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| Richland Parish, Louisiana | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Louisiana |
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 Louisiana's location in the U.S. |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | September 29, 1868 |
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| Seat | Rayville |
| Largest town | Rayville |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
565 sq mi (1,463 km²) 559 sq mi (1,448 km²) 5.5 sq mi (14 km²), 1.0% |
| PopulationEst. - (2015) - Density |
20,523 37/sq mi (14/km²) |
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
| Named for: Rich fertile land | |
Richland Parish (French: Paroisse de Richland) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,725. The parish seat is Rayville. The parish was founded in 1868.
Richland Parish is home to the first parishwide public library in the State of Louisiana. The library was built in 1925 by the Lambda Kappa Club of Rayville. R.R. Rhymes donated the original building in memory of his wife, Nonnie Roark Rhymes. In 2008, Governor Bobby Jindal appointed Bibb Ingram, a granddaughter to Nonnie Rhymes, as a member of the Louisiana State Library Board.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 565 square miles (1,460 km2), of which 559 square miles (1,450 km2) is land and 5.5 square miles (14 km2) (1.0%) is water.
Interstate 20
U.S. Highway 80
Louisiana Highway 15
Louisiana Highway 17
Louisiana Highway 585| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 5,110 | — | |
| 1880 | 8,440 | 65.2% | |
| 1890 | 10,230 | 21.2% | |
| 1900 | 11,116 | 8.7% | |
| 1910 | 15,769 | 41.9% | |
| 1920 | 20,860 | 32.3% | |
| 1930 | 26,374 | 26.4% | |
| 1940 | 28,829 | 9.3% | |
| 1950 | 26,672 | −7.5% | |
| 1960 | 23,824 | −10.7% | |
| 1970 | 21,774 | −8.6% | |
| 1980 | 22,187 | 1.9% | |
| 1990 | 20,629 | −7.0% | |
| 2000 | 20,981 | 1.7% | |
| 2010 | 20,725 | −1.2% | |
| Est. 2015 | 20,523 | −1.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013 |
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As of the census of 2000, there were 20,981 people, 7,490 households, and 5,482 families residing in the parish. The population density was 38 people per square mile (15/km²). There were 8,335 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile (6/km²). The racial makeup of the parish was 60.96% White, 38.01% Black or African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.20% from other races, and 0.52% from two or more races. 1.08% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 7,490 households out of which 34.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.20% were married couples living together, 18.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.80% were non-families. 24.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the parish the population was spread out with 27.30% under the age of 18, 9.90% from 18 to 24, 26.80% from 25 to 44, 21.00% from 45 to 64, and 15.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 88.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.30 males.
The median income for a household in the parish was $23,668, and the median income for a family was $29,075. Males had a median income of $28,471 versus $18,587 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $12,479. About 23.10% of families and 27.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.50% of those under age 18 and 20.90% of those age 65 or over.
Former Rayville High School, operated by the Richland Parish School Board and originally designed by the Shreveport architect Edward F. Neild, was renovated into an apartment complex.
Holly Ridge High School in Holly Ridge in rural Richland Parish
Rhymes Memorial Library in Rayville is the first parishwide public library in Louisiana.
Richland Parish Detention Center near Alto, Louisiana
