StartLA
A town of 852, settled in 1918.
Is Start a good place to live?
Start’s median age is 50.1 years, against 37.8 years in Louisiana’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. Start has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
852 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Start: who provides what
Start is unincorporated, so Richland Parish and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Start.
More middle-aged adults than Louisiana overall
For adults 25 and older in Start, the share who hold a bachelor’s degree or more is 33%. Adults 35 to 64 are 55% of residents (37% statewide); children under 18 are 15% of residents (24% statewide).
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
46% women, 54% men
About 116 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.7 points). Across Louisiana, 51.1% of residents are women.
| Start | LA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.7% | 12.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.3% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.5% | 13.3% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 4.3% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 32.6% | 11.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.7% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 4.5% | 10.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.3% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 17.5% | 12.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 14.6% | 32.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 34.8% | 20.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 0% | 7.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 26.7% | 17% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.4% | 10.1% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 900, single groups can be off by several points
The schools Start’s kids attend
Its one school is below. Public schools: the Richland Parish school district. 332 students attend Start’s public school.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 332 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts
Start has 0.2 jobs per working resident, so most workers leave town for work
In Start, 1.6% of working residents work locally. This Louisiana town had 65 jobs in 2023, up 59 from 2013. The average trip to work locally is 28 minutes. Half of commuters travel less than 15 miles.
| Start | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 7.7% | 20% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.6% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The biggest natural risk in Start is inland flooding, at a low overall level
FEMA expects less storm and flood damage in Start than in three quarters of U.S. communities. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Start after 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2016. Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 34% come from inland flooding and 20% from tornadoes.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Start is
Among adults in Start, 15% report frequent physical distress. Of 32 CDC measures, Start beats the Louisiana average on 6 and trails it on 1. Two figures for adults locally: 29% have been diagnosed with depression, 16% worry about having enough food. Only 9 of the 162 Louisiana towns we compare have a lower share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Start.
| Start | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 27% | 23% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 26% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 44% | 35% |
| What stands out | Start | LA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.7% | 12.4% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 11.5% | 16.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.1% | 7.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The median home in Start sells for about $235K
82% of Start households live in a home they own.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Poverty Point National Monument and 5 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Start. Close and well known come first.
28 mi National MonumentPoverty Point National Monument
18 mi Ancient siteWatson Brake
11 mi MuseumChennault Aviation and Military Museum
16 mi GardenBiedenharn Museum and Gardens13 mi Zoo & aquariumLouisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo20 mi MuseumSnyder Memorial Museum and Creative Arts CenterPhoto credits
Poverty Point National Monument: Unknown, Public domain · 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
Everything we know about Start
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Start
About 0 of every 100 Start residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Louisiana.
98% of working residents leave Start for work
Where Start’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Start
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Start, LA a good place to live?
Start has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.