PlainZIP

Franklin, LA · standard

ZIP Code 70538

St. Mary County, Louisiana - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

14,844
37/sq mi
$52,407
Median income
$117,800
Median home value
13.6%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Franklin pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

17th pct
household income, US ZIPs
16th pct
home value, US ZIPs
37
people per sq mi
74%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 70538 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 70538 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Franklin, St. Mary County, Louisiana, home to 14,844 residents across 401.2 square miles, a density of 37 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 70538 reports a modest median household income of $52,407 (12% below the Louisiana average), while per-capita income is $26,127. Poverty here runs at 22.7%, with unemployment measured at 2.6%. On housing, the median home value is $117,800 (33% below the state average) with median rent at $733 per month, and 74.4% of occupied units are owner-occupied.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 13.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40.8, and the average commute is 21 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 2 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 70538, plus 5 more within St. Mary County, give a clearer read than the national average alone.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 70538

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Franklin, LA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 70538.

establishments

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 70538, Franklin, LA · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

14,844

Population

401.2

Area (sq mi)

37

People / sq mi

Chicago

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 70538?

40.8

Median Age

47.4%

Male

52.6%

Female

1.4%

Foreign-Born

White 49.0%
African American 40.7%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian or Alaska Native 1.4%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.1%
Two or More Ethnicities 5.9%
Hispanic or Latino 4.7%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$52,407

Median Household Income

-12% vs state

$26,127

Per Capita Income

22.7%

Poverty Rate

2.6%

Unemployment Rate

21.4 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 70538 ranks nationally

Franklin, LA household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$52,407 17th percentile higher than 17% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 64.7%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 13.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

6,296

Total Housing Units

4,895

Occupied Units

1,401

Vacant Units

2.46

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 74.4%
Renter 25.6%

$117,800

Median Home Value

-33% vs state

$733

Median Rent

1974

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 214 business establishments in ZIP 70538, employing approximately 3,204 people with a combined annual payroll of $178,839,000.

214

Businesses

3,204

Employees

$178.8M

Annual Payroll

14

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 33 15.4%
Health care and social assistance 31 14.5%
Other services (except public administration) 25 11.7%
Finance and insurance 23 10.8%
Accommodation and food services 17 7.9%
Real estate and rental and leasing 14 6.5%
Construction 10 4.7%
Manufacturing 10 4.7%
Transportation and warehousing 10 4.7%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 10 4.7%
Wholesale trade 7 3.3%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 7 3.3%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 6 2.8%
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction 5 2.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 70538 vs 70392 →

ZIP 70538 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 70538 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 70538 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 70538 ranks #2 of 3 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
70392 Patterson, LA 8,456 8.6 mi
70514 Baldwin, LA 2,545 9.6 mi

More ZIP Codes in St. Mary County

70392 standard
Patterson, LA
Pop: 8,456
70342 standard
Berwick, LA
Pop: 4,979
70514 standard
Baldwin, LA
Pop: 2,545
70523 standard
Charenton, LA
Pop: 906
70340 standard
Amelia, LA
Pop: 109

Related Areas

St. Mary County Franklin, LA Louisiana

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 70538 in? ▼
ZIP code 70538 (Franklin) is located in St. Mary County, Louisiana. St. Mary County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/st-mary-la.
What is the population of ZIP code 70538? ▼
ZIP code 70538 in Franklin, LA has a population of 14,844 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 70538? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 70538 is $52,407, which is 31% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 70538? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 70538 is $117,800, which is 58% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 70538? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 70538 is White at 49.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 4.7% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 70538? ▼
ZIP code 70538 has 214 business establishments employing approximately 3,204 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 70538? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 70538 are: Retail trade (33), Health care and social assistance (31), Other services (except public administration) (25). There are 14 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 70538? ▼
In ZIP code 70538, 64.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 13.6% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 70538? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 70538 is 21.4 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 70538? ▼
In ZIP code 70538, approximately 74.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 25.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 70538? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 70538 is 22.7% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.