LAMap-doton-Richwood, 2004
Richwood’s story
52 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,223 in 1980, 3,881 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2004 and 5 maps from 1940 on.
- 1974Richwood is incorporated
RichwoodLA
A town of 3,834, incorporated in 1974.
1 bordering townMap →
Bosco Plantation House · Photo: Rswood · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
3,834
2025 Census estimate · −1.4% since 2020
Median home value
$53K
Census ACS
Household income
$32K
median
Median age
34.3
years
Jobs based here
526
A commuter town
TownGrade
C
#83 of 161 in LA
Is Richwood a good place to live?
On CDC health estimates it is near the bottom nationally. Overall it grades C, 83rd of 161 graded towns in Louisiana. Its schools outperform 80% of the state's and natural-hazard risk is low. Its weakest subject is incomes: the median household income is $32K, and 39% of residents live below the poverty line. 39% of residents live below the poverty line in Richwood, above both the Louisiana town median (20%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). No town in Louisiana scores lower than Richwood on history. Richwood's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 100% of U.S. towns.
What makes Richwood stand out
Where Richwood beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Natural hazardsA
Lower risk than 84% of U.S. communities
Very low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
32 measures vs. Louisiana
4 better8 too close to call20 worse
| Widest gap | Richwood | LA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 30% | 12.4% |
Worth knowing · HealthD−
Less healthy than 99% of U.S. towns
Trails LA on 20 of 32 CDC measures, beats it on 4
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
A growing town
Richwood has grown 13% since 2010
3,392 counted in 2010 and 3,881 in 2020; an estimated 3,834 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Richwood grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Louisiana), ordered by how far Richwood is from typical.
Its grades run from A for hazard risk (better than 87% of comparable towns) to D− for health (better than 1%), so the C overall blends very different results.
HealthNear the bottom of U.S. towns on CDC estimates; Ochsner Lsu Health Monroe 1.7 miles awayD−Open →Jobs & income526 jobs based hereDOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listAOpen →SchoolsA−Open →Cost of livingTypical home $53K, 1 years of the Monroe metro’s $52K median household incomeBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.8 of 20; 14.1% of households have no car; 4.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksDOpen →HistoryIncorporated 1974D−Open →Civic life0 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsD−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 94° summer afternoons–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 34.3; 6% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Richwood: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Richwood, and how to reach them.
PowerClaiborne Electric Coop13.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSouth Monroe WS Gowc water system3 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Richwood’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 hereOuachita Parish Registrar of VotersOuachita Parish; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code7120271202 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 Richwood.
Richwood carries less natural-hazard risk than nearly all of Louisiana (mostly inland flooding) and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has poverty well above the Louisiana rate.
HealthD−
A larger share of adults in Richwood report frequent mental distress than in the typical Louisiana or U.S. town
Against the 746 U.S. towns with household incomes like Richwood’s, it is less healthy than 82%, so its D− isn’t only a matter of income.
25% of Richwood adults report frequent mental distress. Among 161 Louisiana towns, just 1 have a higher share of adults who feel lonely than Richwood. 36% of Richwood adults say their health is fair or poor.
1%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
| Richwood | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 27% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 19% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 52% | 43% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 20% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Louisiana
4 better8 too close to call20 worse
| What stands out | Richwood | LA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 2.9% | 7.5% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 5.7% | 7.5% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 30% | 12.4% |
Ochsner Lsu Health Monroe
1.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
17th
percentile among LA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Richwood faces a very low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 96% of Louisiana towns, with expected losses of about $305 per resident a year; that rating is what its A for hazard risk is built on.
Richwood’s FEMA risk score is 16 of 100. Since 2014, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Richwood.
16risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesHeat waves
3
paid flood claims since 2014
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Richwood stands out in Louisiana and nationally, with fewer of its working residents who work locally
The average commute for its 856 working residents takes 19.4 minutes, against 25.7 across Louisiana.
0.5% of working residents work locally in Richwood. The top destinations are Monroe (43%), West Monroe (10%) and Shreveport (4%). The average trip to work in Richwood is 19 minutes.
0%work in town
| Richwood | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $32,000 | $56,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.5% | 9.8% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Richwood0%
Monroe43%
West Monroe10%
Shreveport4%
Ruston4%
6 mi
median commute distance
526
jobs based in Richwood
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 44% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Richwood has mild winters and hot summers
January nights average 35.9°: milder than most of the country, but colder than 87% of Louisiana places with climate records; July afternoons average 93°.
Richwood has mild winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
94°summer high
| Richwood | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 93°F | 92°F | 85°F |
| January low | 36°F | 42°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter38–59°
Spring53–77°
Summer71–92°
Fall54–78°
Nov 15
typical first frost
Mar 8
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
94°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Nearby attractions
All 10 attractions →Watson Brake and 6 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Richwood. Close and well known come first.
7 mi Ancient siteWatson Brake
5 mi MuseumChennault Aviation and Military Museum2 mi Zoo & aquariumLouisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo
6 mi GardenBiedenharn Museum and Gardens
33 mi TheatreDixie Center for the Arts
33 mi GardenLouisiana Tech University ArboretumSources: 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 · 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 · Louisiana Tech University Arboretum: Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Richwood
17pages on Richwood
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Richwood
Louisiana Delta Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Monroe4.2 mi$4,159 in-state tuitionUniversity of Louisiana at MonroeUniversity or college · Public · Monroe5.5 mi$9,190 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Richwood residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Louisiana.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Richwood for work
Where Richwood’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
526jobs based in Richwood
0%of working residents work in town
6 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Richwood
Town in Louisiana, United States
Richwood is a town in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. The town was incorporated December 31, 1974, under the provision of Louisiana Revised Statute 33:52 and operates under a form of government consisting of an elected mayor and a board of alder persons, which has five elected members. The town provides garbage collection, street maintenance, drainage maintenance, and other health and welfare services, in addition to the administrative services provided to its residents. As of the 2020 census, Richwood had a population of 3,881.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 69 ft
- Area code
- 318
Richwood’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Richwood.
MonroeRichwood
How the neighbors grade
Richwood reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Richwood with a neighbor →
Questions about Richwood
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Richwood, LA a good place to live?
Richwood grades C overall, better than 28% of U.S. towns and #83 of 161 in Louisiana. It grades D− for health and A− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Richwood, LA expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.