Walker's economic profile
The Town of Walker has one of the fastest-growing, dynamic economies in South Louisiana. It is centrally and strategically located along the 10/12 corridor and in the heart of the Southeast Super-Region, an area that is home to half of Louisiana's population, workforce and businesses. Five Fortune 1,000 firms make their headquarters in this area.
Walker offers major city conveniences and services, while still maintaining the small-town charm prized by so many. We are minutes from Louisiana's state capitol and only an hour from New Orleans. Our top-ranked schools are a magnet for families who yearn for educational excellence and small-town character.
Our economic growth is robust and opportunity still abounds. Industrial and commercial residents come in all sizes, from the Fortune 500 Shaw Group's Sunland Corp. to the neighborhood snowball and ice cream stand. To take a look at our more recent locations and expansions, click here. To take a look at a sampling of available commercial and industrial sites, click here. To download a print version of our economic profile, click here.
Walker's location in culture-rich South Louisiana provides limitless recreation and entertainment opportunities. Adventure seekers find ample hunting, fishing and boating in the forests and rivers of Livingston Parish, while both Baton Rouge and New Orleans offer a steady diet of performing and visual arts, world-class cuisine, music, amusement parks, festivals and other urban attractions.
A growing business scene
Even in a tough economy, Walker's commercial growth has remained on the fast track. The number of occupational permits issued by the city has more than doubled in just five years.
Population
| Walker | |
| 2007 Census estimate | 6,077 |
| 2000 Census | 5,091 |
| 1990 Census | 3,727 |
| Capital Metro Area | |
| 2007 Census estimate | 770,037 |
| 2000 Census | 705,973 |
| 1990 Census | 628,853 |
Demographics
| 2008 Median age | 32.6 |
| 2008 Residents with high school diploma | 42% |
| 2008 Education beyond high school | 38.3% |
| 1999 Incomes below poverty/individuals | 9.6% |
| 1999 Incomes below poverty/families | 5.9% |
| 2008 Unemployment | 2.0% |
| Household Income $75,000+ | 24% |
| Household income $25,000-$75,000 | 54% |
| Median income | $47,887 |
Market access
| Highways | Interstate 10 |
| Interstate 12 | |
| Interstate 55 | |
| U.S. Highway 61 | |
| U.S. Highway 190 | |
| Distance to ports & waterways | Port of Greater Baton Rouge [27 miles] |
| Port of New Orleans [80 miles] | |
| Port of South Louisiana [79 miles] | |
| Distance to airports | Baton Rouge Metro Airport [24 miles] |
| New Orleans International Airport [69 miles] | |
| Motor freight | 50 carriers in the region |
| Distance to major cities | Atlanta, GA [507 miles] |
| Birmingham, AL [382 miles] | |
| Chicago, IL [897 miles] | |
| Dallas, TX [462 miles] | |
| Houston, TX [288 miles] | |
| Little Rock, AR [414 miles] | |
| Kansas City, MO [815 miles] | |
| Nashville, TN [570 miles] | |
| New Orleans, LA [80 miles] | |
| St. Louis, MO {647 miles] |
Connectivity
Various providers in the region offer high speed, wireless and fiber optic services to the home and/or business.
Education
| Four-year colleges | Enrollment |
| Louisiana State University/Baton Rouge | 31,697 |
| Southeastern Louisiana University/Hammond | 14,757 |
| Southern University/Baton Rouge | 8,288 |
| University of Louisiana at Lafayette | 16,345 |
| Tulane University/New Orleans | 10,606 |
| Other higher education | |
| Baton Rouge Community College | 7,031 |
| Livingston Parish Literacy & Technology Center | 600 |
| Primary/secondary | |
| 9 public schools | N/A |
| 1 nonpublic school | N/A |
| Regional research institutes | Pennington Biomedical Research Center |
| LIGO Observatory | |
| Louisiana Business & Technology Center |
|
| Louisiana Emerging Technology Center |
|
| Center for Advanced Microstructures & Devices |
Workforce
Approximately 62% of Walker residents were employed in 2008, compared to 56% of all Louisiana residents and 61% of U.S. residents. Another 36% of our residents are not in the labor force, which is lower than the 40% rate for Louisiana and equal to the national rate.
| Employment by industry | |
| Retail | 15.2% |
| Construction | 14.7% |
| Professional/scientific/managment | 11.0% |
| Manufacturing | 10.1% |
| Health care/social assistance | 9.9% |
| Accomodation/food service | 7.1% |
| Educational services | 6.4% |
| Finance/insurance/real estate/rental & leasing | 5.7% |
| Wholesale trade | 4.9% |
| Public administration | 4.8% |
| Transportation/warehousing | 3.4% |
| Other services | 2.6% |
| Information | 1.6% |
| Mining/extraction | 0.9% |
| Public utilities | 0.9% |
| Arts/entertainment/recreation | 0.7% |
| Agriculture/forestry/fisheries | 0.2% |
Wages
| Percentage of jobs by wages received | |
| $1,200 per month or less | 23.1% |
| $1,201 to $3,400 per month | 41.7% |
| More than $3,400 | 35.2% |
Incentives
To see a listing of state and local incentives, click here.
Taxes
Income taxes
If your income is less than $12,500, your tax rate on every dollar is 2%. If your income range is between $12,501 and $50,000, your tax rate is 4%. If your income range is above that, your tax rate is 6%.
Sales tax
Residents within the city limits pay a total of 9.5% sales tax, which includes rates assessed by the municipal government, parish government and school board.
Property taxes
Improvements on industrial property are assessed at 15% of fair market value; land at 10%. Louisiana has the lowest residential property taxes in the nation. Private residences are assessed at 10% of fair market value. There is no property tax on the first $75,000.
Quality of life
| Average annual temperature | 68 degrees |
| Average annual rainfall | 60.3 inches |
| Cost of living index | 100.6 [Baton Rouge MSA] |
| Medical services | North Oaks clinics |
| North Oaks Medical Center [under construction] |
|
| Our Lady of the Lake Medical Center [under construction] |
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| Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center [Baton Rouge] | |
| Baton Rouge General Medical Center | |
| Ochsner Regional Medical Center | |
| Earl K. Long Regional Medical Center | |
| Woman's Hospital | |
| Recreation | For a listing of parks and recreation programs, click here. |
| For a listing of cool things to do in Walker, click here. |
Utilities & services
| Electricity | Entergy |
| Natural gas | Town of Walker |
| Water | Town of Walker |
| Sewerage | Town of Walker |
| Telephone | Multiple providers |
| Fiber Optic | Eatel |
Major employers
| Shaw Sunland Fabricators Inc. | 600 employees |
| Livingston Parish School Board | 317 employees |
| Walmart Supercenter | 300 employees |
| Waste Management Inc. | 300 employees |
| Winn-Dixie | 150 employees |
| Custom Ecology Inc. | 135 employees |
| City of Walker | 100 employees |
| Pharma Safe Industrial Services | 88 employees |
| Stine Lumber | 80 employees |
| McDonald's | 50 employees |
Economic Development Plan & Strategy
In 2009, John Dardis, a certified planning consultant, prepared a comprehensive Economic Development Plan & Strategy for the Town of Walker, made possible with a grant from Louisiana Economic Development. The plan provides more detailed demographics data, a strengths and weaknesses assessment and an analysis of targeted industries and business sectors. To view a copy, click here.
Economic development contacts
| Walker Mayor Bobby Font | 225.665.4356 |
| Chief of Staff Fred Raiford | 225.665.4356 |
| Livingston Economic Development Council | 225.665.5223 |
| Livingston Parish Chamber of Commerce | 225.665.8155 |