Evangeline Parish, Louisiana

County Distress Index: Serious · 69.4 | 31,754 people · 32nd most distressed in Louisiana
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Evangeline Parish, LA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 69.4 — 419th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Structural Poverty, where poverty rates are high, transfer income dependency is elevated, and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Louisiana, it ranks 32nd of 64 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Evangeline Parish's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 83.6 — worse than roughly 84% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 83.6
Unemployment Rate 64
Poverty Rate 91
Income vs. State Median 80
Child Poverty Rate 88
Disability Rate 86
Transfer Income Dependency 89
Consumer Credit Distress 71.0
Debt in Collections 80
Medical Debt 68
Auto Loan Delinquency 64
Credit Card Delinquency 60
Uninsured Rate 54
Subprime Credit Population 84
Housing Cost Burden 67.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 85
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 62
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 1
Homeownership Rate 85
Legal Distress 61.3
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 61
Economic Vitality 51.6
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 30
Rent-to-Income Ratio 56
Business Formation Rate 79
House Price Change (YoY) 97

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Evangeline Parish
Evangeline Parish, LA 69.4 Serious —
Avoyelles Parish, LA 77.8 Serious +8.4
Rapides Parish, LA 76.5 Serious +7.1
St. Landry Parish, LA 76.1 Serious +6.7
Allen Parish, LA 72.7 Serious +3.3
Acadia Parish, LA 70.1 Serious +0.7
Jefferson Davis Parish, LA 58.6 Elevated -10.9

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Evangeline Parish
Casey County, KY 69.5 Serious +0.0
Dorchester County, MD 69.5 Serious +0.0
Bladen County, NC 69.3 Serious -0.1
Uvalde County, TX 69.3 Serious -0.1
Escambia County, AL 69.6 Serious +0.2

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Evangeline Parish as a CSV file.

Find Help in Evangeline Parish

Find an Attorney

Louisiana State Bar Association Lawyer Referral offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Louisiana State Bar Association Lawyer Referral 1-800-421-5722

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Evangeline Parish residents at no cost.

Southeast Louisiana Legal Services 504-529-1000
Acadiana Legal Service Corporation 1-800-256-1175
Southeast Louisiana Legal Services Corporation (504) 529-1000

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Louisiana →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Evangeline Parish, Louisiana?

    Evangeline Parish has a County Distress Index score of 69.4 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 419th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 32nd in Louisiana out of 64 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Evangeline Parish?

    The primary driver of distress in Evangeline Parish is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 83.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Evangeline Parish compare to neighboring counties?

    Evangeline Parish (69.4) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Avoyelles Parish, LA (77.8); Rapides Parish, LA (76.5); St. Landry Parish, LA (76.1).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses PCA-weighted percentile scoring across five statistically derived factors: Consumer Credit Distress (47.5%), Housing Cost Burden (22.3%), Structural Poverty (13.6%), Economic Vitality (9.2%), and Legal Distress (7.4%). Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • How often is the CDI updated?

    Annually, aligned to Census American Community Survey and Urban Institute Debt in America release windows — the slowest-moving source inputs. Between annual refreshes, faster-cadence indicators (BLS unemployment, QCEW wages) may drive light mid-year updates if a specific component moves meaningfully. Current data compiled April 14, 2026; next full refresh early 2027.

  • What does the Serious zone mean?

    The CDI divides counties into five zones: Healthy (below 46), Normal (46–55), Elevated (55–71), Serious (71–86), and Crisis (86 and above). Evangeline Parish's score of 69.4 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

  • What data sources power Evangeline Parish's CDI score?

    Evangeline Parish's CDI score draws on Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax credit-bureau panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS, QCEW), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Every number on this page traces to one of these public sources.

  • What is the population of Evangeline Parish?

    Evangeline Parish, Louisiana has a population of approximately 31,754 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.