Lafayette Parish, Louisiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lafayette Parish
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Consolidated city-county
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Parish of Lafayette | |
Lafayette Parish Lafayette Sign in Parc San Souci
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Location within the U.S. state of Louisiana
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Louisiana's location within the U.S. |
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Country | United States |
State | Louisiana |
Founded | January 17, 1823 |
Named for | Marquis de la Fayette |
Seat | Lafayette |
Largest city | Lafayette |
Area | |
• Total | 269 sq mi (700 km2) |
• Land | 269 sq mi (700 km2) |
• Water | 0.5 sq mi (1 km2) 0.2% |
Population
(2020)
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• Total | 241,753 |
• Density | 898.7/sq mi (347.0/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
Congressional district | 3rd |
Lafayette Parish (French: Paroisse de Lafayette) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. According to the 2020 U.S. census, the parish had a population of 241,753, up from 221,578 at the 2010 United States census. The parish seat is the city of Lafayette. The parish was founded in 1823. Since 1992, Lafayette City and Lafayette Parish have operated as a consolidated government.
Contents
History
See History of Lafayette, Louisiana for main article.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 269 square miles (700 km2), of which 269 square miles (700 km2) is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km2) (0.2%) is water. It is the fifth-smallest parish in Louisiana by land area and third-smallest by total area.
Major highways
- Interstate 10
- Interstate 49
- U.S. Highway 90
- U.S. Highway 167
- Louisiana Highway 89
- Louisiana Highway 92
- Louisiana Highway 93
- Louisiana Highway 96
- Louisiana Highway 182
Adjacent parishes
- St. Landry Parish (north)
- St. Martin Parish (east)
- Iberia Parish (southeast)
- Vermilion Parish (south)
- Acadia Parish (west)
National protected area
- Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve (part, in Lafayette)
Demographics
Historical population | |||
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Census | Pop. | %± | |
1830 | 5,653 | — | |
1840 | 7,841 | 38.7% | |
1850 | 6,720 | −14.3% | |
1860 | 9,003 | 34.0% | |
1870 | 10,388 | 15.4% | |
1880 | 13,235 | 27.4% | |
1890 | 15,966 | 20.6% | |
1900 | 22,825 | 43.0% | |
1910 | 28,733 | 25.9% | |
1920 | 30,841 | 7.3% | |
1930 | 38,827 | 25.9% | |
1940 | 43,941 | 13.2% | |
1950 | 57,743 | 31.4% | |
1960 | 84,656 | 46.6% | |
1970 | 109,716 | 29.6% | |
1980 | 150,017 | 36.7% | |
1990 | 164,762 | 9.8% | |
2000 | 190,503 | 15.6% | |
2010 | 221,578 | 16.3% | |
2020 | 241,753 | 9.1% | |
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2019 |
Race | Number | Percentage |
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White (non-Hispanic) | 150,745 | 62.24% |
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 60,677 | 25.1% |
Native American | 716 | 0.3% |
Asian | 5,212 | 2.16% |
Pacific Islander | 68 | 0.03% |
Other/Mixed | 8,622 | 3.57% |
Hispanic or Latino | 15,983 | 6.61% |
According to the 2020 United States census, there were 241,753 people, 94,490 households, and 59,937 families residing in the parish. According to the 2019 American Community Survey, there were 244,390 people living in the parish. The racial and ethnic makeup of Lafayette Parish was 65.7% non-Hispanic white, 25.9% Black and African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9% Asian, 0.3% some other race, 1.5% two or more races, and 4.6% Hispanic and Latino American of any race. In 2020, the racial and ethnic makeup was 62.24% non-Hispanic white, 25.1% Black and African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.16% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 3.57% multiracial or some other race, and 6.61% Hispanic or Latino American of any race.
In 2019, the median age was 35.2 and 76.2% of the population were aged 18 and older; 12.7% of the population were aged 65 and older. Of its population, 4.2% were foreign born, with the majority coming from Latin America, Asia, and Europe. Among the population, 10.1% spoke another language other than English at home; Spanish was the second most-spoken language in 2019, and French was third.
There were 91,543 households at the 2019 census estimates, and 44.4% were married couples living together; 8.0% of households were cohabiting couples, 17.8% male households with no female present, 12.7% single-person households, and 29.7% female households with no female present. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.22. There was an employment rate of 62.5% and 28,206 businesses operating in the parish; 5,734 businesses were minority-owned and 2,774 were veteran-owned.
Out of the 102,491 housing units in 2019, the median gross rent was $874, and median housing value was $185,300. At the 2019 American Community Survey, the median household income was $56,999; males had a median income of $54,653 versus $38,378 for females. An estimated 17.3% of the population lived at or below the poverty line.
National Guard
The HQ and other units of the 256th IBCT reside in the city of Lafayette, Louisiana. This unit of over 3,500 Soldiers has deployed twice to Iraq, 2004-5 and 2010. This unit has also responded to disasters such as: Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Gustav, Hurricane Isaac, and the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill.
Communities
Cities
- Broussard
- Carencro
- Lafayette (parish seat)
- Scott
- Youngsville
Town
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
Prison
County
Name | Address | Zip | Aged |
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Lafayette Parish Correctional Center | 916 Lafayette St, Lafayette, Louisiana | 70501 | 13+ |
Education
Lafayette Parish School System operates public schools for the parish.
Lafayette Parish is home to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Louisiana's second largest public university behind Louisiana State University. It is also home to the main campus of South Louisiana Community College (the parish is in the community college's service area), a Remington College in Lafayette, a Blue Cliff College in Lafayette, an Aveda Institute, and a Louisiana Technical College in Lafayette.
Notable people
- Lauren Daigle, (born 1991), Grammy-nominated CCM singer
- Jefferson Caffery, (1886-1974), U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador, Colombia, Cuba, Brazil, France and Egypt
- Benjamin Flanders, (1816-1896), politician, Alderman of New Orleans (1847-1852), founder of the Republican Party of Louisiana in 1864, appointed governor of Louisiana in 1867, retired in 1880s to his Ben Alva plantation here
- Jerry Luke LeBlanc (born 1956), former state legislator and vice president of administration and finance at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
- Alexandre Mouton, (1804–1885), born in Attakapas, United States Senator and Governor of Louisiana.
- Frank Schmitz, (1945-1966), four time NCAA champion gymnast and silver medal winner at the 1965 Trampoline World Championships.
See also
In Spanish: Parroquia de Lafayette para niños