Broussard, Louisiana Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Broussard, Louisiana
City
City of Broussard
Downtown
Motto(s): "Where Our Rich Culture Defines Us!"
Location of Broussard in Lafayette and St. Martin Parish, Louisiana.
Location of Louisiana in the United States
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Parish	Lafayette, St. Martin
Incorporated	1884
Area
• Total	18.03 sq mi (46.70 km²)
• Land	17.99 sq mi (46.60 km²)
• Water	0.04 sq mi (0.10 km²)
Elevation	33 ft (10 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	13,417
• Density	745.76/sq mi (287.94/km²)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Zip Code	70518
Area code(s)	337
FIPS code	22-10075
Website	Broussard, Louisiana

Broussard is a city in Lafayette and St. Martin parishes in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population was 8,197 at the 2010 U.S. census, and 13,417 at the 2020 United States census. Broussard is part of the Lafayette metropolitan statistical area.

History
- Historic places
Geography
Demographics
Notable people
Sports
See also

History

Originally named Côte Gelée (Frozen Hills) because of its hilly ridge area and the severe winter of 1784. Broussard was founded in 1884. It was named after Valsin Broussard, a prominent local merchant, who formed the first Vigilante Committee when his own store was robbed. He was also a direct descendant of Joseph Gaurhept Broussard de Beau Soleil, one of the first 200 Acadians to arrive in Louisiana on February 27, 1765 aboard the Santo Domingo.

Primary agricultural resources include sugarcane, soybean and hay production as well as horse and cattle farming. Principal industries consist of oil and gas service companies, food distributors, real estate developments and manufacturing.

Broussard has gone from a horse and buggy community, with large sugarcane plantation homes, to a current day industrial community with over 300 businesses. It was designated a city in November 2002. Yet, one still experiences its charm though the atmosphere of elegant Creole home cooking and cajun food at the local restaurants.

Historic places

Although the town of Broussard dates from the 1870s, its most conspicuous development took place between about 1890 and 1910. The growth spurt replaced most of what existed before and created the town's present architectural heritage. In many ways this growth reflected a contemporaneous boom in the production of sugar which affected much of southern Louisiana.

The products of the early 20th-century economic boom can be seen today in, and seen through, the town in its historic buildings. Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church is the heart of the community and is located at the center of the town. The Acadians, when exiled from Canada, held strongly to their Roman Catholicism. Their strong faith has survived through centuries of exile and hardship and is very evident today in the culture.

Properties on the National Historic Register of Historic Places:

Main Street Historic District
Alesia House
Andre Billeaud House
Charles Billeaud Jr. House
Martial Billeaud Jr. House
Valsin Broussard House
Comeaux House
Ducrest Building
Janin Store
Roy–Leblanc House
St. Cecilia School
St. Julien House

Geography

Broussard is located at 30°8′32″N 91°57′49″W / 30.14222°N 91.96361°W / 30.14222; -91.96361 (30.142329, -91.963644).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 11.4 square miles (29.6 km²), of which, 11.4 square miles (29.5 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.18%) is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1900	290	—
1910	499	72.1%
1920	602	20.6%
1930	806	33.9%
1940	791	−1.9%
1950	1,237	56.4%
1960	1,600	29.3%
1970	1,707	6.7%
1980	2,923	71.2%
1990	3,213	9.9%
2000	5,874	82.8%
2010	8,197	39.5%
2020	13,417	63.7%
U.S. Decennial Census

Broussard racial composition as of 2020
Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	9,770	72.82%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	2,129	15.87%
Native American	56	0.42%
Asian	264	1.97%
Pacific Islander	4	0.03%
Other/Mixed	500	3.73%
Hispanic or Latino	694	5.17%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 13,417 people, 4,370 households, and 2,881 families residing in the city. The 2019 American Community Survey determined the racial and ethnic makeup of the city was 78.4% non-Hispanic white, 14.7% Black and African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% Asian, 0.8% two or more races, and 4.7% Hispanic and Latin American of any race.

Of the population in 2019, there were 4,370 households living in 5,018 housing units. An average of 2.69 people lived in a household. In 2019, the median age of the city was 35.1, and there was a median household income of $82,677. Males had a median income of $62,012 versus $50,930 for females, and 13.3% of the population lived at or below the poverty line.