Louisiana

State Office of Rural Health

Louisiana Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention and Healthcare Access

Phone: 225.342.9513
Email: wellahead@la.gov

Works to improve the health status of Louisiana residents in rural and underserved areas by building community health systems' capacity to provide integrated, efficient, and effective health care services. A bureau of the Louisiana Department of Health Office of Public Health housing the State Office of Rural Health. Known locally as Well-Ahead Louisiana.
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Louisiana Nonmetro Population

4,640,546

Estimated population

738,220 (15.9%)

People living in nonmetro areas

Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-year estimate

Louisiana Rural Healthcare Facilities

27

Critical Access Hospitals

1

Rural Emergency Hospitals

238

Rural Health Clinics

131

Federally Qualified Health Centers*

33

Short Term/PPS Hospitals*

*Sites according to data.HRSA.gov (July 2024), showing only locations outside of U.S. Census Bureau Urban Areas with a population of 50,000 or more

Selected Social Determinants of Health for Rural Louisiana

6.8% of Louisiana residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2022). According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per capita income for Louisiana residents in 2021 was $54,217, with the rural per capita income at $46,088. The ERS reports, based on 2021 ACS data, that the poverty rate in rural Louisiana is 24.0%, compared with 18.7% in urban areas of the state. 18.8% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 12.9% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma according to 2017-2021 ACS data reported by ERS. The unemployment rate in rural Louisiana is 4.1%, while in urban Louisiana, it is 3.6% (USDA-ERS, 2022).