71261 ZIP Code — Mer Rouge, LA

Morehouse County, Louisiana

ZIP code 71261 is located in Mer Rouge, Louisiana, within Morehouse County. It covers approximately 138.46 square miles and serves a population of 1,302 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 318.

About ZIP code 71261

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 $77,100. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 63%.

The gap between median ($23,021) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. Poverty affects 44% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 29% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 41% 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 23 minutes is near the national average.

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 (19%), smoking (25%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 71261 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.

1,302

population

138.46

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

71261 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 71261

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 71261. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Mer Rouge	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

71223 Bonita (7.6 mi) 71250 Jones (10.9 mi) 71266 Pioneer (12.7 mi) 71220 Bastrop (13.8 mi) 71263 Oak Grove (14.4 mi) 71264 Oak Ridge (15.2 mi) 71237 Epps (17.1 mi) 71229 Collinston (17.5 mi) 71676 Wilmot (19.2 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,302
Population density	9 / sq mi
State FIPS	22
County FIPS	067

Geography
Land area	138.46 sq mi
Water area	1.10 sq mi
Latitude	32.8001
Longitude	-91.6662
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	318

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	77.7%	63.0%	49.2%
$50k – $100k	13.2%	25.7%	27.7%
$100k – $200k	7.3%	10.0%	18.3%
Over $200k	1.9%	1.2%	4.7%

Demographics & statistics

1,302

Population

People per sq mi

52.6

Median age

$23,021

Median household income

$24,882

Per capita income

$77,100

Median home value

$380

Median monthly rent

63.2%

Home ownership

43.6%

Poverty rate

13.3%

Unemployment

712

Housing units

11.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

120

65–74

159

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	305	23.4%
18 and over	997	76.6%
65 and over	408	31.3%
Median age	52.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 50.7%

Black or African American 46.6%

Hispanic or Latino 1.3%

Two or more races 1.3%

Asian 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	669	50.7%
Black or African American	615	46.6%
Hispanic or Latino	17	1.3%
Two or more races	17	1.3%
Asian	1	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	77.7%	63.0%	49.2%
$50k – $100k	13.2%	25.7%	27.7%
$100k – $200k	7.3%	10.0%	18.3%
Over $200k	1.9%	1.2%	4.7%

Under $10k 15.1%

$10k–$15k 5.6%

$15k–$25k 34.0%

$25k–$35k 6.3%

$35k–$50k 4.0%

$50k–$75k 18.1%

$75k–$100k 2.5%

$100k–$150k 10.6%

$200k+ 3.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	15.1%
$10k–$15k	5.6%
$15k–$25k	34.0%
$25k–$35k	6.3%
$35k–$50k	4.0%
$50k–$75k	18.1%
$75k–$100k	2.5%
$100k–$150k	10.6%
$200k+	3.8%
Median income	$23,021

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 29.7%

$50k–$100k 27.8%

$100k–$150k 20.7%

$150k–$200k 10.5%

$200k–$300k 7.1%

$300k–$500k 3.4%

$500k–$1M 0.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$77,100
Median rent / month	$380
Owner occupied	63.2%
Renter occupied	36.8%
Vacant	35.4%
Single-family detached	72.4%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	15.1%
Median rooms	5.0
Avg household size (owned)	1.81

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	10.5%
2000–2009	16.2%
1990–1999	11.5%
1980–1989	10.9%
1970–1979	17.8%
1960–1969	6.7%
1950–1959	10.0%
1940–1949	9.0%
1939 or earlier	7.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	2.7%
2 bedrooms	46.6%
3 bedrooms	35.8%
4 bedrooms	7.9%
5+ bedrooms	7.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.8%
1 vehicle	35.7%
2 vehicles	46.4%
3 or more	13.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	17.7%
Electricity	63.2%
Propane / LP gas	10.3%
Fuel oil	1.2%
Wood	6.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	235	39.0%
Cohabiting couple	2	0.3%
Male householder, no spouse	97	16.1%
Female householder, no spouse	269	44.6%
Households with children under 18	98	16.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	256	42.5%
Average household size	2.02

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	24.8%	30.6%
Married	58.6%	40.1%
Separated	0.9%	2.2%
Widowed	4.7%	14.3%
Divorced	11.0%	12.7%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.0%

Some HS, no diploma 13.1%

HS graduate 52.7%

Some college, no degree 8.8%

Associate's degree 9.0%

Bachelor's degree 8.8%

Graduate / professional 2.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	81.9%
Bachelor's or higher	11.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	16	6.4%
Elementary school	164	65.9%
High school	22	8.8%
College / grad school	47	18.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 34.2%

Agriculture & mining 21.2%

Professional & management 10.4%

Public administration 8.8%

Construction 4.9%

Transportation & utilities 4.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 4.4%

Wholesale trade 3.6%

Retail trade 2.1%

Finance & real estate 2.1%

Other services 1.8%

Information 1.3%

Manufacturing 0.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	40.2%
Service	26.2%
Sales & office	7.0%
Natural resources & construction	13.7%
Production & transportation	13.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	80.3%
Government	15.5%
Self-employed	4.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	92.2%
Carpool	2.8%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	2.8%
Other means	2.1%
Avg commute (minutes)	22.7

Poverty

All people 43.6%

Under 18 years 74.8%

18 and over 33.3%

Married-couple families 34.5%

Female-led households 73.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	40.8%
Retirement income	18.4%
Supplemental Security	7.5%
Cash public assistance	4.3%
Food stamps / SNAP	29.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	42.6%
High blood pressure	50.2%
High cholesterol	41.7%
Diabetes	19.4%
Heart disease	11.2%
Stroke	6.3%
Asthma	10.5%
Arthritis	35.3%
Kidney disease	5.0%
Pulmonary disease	12.4%
Cancer	8.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	24.8%
Binge drinking	14.3%
No physical activity	39.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	38.9%
Depression	24.2%
Fair or poor health	28.1%
Poor mental health	17.5%
Poor physical health	17.3%
No health insurance	16.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	82.1%
Visited dentist	49.7%
Cholesterol screening	91.2%
Teeth loss	24.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	85	8.5%

Disability	%
Any disability	9.4%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	6.0%
65 and over	23.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	34.1%
Public insurance	65.2%
No insurance	8.9%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,199	92.1%
Spanish	0	0.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,302	100.0%
Born in same state	1,302	100.0%
Born in different state	1,127	86.6%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	113	8.7%
Arab	58	4.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
French	32	2.5%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	46.3%
Internet access	77.6%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 71261

What city is ZIP code 71261 in?

ZIP code 71261 is primarily assigned to Mer Rouge, Louisiana.

What county is ZIP code 71261 in?

ZIP code 71261 falls within Morehouse County, Louisiana.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 71261?

44% of residents in ZIP code 71261 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 71261 have an older population?

31% of residents in ZIP code 71261 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 71261?

12% 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 71261 have a large retiree population?

41% of households in ZIP code 71261 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What timezone is ZIP code 71261 in?

ZIP code 71261 observes the CST timezone.