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Louisiana›Vernon Parish
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PitkinLA

A town of 489, settled in 1908.

Population
489
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$139K
+1.9% in a year
Household income
$116K
median
Median age
41.9
years
Jobs based here
13
A commuter town

Is Pitkin a good place to live?

Pitkin has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

489 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns
Elizabeth · 9 miOakdale · 18 miGlenmora · 21 miMcNary · 21 miRosepine · 21 miDeRidder · 23 mi
Getting set up

Moving to Pitkin: who provides what

Pitkin is unincorporated, so Vernon Parish and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerSWEPCO13.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPitkin Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers13% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesVernon ParishVernon Parish provides services here
SchoolsVernon Parish School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES
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.gov
Who runs elections hereVernon Parish Registrar of VotersVernon Parish; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code7065670656 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 Pitkin.

Schools

The schools Pitkin’s kids attend

Public schools: the Vernon Parish school district. The largest public high school is Pitkin High School, with 387 students. Its one school is below.

SchoolLevelStudentsLetter
Pitkin High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12Grades PK–12387B+
Full pagePitkin’s schools pageOpen the page
The districtsVernon ParishEvery school1 school · Pitkin High SchoolQuestions“Are Pitkin’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts

Housing

More of Pitkin’s households live in a home they own than in the typical Louisiana or U.S. town

In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 1.9%.

$139KZillow home value

Typical home value

Pitkin$139K
Louisiana$214K
+1.9%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in March
Full pagePitkin’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page
Prices over the yearsUp 1.9% in a yearYears of income to buyA typical home costs 1.2 years of incomeRentsRents

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Work & commute

Compared with most of Louisiana and the rest of the country, the median household income in Pitkin is higher

The top destinations are Leesville (12%), DeRidder (9%) and Lake Charles (5%). Among 162 Louisiana towns, just 5 have a lower share of residents below the poverty line than Pitkin. Since 2013, Pitkin has lost 22 jobs, to 13 in 2023. The median commute is under 25 miles.

0%work in town
PitkinLouisiana townsU.S. towns
Median household income$116,000$56,000$80,000
Below the poverty line4.9%20%9.6%

Where working residents work

In Pitkin0%
Leesville12%
DeRidder9%
Lake Charles5%
Alexandria3%
25 mi
median commute distance
13
jobs based in Pitkin
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Full pagePitkin’s work & commute pageOpen the page
The jobs here13 jobs based here · A commuter townWhere people work0% work in PitkinCommute timesCommute timesHow far they goHalf commute less than 25 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Natural hazards

High risk in Pitkin, with inland flooding at the top

42% of Pitkin’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by hurricanes at 20%. Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 75% of U.S. communities. Households here have drawn federal disaster aid in 9 declared disasters, most recently in 2021.

75risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
75High riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingHurricanesTornadoes
9
federal disasters paid out here
Full pagePitkin’s hazards pageOpen the page
What it facesHigh riskFlood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on recordPast disasters9 federal disasters · Paid out in PitkinGet ready1 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Climate

In Pitkin, expect mild winters and hot summers

The July high for Pitkin comes to 92°F.

93°summer high

Typical low → high °F

Winter41–63°
Spring56–78°
Summer71–92°
Fall56–79°
Nov 25
typical first frost
Mar 3
typical last frost
+0.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
93°
typical summer high
Full pagePitkin’s climate pageOpen the page
A year of weatherJuly highs 92°, January lows 39°Rain & snow61″ of rain a year · Snow is almost unheard ofHeating & coolingBoth heating and coolingThen and now+0.6° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Health

How healthy Pitkin is

The share of adults in Pitkin who have been diagnosed with depression: 30%. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Pitkin is ahead of Louisiana on 2 and behind on 5.

PitkinLouisiana townsU.S. towns
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)22%19%14%
Depression (CDC PLACES)30%27%23%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)18%16%14%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)21%20%17%
32 measures vs. Louisiana
2 better25 too close to call5 worse
What stands outPitkinLA
Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off9.8%12.4%
Fewer adults facing housing insecurity13.8%16.8%
More adults with COPD11.3%8.5%
Oakdale Community Hospital
18.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
Full pagePitkin’s health reportOpen the page
Everyday habitsMore smokersHospitals & doctors nearby18.8 miles to an ER · Oakdale Community HospitalHow adults are doingMore adults in frequent physical distressEvery CDC estimateBetter than LA on 2 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Pitkin

16pages on Pitkin
The big questions
Schools1 schoolHealthBetter than LA on 2 of 32 CDC measuresCost of living$139K typical home · up 1.9% in a yearWork & commute$116K median household income · 13 jobs hereNatural hazardsFEMA risk higher than 75% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
PlacesAttractions11 nearby · Fort Polk 13 miLibraryPitkin BranchColleges
The story
HistorySettled 1908Climate93° summer highs
Day to day
NewsWeatherHandbookZIP code 70656Town SquareNeighbors
After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of Pitkin; the nearest are

Louisiana State University-AlexandriaUniversity or college · Public · Alexandria34.8 mi$7,050 in-state tuitionCentral Louisiana Technical Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Alexandria38.5 mi$4,099 in-state tuition

About 0 of every 100 Pitkin residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Louisiana.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

A commuter town

100% of working residents leave Pitkin for work

Where Pitkin’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

12% → Leesville Leesville 12% 9% → DeRidder DeRidder 9% 5% → Lake Charles Lake Charles 5% 3% → Alexandria Alexandria 3% 3% → Baton Rouge Baton Rouge 3% 2% → Oberlin Oberlin 2% Pitkin · 0% stay
13jobs based in Pitkin
0%of working residents work in town
25 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

About Pitkin

CDP in Louisiana, United States

Pitkin is a census-designated place (CDP) in Vernon Parish, Louisiana, United States. Pitkin is approximately 40 miles (64 km) southeast of Leesville, the parish seat, and approximately 45 miles (72 km) southwest of the city of Alexandria. As of the 2020 census, Pitkin had a population of 455. Burl Cain, former warden of the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola and commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, was reared in Pitkin. His older brother, James David, a former member of both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature, was born in Pitkin in 1938.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area
6.2 sq mi
Elevation
167 ft
ZIP code
70656

Questions about Pitkin

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Pitkin, LA a good place to live?

Pitkin has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.