Start is a community in Richland Parish, Louisiana, home to about 852 people across 3.5 square miles. Its ZIP code is 71279, and parts of 71264 and 71269 are in Start too.
Homes sold for a median of $145 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 1 of 2 were seller’s markets.
All in Start
Part is in Start, part in Oak Ridge
Mostly Rayville; part is in Start
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Start. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Start’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)193 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Monroe Regional Airport (MLU)17 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | New Orleans, LA199 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Houston, TX284 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Start; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Start had 982 residents in the 2020 census, up 9% since 2010.
It’s the 288th largest of 487 towns in Louisiana by population.
Richland Parish grew from 11,116 residents in 1900 to 20,043 in 2020.
Richland Parish, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 94°F in summer, and winter lows average 38°F. About 60.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 1 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Rayville, LA weather station (about a mile away).
5,355 jobs at 414 businesses in Richland Parish. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
Nearest hospitals
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances.
Parks (1 nearby)
Grocery stores (2 nearby)
Counts are within about 1.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Richland Parish. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start Elementary SchoolStart | Pre-K–8 | 332 | Public | 6.4 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Rayville and Oak Ridge.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.