Population trends across the Capital Region continue to reflect a suburban-driven growth pattern, with outlying parishes expanding steadily while the urban core works to regain momentum.
That’s according to figures made available today by the U.S. Census Bureau. The annual estimates of the resident population data from 2020 through July 1, 2025 indicate that Ascension and Livingston parishes remain the primary engines of regional growth.
Ascension Parish’s population climbed from 126,499 in 2020 to 135,105 in 2025, a 6.33% increase. Growth has remained consistent, generally around 1% annually, with a slight uptick to 1.38% in the most recent year.
“Any population movement tends to follow jobs,” says local economist Loren Scott. “The more jobs you’re creating, the better the income, the more you’re going to attract people. Ascension is one of the hottest places in the state right now for industrial growth.”
Livingston Parish led the region, growing 8.2% over the five-year period—from 142,287 residents in 2020 to 153,145 in 2025. While annual gains have moderated since peaking near 2% early in the decade, the parish continues to outperform its neighbors.
The influx of large residential developments and the parish’s average home price have helped drive growth there.
“Livingston has got some good stuff going for it,” Scott says. “The parish is doing really well economically. They’ve got more and more retail and restaurants, things that are growing over there. What’s a good sign is that there are people finding jobs, they’re employed and they have money to spend.”
East Baton Rouge Parish, by contrast, experienced four consecutive years of decline before reversing course in 2025. The parish fell from 456,796 residents in 2020 to 451,709 in 2023, then rebounded to 454,172 in 2024 and 456,180 in 2025.
Statewide, Louisiana followed a trajectory similar to East Baton Rouge’s, with population declines in the early part of the decade followed by a modest rebound in the most recent year. The state posted year-over-year losses from 2020 through 2023 before stabilizing and returning to growth in 2024 and 2025.
“The only thing is that although things are going very well in Ascension, in Livingston, in certain parts of our state, the tricky thing for us is that it’s going way better in Texas,” Scott says. If you look at Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Austin. These places are growing way faster than we are. The number of job opportunities, their schools and highways are better. It’s a pocketbook issue and there tends to be a migration, especially among the young people, to go there.”
