1st Advantage MortgageAbout 81% of Ascension Parish homes are owner-occupied, and the median household income is $91,549. Your income, debts and credit decide what you qualify for. Get offers in writing, compare the total repaid, and never pay a fee up front.
On this page
- Ascension Parish, LA: the basics
- Work, industries and travel time in Ascension Parish
- Paychecks and income spread in Ascension Parish
- Housing costs in Ascension Parish
- Ascension Parish next to its neighbors
- The communities that make up Ascension Parish
- What a median Ascension Parish budget can carry
- Borrowing situations common in Ascension Parish
- More Ascension Parish figures
- Before you sign
- Louisiana rules that apply in Ascension Parish
- Nearby and statewide guides
- Frequently asked questions
Ascension Parish, LA: the basics
With an estimated 130,314 residents (ACS 2020 to 2024), Ascension Parish ranks 11th of 64 in Louisiana for population. It covers 290 square miles of land, or about 449 people per square mile. It is one of the counties that make up the Baton Rouge, LA metropolitan statistical area (OMB, 2023). The Census Bureau counts 6 places in the county (3 incorporated, 3 census-designated); the largest is Prairieville, with about 35,238 residents, or 27% of the county.
Work, industries and travel time in Ascension Parish
By the Census industry count, 22% of employed Ascension Parish residents work in education and health care and 13% in manufacturing. The sharpest difference from the state is in manufacturing, at 13% locally and 8% for Louisiana. ACS puts five-year average unemployment at 4.4% in Ascension Parish. 22% of commuters travel 45 minutes or more each way, and 9% work from home. Only 4.7% of homes here go without a vehicle.
| Where residents work | Ascension Parish | Difference from Louisiana |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 22.2% | -3.3 pts |
| Manufacturing | 13.3% | +5.8 pts |
| Retail trade | 10.1% | -1.0 pts |
| Construction | 10.1% | +1.7 pts |
| Professional and administrative services | 8.8% | -1.1 pts |
| Arts, lodging and food service | 7.1% | -2.1 pts |
A lender verifies what your own job pays. The county's industry mix tells you about the local economy, not about your application.
Paychecks and income spread in Ascension Parish
The median household income in Ascension Parish is $91,549; statewide it is $60,756, so Ascension Parish runs 51% above Louisiana as a whole. In the state ranking that is 1st of 64.
| Yearly household income | Ascension Parish | Gap to Louisiana |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 17.8% | -12.9 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 35.7% | -3.6 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 31.8% | +9.7 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 14.7% | +6.9 pts |
Some 18% of households here live on less than $35,000 a year; 46% have six-figure incomes. Census counts 10.3% of Ascension Parish residents in poverty, against 18.9% across Louisiana. A household earning below the $91,549 median should test any payment carefully; one earning above it should still pick the shortest term it can manage.
Housing costs in Ascension Parish
A typical Ascension Parish rental runs $1,318 a month including utilities, which is 24% above Louisiana. 51% of renting households spend 30% or more of income on rent, and 22% spend half or more. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $279,600, about 3.1 times the median household income. Owners occupy 81% of homes. Half the housing stock was built before 2002.
| Measure | Ascension Parish | Louisiana | Median U.S. county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $1,318/mo | $1,064/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $279,600 | $216,500 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 81% | 67% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 51% | 55% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 22% | 28% | n/a |
| Mobile homes | 16.8% | 12.6% | n/a |
| Vacant units | 8% | 14% | n/a |
In an owner-heavy county like Ascension Parish, many borrowers can also choose a home equity loan or line of credit. Those can price lower but put the house on the line, so compare the two in writing; our personal loan vs. HELOC guide walks through it. High rent burdens leave little slack. If you are borrowing to consolidate, make sure the new payment is lower than the ones it replaces.
Ascension Parish next to its neighbors
The six counties whose centers lie closest to Ascension Parish's, from 14 to 27 miles away. Income ranges from $51,423 in Assumption Parish to $80,122 in Livingston Parish; none of these neighbors top Ascension Parish's median.
| County | Distance | Median income | Median rent | Owners |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ascension Parish | - | $91,549 | $1,318/mo | 81% |
| St. James Parish, LA | 14 mi | $65,531 | $903/mo | 84% |
| Livingston Parish, LA | 20 mi | $80,122 | $1,151/mo | 81% |
| Assumption Parish, LA | 23 mi | $51,423 | $810/mo | 85% |
| St. John the Baptist Parish, LA | 26 mi | $66,630 | $1,334/mo | 77% |
| East Baton Rouge Parish, LA | 26 mi | $63,071 | $1,147/mo | 59% |
| Iberville Parish, LA | 27 mi | $54,000 | $827/mo | 75% |
The communities that make up Ascension Parish
6 Census places fall mainly inside Ascension Parish; the 6 biggest are below. They account for 58,404 residents, leaving about 55% of the county in unincorporated, unnamed areas. Incomes vary by place: $117,604 at the median in Sorrento, $16,947 in Lemannville. Median rent ranges from $827 in Donaldsonville to $1,497 in Gonzales. This guide covers each of the 6 places and the rural areas around them.
| Town or CDP | Type | People | Median household income | Median gross rent | Miles from center |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prairieville | CDP | 35,238 | $104,923 | $1,324 | 8 mi |
| Gonzales | city | 13,108 | $75,451 | $1,497 | 1 mi |
| Donaldsonville | city | 6,831 | $23,618 | $827 | 9 mi |
| Sorrento | town | 2,203 | $117,604 | $1,344 | 3 mi |
| Lemannville | CDP | 841 | $16,947 | n/a | 7 mi |
| Darrow | CDP | 183 | n/a | n/a | 7 mi |
A CDP is a named community without its own municipal government.
What a median Ascension Parish budget can carry
Ascension Parish at the medians, through a lender's eyes (what DTI means):
- Start: $7,629 gross per month ($91,549 / 12)
- Rent at the median, $1,318, takes 17% of that
- At 35%, room after rent is $1,352 a month
- At 45%, room after rent is $2,115 a month
If your rent is above $1,318, the room shrinks dollar for dollar.
Borrowing situations common in Ascension Parish
What the Ascension Parish figures suggest, and what to check first:
- Long drives. With 22% of commutes over 45 minutes, tires and repairs are fixed costs in many Ascension Parish budgets.
- 17% mobile homes. Many are not titled as real estate, so home-equity options may not apply; an unsecured loan is the usual route.
- Consolidation math. With 46% at six figures, card consolidation is common; it pays only if total cost falls (guide).
- 51% rent-burdened. A payment on top of high rent needs a cushion; size it with the calculator.
More Ascension Parish figures
Degree holders: 29% of adults over 25. 6.2% of residents have no health coverage.
| Residents | Ascension Parish | Louisiana | Middle U.S. county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.6 | 38.0 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 29.1% | 27.0% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 10.7% | 12.7% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 6.2% | 7.8% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 4.7% | 8.4% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 8.9% | 8.1% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 10.3% | 18.9% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 4.4% | 6.3% | 4.4% |
| One-way commute | Share of Ascension Parish workers |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 21.0% |
| 15 to 29 min | 31.1% |
| 30 to 44 min | 25.8% |
| 45 to 59 min | 11.1% |
| 60+ min | 10.9% |
Before you sign
Quick steps for Ascension Parish:
- Borrow the amount the job needs; extra cash adds interest.
- Collect three written offers and compare APR and total repaid.
- Confirm the lender is licensed in Louisiana.
- Ask a Ascension Parish credit union about member loans.
Louisiana rules that apply in Ascension Parish
Before sharing details with a lender, a Ascension Parish resident can confirm its license with the Louisiana Office of Financial Institutions. Banks and credit unions have their own regulators, and the CFPB takes complaints about any lender. Statewide data and rules: Louisiana guide.
Nearby and statewide guides
The Louisiana guide covers the whole state.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median household income in Ascension Parish?
$91,549 a year in the 2020 to 2024 Census survey, versus $60,756 for Louisiana. It ranks 1st of 64 in the state.
What do renters pay in Ascension Parish?
$1,318 a month at the median, about 17% of median household income.
I live in a small Ascension Parish town. Is this my guide?
Yes. If your town has no city guide, this county page is the local one; it covers Prairieville, Gonzales, Donaldsonville, Sorrento, Lemannville and 1 more.
Can Ascension Parish residents use the questionnaire?
Yes. It asks the same questions in every Louisiana county, lists every requirement up front and does not affect your credit score.
Is there a Ascension Parish office that licenses lenders?
No, licensing is statewide. In Louisiana it is the Louisiana Office of Financial Institutions.