Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,576, settled in 1819. A regional job hub with 3,123 jobs.
Franklinton earns a D−, 150th of 161 graded towns in Louisiana, mostly because of health and incomes. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 98% of the country. The median household income is $34K, and 21% of residents live below the poverty line. What it does well: it is more walkable than 82% of U.S. towns. Only 2 of Louisiana’s 253 towns score lower on cost of living. Franklinton has 7 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Knight Cabin and Sylvest House. Franklinton's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 90% of U.S. towns.
Where Franklinton beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Census counts: 143 in 1860, a low of 97 in 1890, 3,662 in 2020. The archive holds 16 old photos and papers going back to 1857 and 3 maps from 1950 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Louisiana), ordered by how far Franklinton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Franklinton, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Franklinton.
Franklinton draws workers from Bogalusa and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has a long record of flood insurance claims.
Against the 1,133 U.S. towns with household incomes like Franklinton’s, it is less healthy than 79%, so its D− isn’t only a matter of income. Within Louisiana it is less healthy than 74% of the 161 graded towns: much of Louisiana scores lower on these measures.
19% of Franklinton adults have diabetes, above both the Louisiana town median (16%) and the median of U.S. towns (12%). 49% of adults have high blood pressure in Franklinton. Franklinton beats the Louisiana average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 16.
| Franklinton | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 49% | 44% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 34% | 25% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 27% | 19% |
| What stands out | Franklinton | LA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 13.8% | 16.9% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.2% | 78.8% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 33.4% | 18.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Washington Parish school district. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Franklinton High School, with 649 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franklinton Primary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–3 | Grades PK–3 | 567 | C+ |
| Franklinton High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 649 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within LA on state tests and graduation
3,123 jobs are based in Franklinton, 2.3 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
About one in 5 of Franklinton’s working residents works in town. At $34,000, Franklinton’s median household income is below both Louisiana’s towns ($56,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000). Franklinton’s average trip to work is 29 minutes.
| Franklinton | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 22% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $34,000 | $56,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
83 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 15 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 89% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 83 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Franklinton.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Franklinton has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Franklinton is 92°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Franklinton home is worth about $189,000, up 3.1% in a year, 12% below the Louisiana typical home. 41% of Franklinton households own their home.
| Franklinton | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 41% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $808 a month | $992 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Franklinton; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Franklinton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Louisiana.
Where Franklinton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
7 places in Franklinton on the National Register of Historic Places.
8 notable people were born in Franklinton.
Town in Louisiana, United States
Franklinton is a town in, and the parish seat of Washington Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2020 census, Franklinton had a population of 3,662. The elevation is an average of 155 feet (47 m) above sea level. Franklinton is located 61 miles (98 km) north of New Orleans. A Franklinton physician, Jerry Thomas, represented Washington Parish in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1988 to 1999. He was elected to the District 12 seat in the state senate, serving from 1999 to 2004. He had succeeded Phil Short of Covington, who resigned. Prior to his state service, Dr. Thomas was the Washington Parish coroner from 1980 to 1988. Elected in 2015, Beth Mizell, a businesswoman from F…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Franklinton grades D− overall, better than 4% of U.S. towns and #150 of 161 in Louisiana. It grades D− for health and B+ for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. That is 4.2 years of the area's median household income ($45,380 across the Bogalusa, LA area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
8 notable people were born here, including Otto Ernest Passman and John L. Crain.
