Scores by category

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

Safety17#769/924
Economy7#861/925
Housing8#847/925
Health21#727/925
Healthcare61#363/923
Environment17#765/917
Education72#263/925
Infrastructure4#887/925
Community23#714/925
Leisure & amenities37#584/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Injury deaths · low61 /100k
96/100Louisiana 121 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Effective property tax rate · low0.46%
89/100Louisiana 0.55%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Job growth · high1.7%
87/100Louisiana -0.5%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
Mental health providers · high485 /100k
85/100Louisiana 365 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Average commute time · low19.2 min
85/100Louisiana 25.7 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Suicide rate · low13.4 /100k
84/100Louisiana 14.6 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Rent-burdened households · high66.7%
0/100Louisiana 54.8%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Rent as share of income · high44.6%
0/100Louisiana 32.8%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.539
1/100Louisiana 0.495United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Poverty rate · high31.2%
1/100Louisiana 18.6%United States 12.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Median household income · low$39,172
1/100Louisiana $61,038United States $81,6042020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013
Adult obesity · high46.3%
1/100Louisiana 42.3%United States 38.2%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
12% (2021) → 62% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+50 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
44.9% (2010 & 2021) → 75.6% (2022 & 2024)
+31 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
New homes permittedImproving
2.0 /1k (2021) → 4.6 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+125%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Traffic deathsWorsening
10.6 /100k (2015-2019) → 18.3 /100k (2020-2024)
+73%5 yearsUS 11.3 /100k → 12.3 /100k
Flu vaccinationsWorsening
44.0% (2019) → 32.0% (2023)
−12 pts4 yearsUS 48.0% → 44.0%
Income adjusted for local pricesImproving
$45,519 (2019) → $65,056 (2024)
+43%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, Ruston, LA micropolitan area improved on 8 of 28 measures with a comparison and declined on 4. 10 moved within the margin of error and 6 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.

Improved8

Uninsured−3.6 points9.9% → 6.2%
Real income+43%$45,519 → $65,056
Pharmacies+11%1.9 /10k → 2.1 /10k
Restaurants+9.2%6.6 /10k → 7.2 /10k
Suicides−8.2%14.6 /100k → 13.4 /100k

Declined4

Broadband−4.7 points82.6% → 77.9%
Rent / income+7.2 points37.4% → 44.6%
Traffic deaths+73%10.6 /100k → 18.3 /100k
Price / income+1.0×4.4× → 5.4×

All 28 measures

Change of every measure of Ruston, LA micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.1 /10k2020	3.1 /10k2025	−0.1%	Little change	28%
Average commute time	19.2 min2015-2019	19.2 min2020-2024	−0.1 min	Within the margin of error	67%
Average weekly wage	$7462020	$9282025	+24%	Improved	60%
Bachelor's degree or higher	35.6%2015-2019	36.2%2020-2024	+0.6 points	Within the margin of error	12%
Broadband subscriptions	82.6%2015-2019	77.9%2020-2024	−4.7 points	Declined	0%
Child poverty rate	36.6%2015-2019	34.8%2020-2024	−1.8 points	Within the margin of error	43%
Distance to an airport	150 mi2020	150 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	14.6 /100k2020	11.6 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−21%	Improved	45%
Effective property tax rate	0.48%2015-2019	0.46%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	15%
Grocery stores	1.2 /10k2020	1.2 /10k2025	−0.1%	Little change	50%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.2 /10k2020	1.2 /10k2025	−0.1%	Little change	41%
High school diploma or higher	88.5%2015-2019	90.2%2020-2024	+1.8 points	Within the margin of error	53%
Home price to income ratio	4.4×2015-2019	5.4×2020-2024	+1.0×	Declined	11%
Income adjusted for local prices	$45,5192019	$65,0562024	+43%	Improved	94%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5382015-2019	0.5392020-2024	+0.001	Within the margin of error	51%
Median household income	$35,4672015-2019	$39,1722020-2024	+10%	Within the margin of error	2%
New business applications	14.6 /1k2020	14.2 /1k2025	−2.8%	Little change	4%
Pharmacies	1.9 /10k2020	2.1 /10k2025	+11%	Improved	89%
Poverty rate	30.3%2015-2019	31.2%2020-2024	+0.8 points	Within the margin of error	14%
Public libraries	0.2 /10k2019	0.2 /10k2024	−2.9%	Little change	40%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	84%
Rent as share of income	37.4%2015-2019	44.6%2020-2024	+7.2 points	Declined	1%
Rent-burdened households	68.1%2015-2019	66.7%2020-2024	−1.5 points	Within the margin of error	71%
Restaurants and bars	6.6 /10k2020	7.2 /10k2025	+9.2%	Improved	77%
Suicide rate	14.6 /100k2020	13.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−8.2%	Improved	76%
Traffic deaths	10.6 /100k2015-2019	18.3 /100k2020-2024	+73%	Declined	2%
Unemployment rate	6.6%2020	4.5%2025	−2.1 points	Improved	24%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	9.9%2015-2019	6.2%2020-2024	−3.6 points	Improved	95%

“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.

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 Ruston, LA micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Ruston, 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, Ruston, LA micropolitan area itself moved −2.9 points in standing on average over the same 26 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

48,174 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

18,487 households (±414)

Ruston, LA micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k35%6,432
$25k–50k22%4,050
$50k–75k13%2,408

Homes

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

Owners and renters

18,487 households (±414)

Ruston, LA micropolitan area
United States share

Own54%9,938
Rent46%8,549

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

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

19,091 workers (±873)

Ruston, LA micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone76%14,596
Carpool8.7%1,665
Public transit0.0%0

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 Ruston, 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.

Ruston, LA has 1,155 employer establishments, 240 for every 10,000 residents (0.97× the US rate of 248), with 15,124 paid employees at an average annual pay of $42,395. The Census Bureau also counts 3,844 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,155; 3,844 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 240; US 248
Paid employees: 15,124
Average annual pay: $42,395; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	115	23.9	1.15×About typical	1,046	$49,080	238
Restaurants and other eating places	87	18.1	0.98×About typical	1,890	$17,344	21
Lessors of real estate	62	12.9	1.05×About typical	298	$37,748	430
Religious organizations	55	11.4	2.06×More than typical	594	$21,800	—
Specialty trade contractors	53	11	0.71×Fewer than typical	468	$52,222	190
Offices of other health practitioners	50	10.4	1.71×More than typical	331	$39,970	107
Limited-service restaurants	41	8.5	1.06×About typical	1,036	$17,661	5
Full-service restaurants	29	6	0.78×Fewer than typical	674	$17,660	9
Construction of buildings	27	5.6	0.74×Fewer than typical	184	$64,772	71
Building equipment contractors	26	5.4	0.90×About typical	295	$50,261	40
Offices of physicians	26	5.4	0.83×About typical	231	$59,680	53
Insurance agencies and brokerages	25	5.2	1.18×About typical	140	$54,286	74

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 48,112 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 $1.6M on contracts performed in Ruston, LA micropolitan area: $32.81 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $1.6M; −43% vs FY2025
Per resident: $32.81; US $1,994
Sole-source: 90%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; 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

Department of the Air Force$1.4M88%
National Institutes of Health$150.8K9.5%
Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$35.9K2.3%

Top recipients

BETAFLIX, INC.$1.4M88%
GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY$150.8K9.5%
PAFFORD EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES, INC$35.9K2.3%
VISTA TECHWERX LLC$00.0%

Spending by fiscal year

235.9KFY2017
155.4KFY2018
225.6KFY2019
478.4KFY2020
160.5KFY2021
3.5MFY2022
808.5KFY2023
5.3M

Top industries (NAICS)

Scientific research and development services · 5417$1.4M88%
Colleges, universities, and professional schools · 6113$150.8K9.5%
Other ambulatory health care services · 6219$35.9K2.3%

Largest awards

SBIR PHASE III TO DESIGN, DEVELOP, AND DELIVER THE REMAINING TECHNICAL ORDER-DRIVEN MODULES AS PART OF A COMPLETE INTEGRATED AR/VR B-52 FUEL SYSTEMS TRAINER.$4.2M
BETAFLIX, INC.· Lincoln Parish, LA· Research & development· Sep 20, 2024 – Dec 13, 2025· FA680024C0013
SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATIVE RESEARCH DIRECT TO PHASE II AERO PROPULSION ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TRAINING SYSTEM$1.3M
BETAFLIX, INC.· Lincoln Parish, LA· Research & development· Aug 26, 2024 – Jan 30, 2026· FA680024P0029
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH) GATEWAY TO RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE WORKFORCE (GROW) PROGRAM - RLIS (UNDERGRADUATE TRACK)$150.8K
GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY· Lincoln Parish, LA· Education & social services· Jul 22, 2026 – Jul 22, 2026· 75N98026P01039

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 $267.5M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Ruston, LA micropolitan area: $5,531 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $267.5M; −16% vs FY2025
Per resident: $5,531; US $12,955
Loan face value: $7M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.3%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$121.2M45%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$35.8M13%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$20.7M7.7%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$17.4M6.5%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$15.5M5.8%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$12.8M4.8%
84.031 · Higher Education Institutional Aid$7.7M2.9%
47.083 · Integrative Activities$3M1.1%

Top recipients (organizations)

GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY$29.8M11%
GRAMBLING, LA
LOUISIANA TECH UNIVERSITY$24.7M9.2%
RUSTON, LA
TRANSPORTATION & DEVELOPMENT LOUISIANA D$7.9M2.9%
BATON ROUGE, LA
LINCOLN TOTAL COMMUNITY ACTION, INC.$2.7M1.0%
RUSTON, LA
RUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY$2.7M

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$166.7M62%
Department of Education$46.3M17%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$25.2M9.4%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$7.9M2.9%
Department of Transportation
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$5.6M

Assistance by fiscal year

338.4MFY2021
217.2MFY2022
240.9MFY2023
264.2MFY2024
316.7MFY2025
267.5MFY2026

County aggregates

72%

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 Ruston, 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.

Lincoln ParishCentral county1148,360

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

RustonPrincipal city22,284

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.

Monroe, LA12

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
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M40820

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved8

Declined4

Metro and micro areas like Ruston, 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 Ruston, 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

Improved8

Declined4

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 buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type