Foreclosures in Louisiana increased in 2009 over the prior year. There was a total of 11,750
properties with foreclosure filings. That works out to a rate of one filing for every 158 households, which compares to the United States average of 45, and is a little more than one half of one percent of the state's housing units.
Louisiana is the 25th largest U.S. state by population, with 4,410,796 people (in 2009). Its 51,885 square miles make it the 31st largest state by area. Median household income in 2008 was $43,733.
Louisiana is leading grower sugar, rice and sweet potatoes, all of which are among the state's major agriculture industries. Fishing--particularly for shrimp, oysters and crawfish--is also a prominent industry. It's a surprise to many people, but Louisiana leads the U.S. in petroleum production, pumping more than a million barrels of crude each day. Petroleum and natural gas production combine to make the energy sector the biggest business in the state. Tourism adds $5 billion annually as well.