Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 734, settled in 1883.
34% of residents live below the poverty line in Gibsland, against 20% in Louisiana’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. No town among the 161 in Louisiana we compare has a lower median household income than Gibsland. Sylvan Retreat is on the National Register of Historic Places. Gibsland has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 558 in 1900, a peak of 1,380 in 1970, 773 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 4 maps from 1949 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Gibsland, 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 Gibsland.
Most working residents leave Gibsland for work: only 3% work in town. Since 2013, Gibsland has lost 30 jobs, to 82 in 2023. The top destinations are Arcadia (15%), Minden (13%) and Shreveport (11%).
| Gibsland | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 3.1% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Bienville Parish school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gibsland-Coleman High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 139 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts
Gibsland has mild winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. Gibsland’s July high is 93°F, where Louisiana’s towns sit at 92°F and U.S. towns at 85°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
53% of adults have obesity in Gibsland. Among 162 Louisiana towns, just 8 have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Gibsland. 56% of adults have high blood pressure in Gibsland.
| Gibsland | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 27% | 19% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 53% | 43% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 16% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 34% | 25% |
| What stands out | Gibsland | LA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.5% | 16.9% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.6% | 7.5% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 26.1% | 12.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 52% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Gibsland
About 7 of every 100 Gibsland residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Louisiana.
Where Gibsland’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
6 notable people were born in Gibsland.
Town in Louisiana, United States
Gibsland is a town in Bienville Parish in northern Louisiana, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 773. The town is best known for its connecting railroads, as the birthplace of the defunct historically black Coleman College, and for being the place where notorious criminals Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were ambushed and killed by Texas Rangers on May 23, 1934. Gibsland native John McConathy was a champion basketball player at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana, who later was the superintendent for the Bossier Parish School Board, in which capacity he was the guiding force behind the establishment of the $57 million Bossier Parish Community Colleg…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Gibsland has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
6 notable people were born here, including Bernard King and Ralph Hamner.
