The Town FilesOil City, Louisiana
Town in Caddo Parish · population 901 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $70,000
- Household income
- $21,325
- Jan low / Jul high
- 35° / 94°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 20
- Median age
- 28.7
Oil City is a town of 901 people in Caddo Parish, Louisiana. The median home is worth $70,000, below the typical Louisiana town ($166,450). It ranks better for retirees than 85% of Louisiana towns, hipper than 75% of Louisiana towns.
How Oil City ranks
Percentile among Louisiana towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Louisiana towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Oil City is worth $70,000, below the typical Louisiana town ($166,450). Homes cost about 3.3 times the median household income of $21,325, which is more affordable than 39% of Louisiana towns. Median rent is $413 a month. 29.9% of households own their home.
| Housing | Oil City | Typical Louisiana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $70,000 | $166,450 |
| Median rent | $413 | $887 |
| Median household income | $21,325 | $52,134 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.3× | 3.0× |
| Homeownership | 29.9% | 70.4% |
| Median year built | 1978 | 1979 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 5.0% | — |
Who lives in Oil City
| People | Oil City | Typical Louisiana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 28.7 | 38.4 |
| Age 65 and over | 13.3% | 17.0% |
| Under 18 | 26.0% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 2.3% | 15.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 46.1% | 20.4% |
| Veterans | 6.8% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.9% | — |
| Work from home | 2.7% | 4.7% |
| Average commute | 26.3 min | 25.8 min |
| Homes with broadband | 64.0% | 84.6% |
Weather in Oil City
July highs average 93.8°F and January lows 35.3°F. About 50.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.1 inches of snow (typical Louisiana town: 0.0 in). Expect about 87 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 35 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
20 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Oil City since 1950, compared with 27 for the typical Louisiana town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on May 30, 1990 about 5.8 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 0 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on March 28, 2025.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 82 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on April 19, 1991.
Severe weather in Caddo Parish since 1996
Caddo Parish has been included in 35 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, other, tornado.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| January 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3638: Severe Winter Storm |
| September 10, 2024 | Hurricane | EM-3614: Tropical Storm Francine |
| September 13, 2021 | Coastal Storm | EM-3574: Tropical Storm Nicholas |
| August 29, 2021 | Hurricane | DR-4611: Hurricane Ida |
| August 27, 2021 | Hurricane | EM-3568: Tropical Storm Ida |
Jobs and pay in Caddo Parish
Caddo Parish had 108,246 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $57,843 a year. Unemployment was 4.1% in 2023; in Oil City itself the ACS puts it at 11.1%.
Towns near Oil City
- Mooringsport, LA4.7 mi · 748 people · home $76,700
- Vivian, LA8.7 mi · 3,073 people · home $62,700
- Blanchard, LA11.2 mi · 3,538 people · home $208,600
- Benton, LA14.2 mi · 2,048 people · home $201,000
- Lakeview, LA17.5 mi · 818 people · home $157,100
- Waskom, TX19.3 mi · 1,910 people · home $92,000
- Plain Dealing, LA19.5 mi · 893 people · home $140,300
- Greenwood, LA21.7 mi · 3,166 people · home $241,600
Oil City questions
Is Oil City, Louisiana a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Oil City scores better for retirees than 85% of Louisiana towns and quieter than 55%. 13.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 28.7).
How much does a house cost in Oil City?
The median owner-occupied home in Oil City is valued at $70,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $21,325, so homes cost about 3.3 times income. Median rent is $413 a month.
What is the weather like in Oil City?
July highs average 93.8°F and January lows 35.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 50.8 inches of precipitation a year and 0.1 inches of snow.
Does Oil City get tornadoes?
20 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Oil City since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on May 30, 1990. The typical Louisiana town has had 27.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)