Shreveport Leader Sees Hope in Louisiana Population Growth

Louisiana is showing signs of slowing its population drain, and a prominent Shreveport leader says young families, jobs and affordability are helping change the state’s direction.

Dr. Phillip Rozeman, chair of Leaders for a Better Louisiana, told KEEL News on Friday that the state has plenty of work ahead. He believes population and employment numbers offer something Louisiana has lacked in the past: momentum.

Fewer People Are Leaving Louisiana

A new migration analysis from Leaders for a Better Louisiana found the state added 24,000 residents in 2024, its first population increase in six years. It found net in-migration turned positive for the first time since 2016, with 12,060 more people moving into Louisiana than leaving.

The biggest reason was not a flood of newcomers. Fewer Louisiana residents packed up and left. Out-migration fell to its lowest level since 2010 and was about 17,000 below the previous year.

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Rozeman said keeping current residents is the first step toward rebuilding growth.

“It’s Louisiana’s time,” Rozeman said. “I’ve never felt more confident that we could be something more than what we are.”

Young Families See Opportunity

The two largest groups moving into Louisiana were adults between 25 and 34 and children under 18. Rozeman sees that as encouraging because those numbers point toward young families choosing to build their lives here.

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He said Shreveport and other Louisiana communities can compete with cities such as Dallas through lower housing costs, school options and more jobs.

A home budget that may not go far in North Texas can provide choices in Northwest Louisiana. Rozeman pointed to public, private, charter and specialty schools as part of the state’s appeal.

Jobs Are Growing,  but Challenges Remain

Louisiana reached a record 2.01 million non-farm jobs in May and remained above 2 million jobs for four consecutive months. Construction accounted for 9,300 of the 16,700 jobs added over the previous year, with industrial and data center projects driving much of that activity.

North Louisiana is sharing in that development through Amazon’s Shreveport-area operations and Meta’s data center project in Richland Parish.

Rozeman cautioned that public safety, housing availability and high insurance costs remain obstacles. Those issues could determine whether Louisiana’s gains become a lasting trend.

Louisiana Has to Believe It is Good News

Rozeman said Louisiana residents also need to stop speaking about their communities as though success is impossible.

“Good news fosters good news,” he said.

The numbers are not yet a population boom. They do, however, show that fewer people are leaving and more young families are giving Louisiana a closer look.