Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety1#912/924
Economy24#707/925
Housing45#512/925
Health3#899/925
Healthcare54#421/923
Environment28#656/917
Education23#713/925
Infrastructure15#790/925
Community28#668/925
Leisure & amenities45#511/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Alexandria, LA metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Pharmacies · high2.4 /10k
90/100Louisiana 2.7 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Effective property tax rate · low0.46%
89/100Louisiana 0.55%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Mental health providers · high515 /100k
88/100Louisiana 365 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Cost of buying a home today · low25.1%
86/100Louisiana 29.5%United States 34.1%Aug 2026Zillow Research
Public transit commuters · high1.2%
86/100Louisiana 0.9%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301
Public libraries · high1.1 /10k
80/100Louisiana 0.8 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Violent crime rate · high1,158 /100k
0/100Louisiana 515 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Homicide rate · high24.7 /100k
1/100Louisiana 11.8 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100k2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Property crime rate · high3,066 /100k
1/100Louisiana 1,966 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Loneliness · high39.5%
2/100Louisiana 37.4%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Distance to an airport · high155 mi
3/100Louisiana 80 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Frequent mental distress · high21.0%
5/100Louisiana 21.3%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Drought exposureWorsening
5% (2021) → 63% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+58 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Homicide rateWorsening
12.5 /100k (2019) → 24.7 /100k (2023)
+97%4 yearsUS 5.8 /100k → 6.8 /100k
Drug overdose deathsImproving
55.7 /100k (2021) → 27.7 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−50%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
76.5% (2015-2019) → 86.1% (2020-2024)
+9.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Traffic deathsWorsening
16.8 /100k (2015-2019) → 23.9 /100k (2020-2024)
+42%5 yearsUS 11.3 /100k → 12.3 /100k
Income adjusted for local pricesImproving
$48,880 (2019) → $65,545 (2024)
+34%5 yearsUS $55,567 → $73,204

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, Alexandria, LA metro area improved on 13 of 29 measures with a comparison and declined on 2. 10 moved within the margin of error and 4 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved13

Restaurants+33%5.9 /10k → 7.9 /10k
Arts & recreation+31%2.6 /10k → 3.4 /10k
Uninsured−1.9 points11.4% → 9.5%
Grocery stores+12%1.4 /10k → 1.6 /10k
Gyms+21%0.7 /10k → 0.9 /10k

Declined2

Traffic deaths+42%16.8 /100k → 23.9 /100k
Suicides+15%15.1 /100k → 17.2 /100k

All 29 measures

Change of every measure of Alexandria, LA metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	2.6 /10k2020	3.4 /10k2025	+31%	Improved	87%
Average commute time	24.2 min2015-2019	23.2 min2020-2024	−1.0 min	Within the margin of error	88%
Average weekly wage	$8552020	$1,0452025	+22%	Improved	38%
Bachelor's degree or higher	19.0%2015-2019	21.9%2020-2024	+2.9 points	Improved	53%
Broadband subscriptions	76.5%2015-2019	86.1%2020-2024	+9.6 points	Improved	57%
Child poverty rate	26.1%2015-2019	26.5%2020-2024	+0.4 points	Within the margin of error	20%
Distance to an airport	155 mi2020	155 mi2025	−0 mi	Little change	80%
Drug overdose deaths	35.2 /100k2020	27.7 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−21%	Improved	47%
Effective property tax rate	0.45%2015-2019	0.46%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	8%
Firearm deaths	21.2 /100k2020	20.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−1.1%	Little change	51%
Grocery stores	1.4 /10k2020	1.6 /10k2025	+12%	Improved	80%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.7 /10k2020	0.9 /10k2025	+21%	Improved	72%
High school diploma or higher	85.0%2015-2019	87.2%2020-2024	+2.1 points	Within the margin of error	63%
Home price to income ratio	2.9×2015-2019	3.1×2020-2024	+0.2×	Within the margin of error	83%
Income adjusted for local prices	$48,8802019	$65,5452024	+34%	Improved	65%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4802015-2019	0.4742020-2024	−0.006	Within the margin of error	73%
Median household income	$46,3672015-2019	$56,3532020-2024	+22%	Improved	20%
New business applications	11.3 /1k2020	13.4 /1k2025	+19%	Improved	15%
Pharmacies	2.4 /10k2020	2.4 /10k2025	−0.2%	Little change	71%
Poverty rate	19.5%2015-2019	19.5%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	25%
Public libraries	1.1 /10k2019	1.1 /10k2024	+2.8%	Little change	79%
Public transit commuters	1.6%2015-2019	1.2%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	39%
Rent as share of income	31.3%2015-2019	31.8%2020-2024	+0.5 points	Within the margin of error	48%
Rent-burdened households	52.6%2015-2019	53.4%2020-2024	+0.8 points	Within the margin of error	51%
Restaurants and bars	5.9 /10k2020	7.9 /10k2025	+33%	Improved	98%
Suicide rate	15.1 /100k2020	17.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+15%	Declined	32%
Traffic deaths	16.8 /100k2015-2019	23.9 /100k2020-2024	+42%	Declined	10%
Unemployment rate	6.5%2020	3.9%2025	−2.6 points	Improved	38%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	11.4%2015-2019	9.5%2020-2024	−1.9 points	Improved	84%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 879 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Alexandria, LA metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Alexandria, LA metro area 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, Alexandria, LA metro area itself moved +1.4 points in standing on average over the same 27 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

149,622 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

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

Household income

56,394 households (±769)

Alexandria, LA metro area
United States share

Under $25k23%13,141
$25k–50k22%12,314
$50k–75k16%8,819

Homes

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

Owners and renters

56,394 households (±769)

Alexandria, LA metro area
United States share

Own67%37,644
Rent33%18,750

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+4.2 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

61,827 workers (±1,425)

Alexandria, LA metro area
United States share

Drive alone82%50,440
Carpool6.4%3,938
Public transit1.2%†732

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Alexandria, LA employ 16,240 people. 10 pay a median below the US median.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Alexandria, LA by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Home Health and Personal Care Aides2,960 jobs	2,960	$22,590US $35,800	−37%	1.78×
Registered Nurses2,170 jobs	2,170	$81,680US $97,550	−16%	1.67×
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand2,050 jobs	2,050	$36,190US $40,240	−10%	1.8×
Retail Salespersons1,650 jobs	1,650	$28,660US $35,410	−19%	1.09×
Cashiers1,520 jobs	1,520	$26,250US $32,880	−20%	1.28×
Fast Food and Counter Workers1,490 jobs	1,490	$21,760US $31,200	−30%	1.0×
Office Clerks, General1,420 jobs	1,420	$32,340US $45,010	−28%	1.49×
General and Operations Managers1,040 jobs	1,040	$98,360US $105,770	−7%	0.77×
Food Preparation Workers980 jobs	980	$22,080US $35,320	−37%	2.83×
Stockers and Order Fillers960 jobs	960	$31,920US $37,330	−14%	0.88×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Alexandria, LA.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

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.

Alexandria, LA has 3,370 employer establishments, 227 for every 10,000 residents (0.91× the US rate of 248), with 48,465 paid employees at an average annual pay of $49,429. The Census Bureau also counts 11,173 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 3,370; 11,173 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 227; US 248
Paid employees: 48,465
Average annual pay: $49,429; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	413	27.8	1.34×More than typical	3,956	$60,687	694
Restaurants and other eating places	209	14.1	0.77×Fewer than typical	4,156	$19,897	48
Specialty trade contractors	170	11.5	0.74×Fewer than typical	1,671	$58,752	876
Offices of physicians	167	11.3	1.74×More than typical	1,552	$81,131	167
Religious organizations	154	10.4	1.87×More than typical	1,182	$24,082	—
Lessors of real estate	142	9.6	0.78×Fewer than typical	341	$37,886	876
Offices of other health practitioners	117	7.9	1.30×More than typical	574	$44,166	230
Limited-service restaurants	112	7.5	0.94×About typical	2,326	$18,444	22
Legal services	104	7	1.30×More than typical	444	$74,489	103
Gasoline stations	100	6.7	2.08×More than typical	707	$27,122	11
Building equipment contractors	92	6.2	1.03×About typical	1,122	$64,825	185
Banks and credit unions	71	4.8	1.48×More than typical	741	$59,201	—

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 148,419 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $95.8M on contracts performed in Alexandria, LA metro area: $648 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $95.8M; +6.6% vs FY2025
Per resident: $648; US $1,995
Sole-source: 10%; US 30%
Single offer: 5.1%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement$51.5M54%
Department of Veterans Affairs$10.9M11%
Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$8.8M9.2%
Forest Service$8.4M8.8%
Defense Logistics Agency$3.5M3.6%
USTRANSCOM$3.5M3.6%
Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services$3.2M3.3%
Public Buildings Service$1.8M1.8%

Top recipients

THE ARORA GROUP, INC.$51.5M54%
SENECA FEDERAL SOLUTIONS, LLC$3.5M3.6%
FREEMAN HOLDINGS OF LOUISIANA LLC$2.9M3.0%
CLECO POWER LLC$2.9M3.0%
R. C. PAVING, INC.$2.6M2.7%

Spending by fiscal year

58.9MFY2017
48.5MFY2018
59.6MFY2019
111.6MFY2020
134.9MFY2021
82.7MFY2022
104.6MFY2023
82.4M

Top industries (NAICS)

Other ambulatory health care services · 6219$52.1M54%
Highway, street, and bridge construction · 2373$4.4M4.6%
Nonscheduled air transportation · 4812$4.3M4.5%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$3.8M4.0%
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345$3.6M3.8%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362

Largest awards

MEDICAL STAFFING SERVICES$90.7M
THE ARORA GROUP, INC.· Rapides Parish, LA· Health & medical· Jul 22, 2024 – Aug 20, 2026· 70CDCR24FR0000035
CAPITAL SECURITY PROGRAM AND COURTS CONSTRUCTION AT THE US COURTHOUSE IN ALEXANDRIA, LA$30.3M
ROSS GROUP CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION, LLC· Rapides Parish, LA· Construction & real property· Sep 22, 2023 – Jun 2, 2026· 47PH0823F0041
BOILER PLANT AND STEAM DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM PROJECT ALEXANDRIA VAHCS PINEVILLE, LA$26.2M
SGJV, LLC· Rapides Parish, LA· Construction & real property· Jul 24, 2020 – Jul 15, 2026· 36C10F20C0017
PROJECT #502-17-102 (CONSTRUCTION) REPLACE ROOF AND HVAC OF BLDG 9

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $994.2M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Alexandria, LA metro area: $6,720 per resident (US $12,957).

Assistance · FY2026: $994.2M; −1.4% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,720; US $12,957
Loan face value: $38.7M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 1.1%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$455.5M46%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$160.4M16%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$106.3M11%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$79.3M8.0%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$52.6M5.3%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$19.1M1.9%
20.279 · National Highway Performance Program (NHPP)$17.4M1.7%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$12.9M1.3%

Top recipients (organizations)

TRANSPORTATION & DEVELOPMENT LOUISIANA D$34.2M3.4%
BATON ROUGE, LA
LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY ALEXANDRIA$14M1.4%
ALEXANDRIA, LA
SCUS HEAD START PROGRAMS INC$9.5M1.0%
FAIRFIELD, CT
THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA$9.4M0.9%
ALEXANDRIA, LA
ENGLAND ECONOMIC AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$693.7M70%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$180.7M18%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$34.2M3.4%
Department of Transportation
Department of Education$20.9M2.1%
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$15.4M

Assistance by fiscal year

884.6MFY2021
891.8MFY2022
912.7MFY2023
892.5MFY2024
1BFY2025
994.2MFY2026

County aggregates

89%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Alexandria, LA

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

AlexandriaPrincipal city44,060

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Louisiana

Areas based in Louisiana, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Natchitoches, LA7

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M10780

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved13

Declined2

Metro and micro areas like Alexandria, LA metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Alexandria, LA

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Louisiana

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved13

Declined2

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought