Wilder House · National Register of Historic Places
Chatham’s story
118 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1908Chatham is settled
ChathamLA
A town of 515, settled in 1908.
Wilder House · Photo: Jonathan Fricker · Public domain
Population
515
2025 Census estimate · +5.1% since 2020
Median home value
$43K
Census ACS
Household income
$37K
median
Median age
45.3
years
Jobs based here
55
A commuter town
Is Chatham a good place to live?
Only 6 of the 162 Louisiana towns we compare have a higher average trip to work than Chatham. Brooklyn Church and Cemetery and Wilder House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Chatham has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
515 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Chatham: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Chatham, and how to reach them.
PowerClaiborne Electric Coop13.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterVillage of Chatham Water System8 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers77% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Chatham’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Louisiana you can register online until 20 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereJackson Parish Registrar of VotersJackson Parish; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2015
ZIP code7122671226 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Chatham.
Work & commute
Chatham has 0.3 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Chatham for work: only 2% work in town. At $37,000, Chatham’s median household income is where Louisiana’s towns sit at $56,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000. Jobs based in Chatham fell to 55 in 2023, 64 fewer than in 2013.
2%work in town
| Chatham | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $37,000 | $56,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 2% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 20% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Chatham2%
Ruston21%
Monroe13%
Jonesboro5%
West Monroe5%
22 mi
median commute distance
55
jobs based in Chatham
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in Chatham
Chatham has mild winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. At 93°F, Chatham’s July high is close to Louisiana’s towns (92°F) and above U.S. towns (85°F).
93°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter37–60°
Spring53–77°
Summer70–92°
Fall53–78°
Nov 16
typical first frost
Mar 11
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
93°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Fewer children than Louisiana overall
Children under 18 are 19% of residents (24% statewide). The median age in Chatham is 45.3 years. Chatham has grown 5.1% since 2020, to 515 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
45.3median age · LA 38
| Chatham | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.3 years | 37.8 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 17% | 20% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 16% | 17% | 18% |
ChathamLouisianaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
24%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma37%
High school28%
Some college16%
Associate’s2%
Bachelor’s5%
Graduate12%
Women and men · all residents
59% women, 41% men
About 71 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±7.1 points). Across Louisiana, 51.1% of residents are women.
| Chatham | LA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.6% | 12.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.7% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0.9% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 23.6% | 13.3% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 5.2% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 20.8% | 11.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.6% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.6% | 10.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 36.6% | 12.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.4% | 32.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 15.5% | 20.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 2.1% | 7.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 5.4% | 17% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12% | 10.1% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 500, single groups can be off by several points
Health
How healthy Chatham is
Chatham beats the Louisiana average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 16. 19% of adults have diabetes in Chatham.
| Chatham | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 34% | 25% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 49% | 44% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 27% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Louisiana
0 better16 too close to call16 worse
| What stands out | Chatham | LA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 29% | 18.1% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 31.1% | 22.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.7% | 8.5% |
Jackson Parish Hospital
16.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Moderate risk in Chatham, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 51% of U.S. communities.
49risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesHeat waves
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Nearby attractions
All 12 attractions →Watson Brake and 6 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Chatham. Close and well known come first.
18 mi Ancient siteWatson Brake
27 mi MountainDriskill Mountain
27 mi MuseumChennault Aviation and Military Museum
24 mi GardenBiedenharn Museum and Gardens24 mi Zoo & aquariumLouisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo
19 mi TheatreDixie Center for the ArtsSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Watson Brake: Herb Roe, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Driskill Mountain: Fredlyfish4, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Chennault Aviation and Military Museum: Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Biedenharn Museum and Gardens: Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Dixie Center for the Arts: Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Chatham
17pages on Chatham
The big questions
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Chatham; the nearest are
Louisiana Tech UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Ruston19.1 mi$10,125 in-state tuitionLouisiana Delta Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Monroe27.6 mi$4,159 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Chatham residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Louisiana.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Chatham for work
Where Chatham’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
55jobs based in Chatham
2%of working residents work in town
22 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Chatham
Town in Louisiana, United States
Chatham is a town in Jackson Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 491 in 2020. It is part of the Ruston micropolitan statistical area. Southwest of Chatham is Caney Lake and the Jimmie Davis State Park.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 180 ft
- ZIP code
- 71226
- Area code
- 318
Questions about Chatham
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Chatham, LA a good place to live?
Chatham has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.