,061; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Allen Parish by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	25	11.1	0.53×Fewer than typical	307	$42,107	55
Religious organizations	25	11.1	2.00×More than typical	120	$17,258	—
Restaurants and other eating places	22	9.8	0.53×Fewer than typical	343	$17,292	15
Gasoline stations	15	6.7	2.05×More than typical	127	$26,339	—
Limited-service restaurants	13	5.8	0.72×Fewer than typical	276	$16,399	6
General merchandise stores	11	4.9	2.76×More than typical	245	$31,649	9
Traveler accommodation	10	4.4	2.46×More than typical	21	$18,476	4
Automotive repair and maintenance	9	4	0.79×Too few to compare	36	$26,861	30
Legal services	9	4	0.74×Too few to compare	24	$76,792	14
Specialty trade contractors	9	4	0.26×Too few to compare	35	$75,829	134
Auto parts, accessories and tire stores	8	3.6	2.03×Too few to compare	44	$27,682	—
Banks and credit unions	7	3.1	0.96×Too few to compare	42	$43,667	—

Rank places for an industry Open Allen Parish

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 22,522 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

No federal contract obligations recorded here in FY2026.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Oberlin is mostly in Allen Parish.

See federal money in Allen Parish

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Oberlin, Louisiana is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Mike JohnsonR-LA-4 · 100% of residentsWith party 100%Missed 0.0%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Allen Parish3100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Allen Parish

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

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