This story originally appeared on Spokeo and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
Most socially connected parishes in Louisiana
In today's digital age, social media platforms enable people to bridge geographic distances and connect with their friends, family, and community, no matter where they are. According to a 2022 Gallup and Meta study, at least 1 in 3 people across seven countries, including the U.S., said they used social media to interact with others at least once a day in the past week.
While social media has its drawbacks—such as pulling attention away from other tasks or fostering a problematic comparison culture—it remains a vital tool for helping people stay connected.
A majority of students in grades 3 to 12 said social media helped them develop relationships, learn social skills, and make a positive impact in their community, according to a 2024 report from The Social Institute.
Spokeo compiled a ranking of the most socially connected parishes in Louisiana using 2021 data from Facebook, based on a national analysis. Parish pairs were ranked by their social connectedness index, which measures the relative probability that two individuals across two locations are friends with each other on Facebook. The social connectedness index is a scaled value up to a billion. Larger indexes indicate a greater share of Facebook friends between parish pairs.
#20. Assumption Parish and St. Mary Parish
- Assumption Parish population: 20,160
- St. Mary Parish population: 47,055
- Social connectedness index: 3,182,224
#19. Vernon Parish and Beauregard Parish
- Vernon Parish population: 46,250
- Beauregard Parish population: 36,827
- Social connectedness index: 3,935,268
#18. Morehouse Parish and Ouachita Parish
- Morehouse Parish population: 23,955
- Ouachita Parish population: 157,568
- Social connectedness index: 4,264,453
#17. Jefferson Davis Parish and Cameron Parish
- Jefferson Davis Parish population: 31,553
- Cameron Parish population: 4,768
- Social connectedness index: 4,345,725
#16. Lafourche Parish and Terrebonne Parish
- Lafourche Parish population: 95,056
- Terrebonne Parish population: 103,616
- Social connectedness index: 4,490,089
#15. Evangeline Parish and St. Landry Parish
- Evangeline Parish population: 31,754
- St. Landry Parish population: 81,464
- Social connectedness index: 4,524,863
#14. Sabine Parish and De Soto Parish
- Sabine Parish population: 21,906
- De Soto Parish population: 27,114
- Social connectedness index: 5,045,963
#13. Rapides Parish and Grant Parish
- Rapides Parish population: 126,260
- Grant Parish population: 21,911
- Social connectedness index: 5,708,289
#12. Lincoln Parish and Union Parish
- Lincoln Parish population: 47,962
- Union Parish population: 20,650
- Social connectedness index: 5,965,430
#11. Tangipahoa Parish and St. Helena Parish
- Tangipahoa Parish population: 138,064
- St. Helena Parish population: 10,774
- Social connectedness index: 6,881,291
#10. Winn Parish and Jackson Parish
- Winn Parish population: 13,216
- Jackson Parish population: 14,746
- Social connectedness index: 9,152,398
#9. St. John the Baptist Parish and St. James Parish
- St. John the Baptist Parish population: 39,592
- St. James Parish population: 19,191
- Social connectedness index: 9,932,708
#8. West Baton Rouge Parish and Iberville Parish
- West Baton Rouge Parish population: 28,266
- Iberville Parish population: 29,617
- Social connectedness index: 11,334,041
#7. Red River Parish and Natchitoches Parish
- Red River Parish population: 7,356
- Natchitoches Parish population: 36,291
- Social connectedness index: 11,378,230
#6. Claiborne Parish and Bienville Parish
- Claiborne Parish population: 13,670
- Bienville Parish population: 12,366
- Social connectedness index: 11,390,531
#5. East Feliciana Parish and West Feliciana Parish
- East Feliciana Parish population: 19,229
- West Feliciana Parish population: 15,371
- Social connectedness index: 12,051,702
#4. Franklin Parish and Richland Parish
- Franklin Parish population: 19,285
- Richland Parish population: 19,712
- Social connectedness index: 12,611,385
#3. Madison Parish and Tensas Parish
- Madison Parish population: 9,246
- Tensas Parish population: 3,764
- Social connectedness index: 13,253,009
#2. Catahoula Parish and LaSalle Parish
- Catahoula Parish population: 8,414
- LaSalle Parish population: 14,800
- Social connectedness index: 20,765,226
#1. West Carroll Parish and East Carroll Parish
- West Carroll Parish population: 9,323
- East Carroll Parish population: 6,829
- Social connectedness index: 21,114,973
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Kayla Zhu, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 46 states.