Regional Data
North Louisiana is a region situated in the southern United States. It abuts the east Texas state line and south Arkansas state line. The region has eleven parishes, including the third largest Combined Statistical Area in Louisiana. North Louisiana’s major population centers include the Shreveport-Bossier City Metropolitan Statistical Area, Minden Micropolitan, Ruston Micropolitan, and Natchitoches Micropolitan. Over 570,000 people call North Louisiana home. Our region’s economy is rooted in healthcare, manufacturing, professional services, oil and gas, and government services.
Contact the Expert
Sheena Bryant, CEcD, EDFP
Business Development Strategy Vice President
- Phone: 318-677-2558
- Phone: sbryant@nlep.org
North Louisiana: By the Numbers
Industry Overview
| Industry | 2026 Jobs | %Change in Jobs (2025-2026) | Avg. Earnings per Job | Major Employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare and Social Assistance | 42,825 | +1% | $70,012 | Willis-Knighton Health System, Christus Health, Ochsner LSU Health System of North Louisiana, LSU Health Shreveport , Overton Brooks VA Medical Center |
| Manufacturing | 19,214 | +2% | $85,860 | International Paper, SLB, Fibrebond, International Paper, SLB, Fibrebond, Prolec GE USA, Frymaster, Benteler Steel/Tube, RoyOMartin, Sabre Industries, Alliance Compressors, Arq, Inc, CSP, Kronospan, Smurfit WestRock, House of Raeford |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 10,606 | +2% | $81,726 | General Dynamics IT, Advanced Call Center Technologies, Teleperformance, Praeses, Radiance Technologies |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 8,698 | +1% | $79,900 | Amazon, SkyWest Morris Dickson, Sport South, CPKC, Ivan Smith Furniture, Coca-Cola |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 6,463 | -2% | $110,949 | Haliburton, BJ Services, Liberty Oil, Haliburton, BJ Energy Solutions, Liberty Energy Lott Oil, OMNI Industries, Alpine Silica, SLB |
Source: Lightcast
Taxes
State Corporate Income Tax
- 5.5% flat rate
- $20,000 standard business deduction
- Expenditures for qualified property placed in service, or R&E expenditures paid or incurred, on or after January 1, 2025, are eligible for bonus depreciation or bonus amortization, respectively. If the election is made, such expenditures must be deducted as expenses incurred by the taxpayer during the tax year in which the expenditure was incurred. For taxpayers making the election, expenditures are deducted as an expense incurred during the tax year in which the qualified property is placed in service. Taxpayers claiming depreciation or amortization under the election may not duplicate any depreciation or amortization or bonus depreciation or bonus amortization allowed on their federal income tax return for the tax year.
State Corporate Franchise Tax
Louisiana repealed its corporate franchise tax effective for franchise tax periods beginning on or after January 1, 2026.
Unemployment Insurance Tax
- The 2026 wage base is $7,000.
- Standard unemployment insurance rate range for employers is .09% – 6.2%.
- The rate for new employers is the average rate for a particular industry.
- The maximum unemployment weekly benefit is 1/2 of the claimant’s previous wage earnings for 26 weeks.
Personal Income Tax
- 3% flat rate
- $12,500 standard deduction for single taxpayers and those who are married but filing separately effective January 1, 2025. Annual inflation adjustments for the standard deduction will begin in 2026
- For taxpayers who are married filing jointly or filing as a qualified surviving spouse, the standard deduction is 200% of the deduction for single filers (i.e., $25,000 for the 2025 tax year).
Sales Tax
The combined state sales and use tax rate is 5%. On January 1, 2030, the combined state sales and use tax rate will decrease to 4.75%. Manufacturing machinery and equipment are exempt from state sales tax.
The state sales tax rate for business utilities is 2%. Business utilities are exempt from other sales tax levies.
The state sales tax is combined with local sales taxes, including parish and municipal taxes. Local sales tax depends on the property’s location. The local rates provided are representative of a general combined local rate for the primary cities within the metropolitan statistical area and micropolitans in NLEP’s region. More sales tax rates can be found here.
- City of Shreveport – 4.60%
- Bossier City – 5.00%
- City of Minden – 5.50%
- City of Natchitoches – 5.50%
- City of Ruston – 6.00%
Property Tax
- City of Shreveport – 155.888 Mills
- Bossier City – 120.14 Mills
- City of Minden – 104.37 Mills
- City of Natchitoches – 93.67 Mills
- City of Ruston – 85.36 Mills
Louisiana does not have state property tax. Taxes are levied annually by local and parish authorities via millages. 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 land or 15% for commercial property.
These 2025 millages do not include special assessments or special districts that can be associated with specific parcels.
The millages provided here are representative of the primary cities within the metropolitan statistical area and metropolitans in NLEP’s region.