70438 ZIP Code — Franklinton, LA

Washington County, Louisiana

ZIP code 70438 is located in Franklinton, Louisiana, within Washington County. It covers approximately 347.89 square miles and serves a population of 20,345 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 985.

About ZIP code 70438

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $150,500. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 75%.

The gap between median ($46,862) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. Poverty affects 20% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 21% 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. An above-average commute of 37 minutes suggests many residents work outside the immediate area.

College attainment at 12% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of diabetes (15%), smoking (26%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 70438 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.

20,345

population

347.89

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

70438 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 70438

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 70438. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Franklinton	Acceptable
Franklinton	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

70450 Mount Hermon (11 mi) 70427 Bogalusa (13.4 mi) 70426 Angie (15.4 mi) 70437 Folsom (15.8 mi) 70442 Husser (16.2 mi) 70435 Covington (17 mi) 70431 Bush (19.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	20,345
Population density	58 / sq mi
State FIPS	22
County FIPS	117

Geography
Land area	347.89 sq mi
Water area	2.29 sq mi
Latitude	30.8279
Longitude	-90.1177
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	985

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	56.1%	60.9%	49.2%
$50k – $100k	28.5%	24.9%	27.7%
$100k – $200k	13.0%	12.6%	18.3%
Over $200k	2.3%	1.5%	4.7%

Demographics & statistics

20,345

Population

People per sq mi

39.9

Median age

$46,862

Median household income

$27,710

Per capita income

$150,500

Median home value

$701

Median monthly rent

74.7%

Home ownership

19.7%

Poverty rate

7.8%

Unemployment

7,248

Housing units

11.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

690

Under 5

730

571

5–9

603

735

10–14

777

629

15–19

665

621

20–24

657

1,083

25–34

1,145

1,263

35–44

1,335

1,144

45–54

1,210

651

55–59

688

60–64

727

983

65–74

1,039

537

75–84

567

295

85+

312

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	4,924	24.2%
18 and over	15,421	75.8%
65 and over	3,733	18.3%
Median age	39.9 years

Race & ethnicity

White 71.6%

Black or African American 23%

Two or more races 3%

Hispanic or Latino 2%

Other race 0.2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	14,860	71.6%
Black or African American	4,771	23%
Two or more races	615	3%
Hispanic or Latino	407	2%
Other race	51	0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	48	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	56.1%	60.9%	49.2%
$50k – $100k	28.5%	24.9%	27.7%
$100k – $200k	13.0%	12.6%	18.3%
Over $200k	2.3%	1.5%	4.7%

Under $10k 5.9%

$10k–$15k 6.9%

$15k–$25k 12.8%

$25k–$35k 14.6%

$35k–$50k 12.8%

$50k–$75k 14.4%

$75k–$100k 8.4%

$100k–$150k 11.7%

$150k–$200k 7.8%

$200k+ 4.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	5.9%
$10k–$15k	6.9%
$15k–$25k	12.8%
$25k–$35k	14.6%
$35k–$50k	12.8%
$50k–$75k	14.4%
$75k–$100k	8.4%
$100k–$150k	11.7%
$150k–$200k	7.8%
$200k+	4.7%
Median income	$46,862

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 15.0%

$50k–$100k 17.3%

$100k–$150k 17.5%

$150k–$200k 14.1%

$200k–$300k 18.7%

$300k–$500k 11.5%

$500k–$1M 5.4%

$1M+ 0.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$150,500
Median rent / month	$701
Owner occupied	74.7%
Renter occupied	25.3%
Vacant	16.5%
Single-family detached	63.3%
Large apartment buildings	0.8%
Mobile homes	31.6%
Median rooms	5.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.56

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	9.8%
2000–2009	15.8%
1990–1999	18.2%
1980–1989	17.2%
1970–1979	15.7%
1960–1969	9.2%
1950–1959	5.3%
1940–1949	1.9%
1939 or earlier	6.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.0%
1 bedroom	5.6%
2 bedrooms	22.3%
3 bedrooms	57.7%
4 bedrooms	11.4%
5+ bedrooms	0.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	6.7%
1 vehicle	34.2%
2 vehicles	35.0%
3 or more	24.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	9.6%
Electricity	80.8%
Propane / LP gas	6.2%
Fuel oil	0.2%
Wood	2.1%
Solar	0.3%
No fuel used	0.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	3,536	46.1%
Cohabiting couple	441	5.7%
Male householder, no spouse	1,455	19.0%
Female householder, no spouse	2,243	29.2%
Households with children under 18	2,584	33.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,853	37.2%
Average household size	2.61

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	31.0%	31.3%
Married	47.8%	43.0%
Separated	2.1%	2.0%
Widowed	7.7%	15.3%
Divorced	11.4%	8.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.9%

Some HS, no diploma 10.8%

HS graduate 45.5%

Some college, no degree 19.3%

Associate's degree 6.9%

Bachelor's degree 8.0%

Graduate / professional 3.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	83.3%
Bachelor's or higher	11.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	395	8.8%
Kindergarten	242	5.4%
Elementary school	2,226	49.6%
High school	1,078	24.0%
College / grad school	545	12.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 28.0%

Retail trade 14.8%

Construction 10.4%

Transportation & utilities 7.2%

Professional & management 7.0%

Public administration 7.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 6.4%

Agriculture & mining 5.3%

Manufacturing 4.9%

Finance & real estate 4.3%

Other services 3.1%

Information 1.2%

Wholesale trade 0.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	29.4%
Service	20.1%
Sales & office	19.2%
Natural resources & construction	15.8%
Production & transportation	15.4%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	80.4%
Government	15.7%
Self-employed	3.9%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	77.2%
Carpool	6.6%
Public transit	1.3%
Walk	2.4%
Work from home	4.4%
Other means	8.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	36.7

Poverty

All people 19.7%

Under 18 years 27.8%

18 and over 17.1%

Married-couple families 8.3%

Female-led households 30.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	36.2%
Retirement income	27.9%
Supplemental Security	13.0%
Cash public assistance	1.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	21.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	43.2%
High blood pressure	43.0%
High cholesterol	37.5%
Diabetes	15.1%
Heart disease	8.4%
Stroke	4.6%
Asthma	10.3%
Arthritis	30.3%
Kidney disease	3.8%
Pulmonary disease	10.1%
Cancer	6.4%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	25.8%
Binge drinking	17.4%
No physical activity	34.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	35.5%
Depression	26.2%
Fair or poor health	23.1%
Poor mental health	18.9%
Poor physical health	14.9%
No health insurance	16.6%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.0%
Visited dentist	49.9%
Cholesterol screening	88.3%
Teeth loss	22.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,190	7.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	21.0%
Under 18	7.4%
18–64 years	20.2%
65 and over	42.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	49.7%
Public insurance	54.9%
No insurance	8.2%
Uninsured under 19	4.2%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	18,925	93.0%
Spanish	342	1.8%
Other Indo-European	174	0.9%
Asian & Pacific Islander	140	0.7%
Other languages	28	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	20,311	99.8%
Born in same state	20,300	99.8%
Born in different state	16,443	80.8%
Foreign born	11	0.1%
Naturalized citizen	34	0.2%
Not a US citizen	28	82.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	2,063	10.1%
Arab	2,036	10%
French	1,684	8.3%
German	122	0.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	41	0.2%
Polish	39	0.2%
Irish	7	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	37.7%
Internet access	88.1%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 70438

What city is ZIP code 70438 in?

ZIP code 70438 is primarily assigned to Franklinton, Louisiana.

What county is ZIP code 70438 in?

ZIP code 70438 falls within Washington County, Louisiana.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 70438?

12% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 70438?

20% of residents in ZIP code 70438 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 70438 have a large retiree population?

36% of households in ZIP code 70438 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 70438?

The median home value in ZIP code 70438 is $150,500.

What timezone is ZIP code 70438 in?

ZIP code 70438 observes the CST timezone.