Lafayette Parish, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Lafayette Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state
of Louisiana
. The parish seat is Lafayette
. According to the 2010 Census, its population was recorded as 221,578.
Lafayette Parish is part of the Lafayette Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Lafayette–Acadiana
Combined Statistical Area
.
peoples, as of the census
of 2000, there were 190,503 people, 72,372 households, and 48,851 families residing in the parish. The population density
was 706 people per square mile (273/km²). There were 78,122 housing units at an average density of 290 per square mile (112/km²). The racial makeup of the parish was 73.36% White
, 23.80% Black
or African American
, 0.28% Native American
, 1.08% Asian
, 0.03% Pacific Islander
, 0.52% from other races
, and 0.93% from two or more races. 1.74% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race. 14.37% reported speaking French
or Cajun French
at home, while 1.73% speak Spanish
.http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&state_id=22&county_id=55&mode=geographic&zip=&place_id=&cty_id=&ll=all&a=&ea=&order=r
There were 72,372 households out of which 36.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.20% were married couples
living together, 14.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.50% were non-families. 25.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the parish the population was spread out with 27.40% under the age of 18, 11.70% from 18 to 24, 31.20% from 25 to 44, 20.20% from 45 to 64, and 9.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 94.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.40 males.
The median income for a household in the parish was $36,518, and the median income for a family was $45,158. Males had a median income of $36,428 versus $22,751 for females. The per capita income
for the parish was $19,371. About 11.80% of families and 15.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.20% of those under age 18 and 15.60% of those age 65 or over.
64% of the vote and 57,732 votes while Democrat John F. Kerry won 35% of the vote and 31,210 votes. In the 2008 election Lafayette Parish cast the majority of its votes for Republican John McCain
. He won 65% of the vote and 62,055 votes. Democrat Barack Obama
finished far behind him winning 34% of the vote and 32,145 votes.
Geology
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. The parish seat is Lafayette
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
. According to the 2010 Census, its population was recorded as 221,578.
Lafayette Parish is part of the Lafayette Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Lafayette–Acadiana
Acadiana
Acadiana, or The Heart of Acadiana, is the official name given to the French Louisiana region that is home to a large Francophone population. Of the 64 parishes that make up Louisiana, 22 named parishes and other parishes of similar cultural environment, make up the intrastate...
Combined Statistical Area
Lafayette-Acadiana combined statistical area
The Lafayette-Acadiana Combined Statistical Area is made up of six parishes in the Acadiana region of southern Louisiana. The statistical area consists of the Lafayette Metropolitan Statistical Area and four micropolitan statistical areas - Abbeville, Crowley, New Iberia, and Opelousas-Eunice...
.
Geography
The parish has a total area of 270 square miles (699.3 km²), of which 270 square miles (699.3 km²) is land and 0 square mile (0 km²) (0.17%) is water.Major highways
Interstate 10Interstate 10Interstate 10 is the fourth-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90, I-80, and I-40. It is the southernmost east–west, coast-to-coast Interstate Highway, although I-4 and I-8 are further south. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean at State Route 1 in Santa Monica,...
Interstate 49Interstate 49Interstate 49 is currently an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the state of Louisiana in the southern United States. Its southern terminus is in Lafayette, Louisiana, at Interstate 10 while its northern terminus is in Shreveport, Louisiana, at Interstate 20.-Route...
U.S. Highway 90
U.S. Highway 167- Louisiana Highway 89
- Louisiana Highway 92
- Louisiana Highway 93
- Louisiana Highway 96
Adjacent parishes
- St. Landry ParishSt. Landry Parish, LouisianaSt. Landry Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is at the heart of Acadian/Cajun culture and heritage in Louisiana. The parish seat is Opelousas. According to the 2010 census, the population of St. Landry Parish is 83,384.St...
(north) - St. Martin ParishSt. Martin Parish, LouisianaSt. Martin Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is St. Martinville. As of the 2000 census, the population was 48,583.St...
(east) - Iberia ParishIberia Parish, LouisianaIberia Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is New Iberia. As of 2000, the population was 73,266.Iberia Parish is part of the New Iberia Micropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Lafayette–Acadiana Combined Statistical Area.Iberia, along with...
(southeast) - Vermilion ParishVermilion Parish, LouisianaVermilion Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Abbeville. As of the 2010 census, the population was 57,999....
(south) - Acadia ParishAcadia Parish, LouisianaAcadia Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Crowley. According to the 2010 census, the population of Acadia Parish is 61,773. The parish was founded from parts of St...
(west)
National protected area
- Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and PreserveJean Lafitte National Historical Park and PreserveJean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve protects significant examples of the rich natural and cultural resources of Louisiana's Mississippi River Delta region. The park, named after Jean Lafitte, seeks to illustrate the influence of environment and history on the development of a unique...
(part, in Lafayette)
Demographics
Home to a number of CajunCajun
Cajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...
peoples, as of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 190,503 people, 72,372 households, and 48,851 families residing in the parish. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 706 people per square mile (273/km²). There were 78,122 housing units at an average density of 290 per square mile (112/km²). The racial makeup of the parish was 73.36% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 23.80% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.28% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 1.08% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.03% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.52% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.93% from two or more races. 1.74% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race. 14.37% reported speaking French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
or Cajun French
Cajun French
Cajun French is a variety or dialects of the French language spoken primarily in Louisiana, specifically in the southern and southwestern parishes....
at home, while 1.73% speak Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
.http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&state_id=22&county_id=55&mode=geographic&zip=&place_id=&cty_id=&ll=all&a=&ea=&order=r
There were 72,372 households out of which 36.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.20% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 14.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.50% were non-families. 25.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the parish the population was spread out with 27.40% under the age of 18, 11.70% from 18 to 24, 31.20% from 25 to 44, 20.20% from 45 to 64, and 9.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 94.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.40 males.
The median income for a household in the parish was $36,518, and the median income for a family was $45,158. Males had a median income of $36,428 versus $22,751 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the parish was $19,371. About 11.80% of families and 15.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.20% of those under age 18 and 15.60% of those age 65 or over.
Presidential Election Results
The parish often went for the Democratic candidate before the 1970s, but has trended Republican since that time. The parish went for the Republican Presidential candidate from 1992 to 2000 and did so by generally increasing margins. The results in 2004 gave Republican George W. BushGeorge W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
64% of the vote and 57,732 votes while Democrat John F. Kerry won 35% of the vote and 31,210 votes. In the 2008 election Lafayette Parish cast the majority of its votes for Republican John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
. He won 65% of the vote and 62,055 votes. Democrat Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
finished far behind him winning 34% of the vote and 32,145 votes.
Cities and towns
Incorporated areas
- BroussardBroussard, LouisianaBroussard is a small city in Lafayette and St. Martin parishes in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population was 6,754 from the 2005 Census Est.Broussard is part of the Lafayette Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
- 5,874 - CarencroCarencro, LouisianaCarencro[p] is a small city in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is a suburb of the nearby city of Lafayette. The population was 6,120 at the 2000 census. Its name comes from the Louisiana Creole word for buzzard: the spot was one where large flocks of buzzards roosted in the bald...
- 6,120 - DusonDuson, LouisianaDuson is a town in Acadia and Lafayette parishes in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population was 1,672 at the 2000 census. The town was named after Curley Duson....
- 1,672 - LafayetteLafayette, LouisianaLafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
- 110,257 - ScottScott, LouisianaScott is the second largest municipality in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population rose to over 8,000 according to the 2010 census results.Scott is a suburb of Lafayette and is part of the Lafayette Metropolitan Statistical Area....
- 7,870 - YoungsvilleYoungsville, LouisianaYoungsville is a city in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,289 as of the 2005 Census Bureau estimates. It is part of the Lafayette Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Youngsville is located at ....
- 3,992
- Total of 135,785 people in incorporated areas.
Notable natives and residents
- Alexander MoutonAlexander MoutonAlexandre Mouton was a United States Senator and the 11th Governor of Louisiana.-Early life:He was born in Attakapas district into a wealthy plantation owning Acadian family. He pursued classical studies and graduated from Georgetown College...
, (1804–1885), born in Attakapas, United States Senator and Governor of Louisiana.
See also
- Lafayette Parish Sheriff's OfficeLafayette Parish Sheriff's Office (Louisiana)The Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office is the sheriff's department in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana. The department, headed by Sheriff Michael "Mike" Neustrom, consists of around 550 sworn and non-sworn employees...
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Lafayette Parish, LouisianaNational Register of Historic Places listings in Lafayette Parish, LouisianaThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States...
External links
- Lafayette Consolidated Government
- Lafayette Economic Development Authority
- Lafayette Convention and Visitors Center
- Lafayette Public Library
- Lafayette Parish Clerk of Court
- Lafayette Parish American History and Genealogy Project
Geology
- Heinrich, P. V., and W. J. Autin, 2000, Baton Rouge 30 x 60 minute geologic quadrangle. Louisiana Geological Survey, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
- Heinrich, P. V., J. Snead, and R. P. McCulloh, 2003, Crowley 30 x 60 minute geologic quadrangle. Louisiana Geological Survey, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.