Scores by category

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

Safety43#530/924
Economy45#509/925
Housing92#71/925
Health14#792/925
Healthcare6#870/923
Environment33#619/917
Education13#808/925
Infrastructure10#830/925
Community20#738/925
Leisure & amenities0#924/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Effective property tax rate · low0.21%
100/100Louisiana 0.55%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Severe housing problems · low9.2%
96/100Louisiana 15.8%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Property crime rate · low473 /100k
94/100Louisiana 1,966 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Home price to income ratio · low2.5×
88/100Louisiana 3.6×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Public libraries · high1.4 /10k
86/100Louisiana 0.8 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAggregated from counties
Income inequality (Gini index) · low0.430
81/100Louisiana 0.495United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083

Weaknesses

Access to exercise opportunities · low21.4%
0/100Louisiana 75.6%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Average commute time · high33.2 min
1/100Louisiana 25.7 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Arts, entertainment and recreation · low1.1 /10k
1/100Louisiana 5.0 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Dentists · low19 /100k
1/100Louisiana 60 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Public EV charging ports · low0.0 /10k
1/100Louisiana 1.8 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyAggregated from counties
Gyms and fitness centers · low0.3 /10k
4/100Louisiana 1.4 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 51% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+51 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Property crime rateImproving
1,257 /100k (2020) → 473 /100k (2025)
−62%5 yearsUS 1,929 /100k → 1,535 /100k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
76.9% (2015-2019) → 89.1% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Gyms and fitness centersWorsening
0.5 /10k (2020) → 0.3 /10k (2025)
−50%5 yearsUS 1.2 /10k → 1.3 /10k
Homicide rateWorsening
5.9 /100k (2021) → 8.5 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
+44%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
New business applicationsImproving
9.0 /1k (2020) → 12.9 /1k (2025)
+43%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k

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, DeRidder, LA micropolitan area improved on 9 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 6. 9 moved within the margin of error and 7 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.

Improved9

Restaurants+20%4.1 /10k → 4.9 /10k
Property crime−62%1,257 /100k → 473 /100k
Broadband+12 points76.9% → 89.1%
New businesses+43%9.0 /1k → 12.9 /1k
Homicides−21%10.7 /100k → 8.5 /100k

Declined6

Gyms−50%0.5 /10k → 0.3 /10k
Grocery stores−25%1.1 /10k → 0.8 /10k
Violent crime+21%189 /100k → 228 /100k
Rent burden+8.2 points36.9% → 45.1%
Traffic deaths+22%15.6 /100k → 19.1 /100k

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of DeRidder, LA micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	1.1 /10k2020	1.1 /10k2025	−0.2%	Little change	28%
Average commute time	30.2 min2015-2019	33.2 min2020-2024	+3.0 min	Within the margin of error	5%
Average weekly wage	$8472020	$1,0272025	+21%	Improved	32%
Bachelor's degree or higher	17.8%2015-2019	17.1%2020-2024	−0.8 points	Within the margin of error	3%
Broadband subscriptions	76.9%2015-2019	89.1%2020-2024	+12 points	Improved	78%
Child poverty rate	18.0%2015-2019	17.3%2020-2024	−0.7 points	Within the margin of error	30%
Distance to an airport	133 mi2020	133 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	19.6 /100k2020	19.7 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+0.5%	Little change	27%
Effective property tax rate	0.31%2015-2019	0.21%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Little change	38%
Firearm deaths	20.3 /100k2020	20.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+0.5%	Little change	48%
Grocery stores	1.1 /10k2020	0.8 /10k2025	−25%	Declined	6%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.5 /10k2020	0.3 /10k2025	−50%	Declined	4%
High school diploma or higher	85.3%2015-2019	87.6%2020-2024	+2.3 points	Within the margin of error	67%
Home price to income ratio	2.4×2015-2019	2.5×2020-2024	+0.1×	Within the margin of error	94%
Homicide rate	10.7 /100k2020	8.5 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−21%	Improved	44%
Income adjusted for local prices	$51,6592019	$67,5282024	+31%	Improved	42%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4442015-2019	0.4302020-2024	−0.015	Within the margin of error	84%
Median household income	$53,2092015-2019	$65,9442020-2024	+24%	Improved	32%
New business applications	9.0 /1k2020	12.9 /1k2025	+43%	Improved	46%
Pharmacies	1.1 /10k2020	1.1 /10k2025	−0.2%	Little change	71%
Poverty rate	15.5%2015-2019	14.3%2020-2024	−1.2 points	Within the margin of error	56%
Property crime rate	1,257 /100k2020	473 /100k2025	−62%	Improved	96%
Public libraries	1.3 /10k2019	1.4 /10k2024	+2.8%	Little change	79%
Rent as share of income	26.1%2015-2019	27.9%2020-2024	+1.8 points	Within the margin of error	24%
Rent-burdened households	36.9%2015-2019	45.1%2020-2024	+8.2 points	Declined	8%
Restaurants and bars	4.1 /10k2020	4.9 /10k2025	+20%	Improved	92%
Suicide rate	16.8 /100k2020	17.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+6%	Declined	46%
Traffic deaths	15.6 /100k2015-2019	19.1 /100k2020-2024	+22%	Declined	26%
Unemployment rate	7.0%2020	4.3%2025	−2.7 points	Improved	42%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	12.0%2015-2019	10.0%2020-2024	−2 points	Within the margin of error	85%
Violent crime rate	189 /100k2020	228 /100k2025	+21%	Declined	12%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 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; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; 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 DeRidder, LA micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of DeRidder, LA micropolitan 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, DeRidder, LA micropolitan area itself moved −2.8 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

36,676 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

13,747 households (±374)

DeRidder, LA micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k17%2,397
$25k–50k21%2,916
$50k–75k17%2,357

Homes

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

Owners and renters

13,747 households (±374)

DeRidder, LA micropolitan area
United States share

Own85%11,660
Rent15%2,087

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+7.4 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

14,578 workers (±586)

DeRidder, LA micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone83%12,143
Carpool10%1,497
Public transit0.0%†4

Jobs and pay

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

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for DeRidder, LA micropolitan area.

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.

DeRidder, LA has 643 employer establishments, 175 for every 10,000 residents (0.70× the US rate of 248), with 7,013 paid employees at an average annual pay of $49,785. The Census Bureau also counts 2,427 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 643; 2,427 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 175; US 248
Paid employees: 7,013
Average annual pay: $49,785; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	47	12.8	0.61×Fewer than typical	236	$52,195	80
Restaurants and other eating places	41	11.1	0.61×Fewer than typical	697	$19,331	19
Religious organizations	38	10.3	1.86×More than typical	235	$17,668	—
Specialty trade contractors	37	10.1	0.65×Fewer than typical	228	$39,000	254
Truck transportation	30	8.1	1.61×More than typical	97	$46,402	93
Lessors of real estate	24	6.5	0.53×Fewer than typical	49	$36,653	146
Limited-service restaurants	20	5.4	0.68×Fewer than typical	375	$17,960	9
Accounting, tax preparation and payroll services	19	5.2	1.27×More than typical	106	$47,038	23
Gasoline stations	18	4.9	1.51×More than typical	144	$17,625	—
General merchandise stores	18	4.9	2.77×More than typical	435	$29,437	26
Banks and credit unions	17	4.6	1.43×More than typical	142	$57,923	—
Insurance agencies and brokerages	17	4.6	1.05×About typical	252	$59,742	31

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 36,814 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 $19.8K on contracts performed in DeRidder, LA micropolitan area: $0.54 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $19.8K; −99% vs FY2025
Per resident: $0.54; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 100%; 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

Federal Acquisition Service$19.8K100%

Top recipients

HARMONS AUTOMOTIVE & TOWING SERVICE INC$19.8K100%
EA ENGINEERING, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY, INC., PBC$00.0%

Spending by fiscal year

1.4MFY2017
890.9KFY2018
544.6KFY2019
910.5KFY2020
2MFY2021
1.7MFY2022
1.4MFY2023
4.1M

Top industries (NAICS)

Automotive repair and maintenance · 8111$19.8K100%

Largest awards

THE CONTRACTOR SHALL PROVIDE DESIGN AND ENGINEERING SERVICES (DES) FOR AMERICAN CREOSOTE DERIDDER RIFS SUPERFUND SITE. ALL WORK SHALL BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ATTACHED STATEMENT OF WORK AND THE CONTRACTOR'S PROPOSAL DATED JULY 19, 2021.$1.9M
EA ENGINEERING, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY, INC., PBC· Beauregard Parish, LA· Facilities & utilities· Aug 16, 2021 – Jul 8, 2026· 68HE0621F0025
AUTOMOTIVE MECHANICAL REPAIRS$19.8K
HARMONS AUTOMOTIVE & TOWING SERVICE INC· Beauregard Parish, LA· Equipment maintenance· Jun 1, 2026 – Jun 1, 2026· 47QMCC26PI034

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 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 $252.5M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for DeRidder, LA micropolitan area: $6,885 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $252.5M; +3% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,885; US $12,955
Loan face value: $23.1M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.8%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$115.9M46%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$64.4M26%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$26M10%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$20M7.9%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$7M2.8%
64.110 · Veterans Dependency and Indemnity Compensation for Service-Connected Death$3.2M1.3%
20.205 · Highway Planning and Construction$1.8M0.7%
57.001 · Social Insurance for Railroad Workers$1.6M0.6%

Top recipients (organizations)

TRANSPORTATION & DEVELOPMENT LOUISIANA D$4M1.6%
BATON ROUGE, LA
DERIDDER HOUSING AUTHORITY$965.4K0.4%
DERIDDER, LA
CONTERRA ULTRA BROADBAND LLC$621.3K0.2%
CHARLOTTE, NC
CITY OF DEQUINCY$587.1K0.2%
DEQUINCY, LA
BEAUREGARD PARISH POLICE JURY$563K

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$168.8M67%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$71M28%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$4M1.6%
Department of Transportation
Natural Resources Conservation Service$1.9M0.8%
Department of Agriculture
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing

Assistance by fiscal year

201.8MFY2021
213.4MFY2022
213.9MFY2023
227MFY2024
245.1MFY2025
252.5MFY2026

County aggregates

96%

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 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in DeRidder, 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.

Beauregard ParishCentral county1336,673

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

DeRidderPrincipal city9,763

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.

Lake Charles, LA26

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

JSON · /api/v1/places/M19760

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved9

Declined6

Metro and micro areas like DeRidder, LA micropolitan 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

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 DeRidder, 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

Improved9

Declined6

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

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