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Ouachita Parish bears the name of the river on which Spanish explorers traveled north to establish the settlement of Fort Miro. The city would be later renamed Monroe after the first steamboat to travel upriver to open the city to more commerce. Today the City of Monroe and neighboring City of West Monroe continue to rely on the Ouachita River for commerce and recreation.

Ouachita Parish Represents the Economic Hub for Northeast Louisiana

Ranked # 4 nationally in economic development by Site Selection magazine (2011), Ouachita Parish acts as a population center and economic hub for northeast Louisiana. Recently, Ouachita Parish has seen a flurry of locations and expansions. CenturyLink, the third largest telecommunications company in the U.S., expanded its national headquarters in Ouachita Parish. The Fortune 150 company will add another 800 new jobs, increasing the total number of new jobs created at its Louisiana headquarters to nearly 1,200.

JP Morgan Chase, Gardner Denver Thomas and other companies have all announced expansions in Monroe, the parish seat for Ouachita Parish- a testament to the competitive advantages businesses will find here. Ouachita offers a diverse and thriving economy with:

a multimodal transportation system of interstate, Class 1 rail, air, and port service
a civilian labor force of 69,015 (August 2019)
five nearby universities, colleges and vocational schools
an estimated 2019 population of 155,624 residents, earning a median household income of $39.627.
unemployment rate of 5.4% (August 2019)
a stable and thriving housing market
numerous industrial parks and certified sites

Ouachtia Parish Communities
Ouachita Parish Demographics
Ouachita Parish Workplace Statistics
Ouachita Parish Transportation Infrastructure
Ouachita Parish Major Employers
Tax Structure: Cost of Business

Ouachita Parish Communities

• Monroe - Parish Seat	• Brownsville-Bawcomville
• Richwood	• Claiborne
• Sterlington	• Swartz
• West Monroe	• Calhoun

Ouachita Parish Population Demographics

Demographics
	2010 Census	2019 Estimate	2024 Estimate
Population	153,720	155,624	157,120
Households	58,691	60,151	61,007
Median Age (2019)	35.6
5-Year Population Growth Projection (2024)	0.96%
Race (2019 Estimate)
White	58.77%
African American	37.64%
American Indian or Alaska Native	0.29%
Asian	0.93%
Other	2.74%
Income (2019 Estimate)
Median Household Income	$39,627
Average Household Income	$59,122
Educational Attainment (2019 Estimate)
Some High School, No Diploma	12.07%
High School Graduate	35.70%
Some College or Associate Degree	26.27%
Bachelor's Degree	14.45%
Master's, Professional or Doctorate	8.19%
Average Weekly Wage (Q1 2019)
Average Weekly Wage	$800

Source: Nielsen Segementation & Market Solutions, Pop-Fact Demographics 2019; Louisiana Workforce Commission

Ouachita Parish Transportation Infrastructure

Major Interstates	Interstate 20
Major Highways	US 80, US 165, LA 2, LA 15, LA 34
Ports	Red River Port - 111 miles Port of Shreveport-Bossier - 113 miles Port of Natchitoches - 89.6 miles Greater Ouachita Port - 2.1 miles
Class 1 Railroads	Arkansas & Louisiana Mississippi Railroad (ALM) Kansas City Railroad (KCS) Union Pacific Railroad (UP)
Airports	Monroe Regional Airport - 5.9 miles

Tax Structure: Cost of Doing Business

State Corporate Income Tax	4% on the first $25,000 of net income 5% on the next $25,000 6% on the next $50,000 7% on the next $100,000 8% on the excess of $200,000 Louisiana uses single sales factor
State Corporate Franchise Tax	$1.50 per $1,000 or major fraction thereof up to $300,000 $3.00 per $1,000 or major fraction thereof in excess of $300,000 The initial corporation franchise tax is $110
Unemployment Insurance Tax	The 2017 wage base is $7,700 Standard rate range is .10% - 6.2% Rate for new employers is the average rate for the particular industry Maximum unemployment weekly benefit is 1/2 of the claimant's previous wage earnings for 26 weeks
2018 Parishwide Millage (Property Tax) Rate	92.4 mills*
Total Sales Taxes in Unincorporated Ouachita Parish**	East Ouachita Parish - 10.44% West Ouachita Parish - 10.44%
Total Sales Taxes in City of Monroe	Food and Drugs - 9.44% All other sales - 10.44%
Total Sales Taxes in Town of Richwood	9.95%
Total Sales Taxes in Town of Sterlington	10.95%
Total Sales Taxes in City of West Monroe	City of West Monroe - 10.44% West Monroe EDD - 11.44%

* To calculate property tax, multiply the assessed value of the property by the appropriate millage rate. The assessed value is the fair market value of the property times 10% for real property or 15% for personal property.

** Sales taxes include a 5% state tax along with a local portion

Monroe, LA

The City of Monroe is the parish seat of Ouachita Parish and the home of the University of Louisiana at Monroe. With 48,815 residents, Monroe is an integral part of the Metropolitan Statistical Area which includes all of Ouachita and Union Parishes.

Monroe has a rich entrepreneurial tradition. Joseph A. Biedenharn, the first bottler of Coca-Cola, moved his operations to Monroe. He was one of the founders of Delta Airline, which had its start in Monroe, LA.