70538 ZIP Code — Franklin, LA

Saint Mary County, Louisiana

ZIP code 70538 is located in Franklin, Louisiana, within Saint Mary County. It covers approximately 229.90 square miles and serves a population of 13,342 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 337.

About ZIP code 70538

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $107,000. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 74%.

Median household income is $47,174. Poverty affects 19% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 22% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 36% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 21 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 15% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of diabetes (15%), smoking (23%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 70538 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

13,342

population

229.90

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

70538 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 70538

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 70538. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Franklin	Acceptable
Franklin	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

70514 Baldwin (11.5 mi) 70544 Jeanerette (14.7 mi) 70392 Patterson (18.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	13,342
Population density	58 / sq mi
State FIPS	22
County FIPS	101

Geography
Land area	229.90 sq mi
Water area	30.41 sq mi
Latitude	29.6993
Longitude	-91.6261
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	337

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	58.1%	59.3%	49.2%
$50k – $100k	29.7%	26.4%	27.7%
$100k – $200k	10.2%	12.1%	18.3%
Over $200k	2.0%	2.2%	4.7%

Demographics & statistics

13,342

Population

People per sq mi

41.4

Median age

$47,174

Median household income

$26,836

Per capita income

$107,000

Median home value

$831

Median monthly rent

73.6%

Home ownership

19.2%

Poverty rate

4.6%

Unemployment

5,208

Housing units

14.9%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

367

Under 5

391

398

5–9

424

447

10–14

476

414

15–19

441

338

20–24

361

668

25–34

713

774

35–44

825

654

45–54

698

499

55–59

532

522

60–64

556

800

65–74

853

350

75–84

373

227

85+

241

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	3,001	22.5%
18 and over	10,341	77.5%
65 and over	2,844	21.3%
Median age	41.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 49.6%

Black or African American 42.4%

Two or more races 4.4%

Hispanic or Latino 1.2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%

Asian 0.9%

Other race 0.6%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	6,697	49.6%
Black or African American	5,722	42.4%
Two or more races	595	4.4%
Hispanic or Latino	166	1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	121	0.9%
Asian	115	0.9%
Other race	79	0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	13	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	58.1%	59.3%	49.2%
$50k – $100k	29.7%	26.4%	27.7%
$100k – $200k	10.2%	12.1%	18.3%
Over $200k	2.0%	2.2%	4.7%

Under $10k 11.1%

$10k–$15k 6.2%

$15k–$25k 14.1%

$25k–$35k 7.4%

$35k–$50k 13.5%

$50k–$75k 15.8%

$75k–$100k 14.1%

$100k–$150k 11.4%

$150k–$200k 3.6%

$200k+ 2.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	11.1%
$10k–$15k	6.2%
$15k–$25k	14.1%
$25k–$35k	7.4%
$35k–$50k	13.5%
$50k–$75k	15.8%
$75k–$100k	14.1%
$100k–$150k	11.4%
$150k–$200k	3.6%
$200k+	2.9%
Median income	$47,174

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 19.2%

$50k–$100k 26.8%

$100k–$150k 20.3%

$150k–$200k 6.6%

$200k–$300k 13.2%

$300k–$500k 12.2%

$500k–$1M 1.7%

$1M+ 0.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$107,000
Median rent / month	$831
Owner occupied	73.6%
Renter occupied	26.4%
Vacant	21.4%
Single-family detached	74.3%
Large apartment buildings	0.8%
Mobile homes	20.3%
Median rooms	5.8
Avg household size (owned)	2.53

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	4.9%
2000–2009	10.2%
1990–1999	12.3%
1980–1989	12.3%
1970–1979	18.8%
1960–1969	11.3%
1950–1959	16.0%
1940–1949	5.1%
1939 or earlier	9.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.5%
1 bedroom	2.3%
2 bedrooms	19.3%
3 bedrooms	60.7%
4 bedrooms	16.0%
5+ bedrooms	1.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	10.2%
1 vehicle	35.2%
2 vehicles	34.9%
3 or more	19.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	38.1%
Electricity	61.2%
Propane / LP gas	0.1%
Fuel oil	0.4%
No fuel used	0.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,164	41.9%
Cohabiting couple	223	4.3%
Male householder, no spouse	1,158	22.4%
Female householder, no spouse	1,616	31.3%
Households with children under 18	1,327	25.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,947	37.7%
Average household size	2.50

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	38.4%	28.5%
Married	45.5%	41.8%
Separated	0.8%	3.1%
Widowed	3.9%	13.6%
Divorced	11.4%	13.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.5%

Some HS, no diploma 12.4%

HS graduate 47.9%

Some college, no degree 16.0%

Associate's degree 5.4%

Bachelor's degree 8.9%

Graduate / professional 6.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	84.2%
Bachelor's or higher	14.9%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	140	5.0%
Kindergarten	83	3.0%
Elementary school	1,444	52.1%
High school	698	25.2%
College / grad school	408	14.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 28.0%

Agriculture & mining 14.0%

Retail trade 12.8%

Construction 8.9%

Manufacturing 6.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 6.4%

Professional & management 6.0%

Transportation & utilities 5.4%

Other services 3.6%

Public administration 3.3%

Finance & real estate 3.2%

Wholesale trade 1.2%

Information 0.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	26.6%
Service	21.0%
Sales & office	23.8%
Natural resources & construction	11.9%
Production & transportation	16.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	78.9%
Government	15.5%
Self-employed	5.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	86.8%
Carpool	7.1%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.8%
Work from home	4.1%
Other means	1.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.2

Poverty

All people 19.2%

Under 18 years 22.7%

18 and over 18.1%

Married-couple families 13.8%

Female-led households 26.5%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	36.0%
Retirement income	25.7%
Supplemental Security	12.3%
Cash public assistance	0.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	21.6%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	37.5%
High blood pressure	42.9%
High cholesterol	36.4%
Diabetes	15.4%
Heart disease	7.7%
Stroke	4.5%
Asthma	10.2%
Arthritis	26.8%
Kidney disease	3.7%
Pulmonary disease	8.6%
Cancer	6.3%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	22.7%
Binge drinking	17.3%
No physical activity	33.7%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	37.2%
Depression	23.7%
Fair or poor health	22.8%
Poor mental health	17.8%
Poor physical health	13.8%
No health insurance	16.6%
Visited doctor (checkup)	80.1%
Visited dentist	52.0%
Cholesterol screening	89.6%
Teeth loss	21.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	630	6.1%

Disability	%
Any disability	21.1%
Under 18	3.2%
18–64 years	19.4%
65 and over	44.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	53.9%
Public insurance	60.2%
No insurance	3.7%
Uninsured under 19	1.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	12,584	94.3%
Spanish	100	0.8%
Other Indo-European	25	0.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	6	0.0%
Other languages	69	0.5%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	13,192	98.9%
Born in same state	13,160	98.6%
Born in different state	11,839	88.7%
Foreign born	32	0.2%
Naturalized citizen	150	1.1%
Not a US citizen	70	46.7%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	679	5.1%
Italian	365	2.7%
French	319	2.4%
German	310	2.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	78	0.6%
Dutch	23	0.2%
Polish	9	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	38.7%
Internet access	82.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 70538

What city is ZIP code 70538 in?

ZIP code 70538 is primarily assigned to Franklin, Louisiana.

What county is ZIP code 70538 in?

ZIP code 70538 falls within Saint Mary County, Louisiana.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 70538?

19% of residents in ZIP code 70538 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 70538?

15% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Does ZIP code 70538 have a large retiree population?

36% of households in ZIP code 70538 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 70538?

The median home value in ZIP code 70538 is $107,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 70538 in?

ZIP code 70538 observes the CST timezone.