area to be one overall market. The Baton Rouge MSA also borders the New Orleans MSA to the west. The southern Louisiana region remains exposed to tropical storms and hurricanes that increase operating risk to employers in the region, including financial institutions. The area is still recovering from the impact of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and later hurricanes. The Baton Rouge metropolitan area, home to the state capital and related government employment, is also a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, research, motion picture and technology employment center. The main campus of Louisiana State University is also located there.
According to published statistics, the New Orleans-Metairie-Hammond MSA and Baton Rouge MSA have populations of approximately 1.4 million and 873,100, respectively. As of July 1, 2022, the estimated populations of the East Baton Rouge, Jefferson, Orleans, St. Tammany, and Tangipahoa Parishes were approximately 451,000, 426,000, 370,000, 273,000, and 137,000, respectively. The estimated population growth rate between April 2020 and July 2022 for the East Baton Rouge, Jefferson, Orleans, St. Tammany, and Tangipahoa Parishes were approximately (1.4)%, (3.4)%, (3.7)%, 3.3%, and 2.9%, respectively, compared to (1.5)% statewide and 0.5% nationwide.
The estimated 2022 median household income of the East Baton Rouge, Jefferson, Orleans, St. Tammany, and Tangipahoa Parishes was approximately $62,100, $63,300, $51,100, $77,000, and $55,300, respectively, compared to $57,900 statewide and $75,100 nationwide. The estimated per capita income during 2022 for the East Baton Rouge, Jefferson, Orleans, St. Tammany, and Tangipahoa Parishes was approximately $37,500, $35,700, $37,000, $40,400, and $29,200, respectively, compared to a $33,000 statewide and $41,300 nationwide. The estimated December 2023 unemployment rate in of the East Baton Rouge, Jefferson, Orleans, St. Tammany, and Tangipahoa Parishes was 3.4%, 3.5%, 4.4%, 3.4% and 4.4%, respectively, compared to the same rate of 3.7% statewide and nationwide.
Overall economic conditions in our market area have resulted in loan demand from operating companies being generally softer than it was pre-pandemic, as higher interest rates have slowed business expansion. However, the labor markets in our market areas have remained relatively stable with overall employment growth averaging approximately 1.7% over the past five years compared to the national average of approximately 1.2%. The unemployment rate in our market area has generally improved over the past five years trending downward to 5.4% over that time and outperforming the overall national average. Our market area’s main employment drivers are oil refining, healthcare and social assistance, retail trade and hospitality/tourism. The overall favorable employment contributed in part to Louisiana being ranked number 2 in the country in 2023 for nonresidential construction activity.
Consumers remain cost conscious as higher prices are adversely affecting household budgets. In particular, residential insurance costs have continued to rise at rates higher than historical rates. Home sales have declined in most markets and remain below pre-pandemic levels. Home inventory levels have decreased as well, which has led to new home construction and allowed Louisiana to be ranked 14th in the country in 2023 in that category.
Real estate in our market area did not experience the exorbitant increase in values that some portions of the country experienced over the last several years. Consequently, the real estate market in our area has benefitted from more relative affordability.
In 2023, Louisiana’s Gross State Product was approximately $219.1 billion, representing an increase of approximately 18.4% over 2022. Louisiana is currently ranked 26th in the country for its economic outlook.
Competition
We face strong competition within our primary market areas both in making loans and attracting retail deposits. Our market areas include large money centers and regional banks, community banks and savings institutions, and credit unions. We also face competition for loans from mortgage banking firms, consumer finance companies, credit unions, and fintech companies and, with respect to deposits, from money market funds, brokerage firms, mutual funds and insurance companies. At June 30, 2023 (the most recent date for which FDIC data is publicly available), we were ranked 12th among the 47 FDIC-insured financial institutions with offices in the Orleans, East Baton Rouge, Jefferson, St. Tammany, and Tangipahoa Parishes in Louisiana, with a market share of deposits of 1.22%.
Lending Activities
General. Our loan portfolio consists primarily of residential mortgage loans, residential construction, commercial real estate loans (which includes commercial mortgage, commercial construction and land development loans), commercial loans
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