Ouachita Parish, Louisiana Eviction Risk: Low

Ouachita Parish carries an average eviction-risk score of 3.1/10 (Low) across its 10 tracked cities, placing it at rank 53 of 64 parishes in Louisiana. That ranking means 52 parishes in the state are riskier for landlords, and only 11 are more favorable, putting Ouachita Parish firmly in the lower-risk third of a state that is generally landlord-accessible. For investors sizing up a north-central Louisiana portfolio, the parish-wide picture is encouraging, though conditions are far from uniform across the city grid.

The intra-county spread runs from 2 to 3.4/10, a meaningful gap that reflects real differences in tenant economic stress. The average renter here spends 38.7% of income on housing, and 47.9% of households rent rather than own. Those figures indicate a large tenant pool with modest financial cushion, so thorough screening and consistent lease enforcement remain important even in a relatively favorable market. Average asking rent across the parish sits at $950 per month.

The cities inside Ouachita Parish

Monroe anchors the parish with a population of 47,004 and the lowest risk score in the county at 2.1/10. As the largest city by a wide margin, Monroe eviction risk accounts for the bulk of the rental market, and its score suggests landlords there face comparatively manageable conditions relative to the rest of the parish. Swartz, with roughly 4,110 residents, comes in at 2.7/10, a middle-ground profile that warrants normal diligence.

At the higher end, Richwood and Sterlington both score 2.3/10, the ceiling for the parish and the only two cities that reach that level. Claiborne (population 13,308), West Monroe (population 12,729), Brownsville, Lakeshore, and Bawcomville all score 3.1/10. Even at 2.9, these markets remain in Low territory statewide, but the gap versus Monroe is real. Investors targeting multi-unit properties across several of these smaller cities should treat each location as its own underwriting case rather than assuming parish-level averages apply uniformly.

State-level laws that apply here

Louisiana state law under La. R.S. § 9:3251 et seq. (Louisiana Lease Law) governs all residential tenancies in Ouachita Parish. For non-payment of rent or a lease violation, landlords must deliver a 5-day notice before filing. Terminating a month-to-month tenancy at end of term requires a 30-day no-cause notice. Court filing fees run $170 to $300, sheriff lockout fees add $50 to $175, and attorney fees in contested matters typically range $500 to $3,000. An uncontested eviction resolves in roughly 14 to 30 days; a contested case can stretch to 90 days. The Louisiana eviction process therefore rewards landlords who document violations carefully from day one. Louisiana state law also preempts local rent-control ordinances, and no just-cause eviction requirement applies, which keeps the regulatory framework simple. For a full cost breakdown, the Louisiana eviction costs guide details each fee category. Louisiana security deposit limits and Louisiana tenant protections are set at the state level, with no local overrides permitted in this parish.

With a poverty rate of 31.4% and nearly half of all households renting, Ouachita Parish carries real tenant-side financial pressure, which is why the city-by-city scores in the grid above matter more than the parish average alone.