Louisiana Cities by Population (2023)

Louisiana is the 25th most populous state in the United States, boasting a population of 4.7 million people. New Orleans is the most populated city in the state, with its estimated population reaching 389,617 people in 2017. Baton Rouge, the state’s capital, falls behind in second place with 228,590 residents. Shreveport and Lafayette round out the other Louisiana cities that have populations of over 100,000, with populations of 197,204 people and 127,657 residents, respectively. The state has 34 cities that have populations falling between 10,000 and 100,000, including such cities as Lake Charles, Bossier City, Kenner and Monroe.

There is a total of 308 incorporated municipalities in this state, made up of four city-parishes and 304 cities, towns and villages. The municipalities are spread across 64 parishes – Louisiana’s version of counties. Classifications are based on population. A city in Louisiana is one that has more than 5,000 residents, a town has between 1,001 and 4,999 residents are towns, and villages have populations that are at 1,000 residents or fewer. Mound is the smallest municipality in the state, with a population of just per data from the 2010 U.S. Census. Grambling is the smallest municipality in the state that has received the designation of a city.