Named for Marquis de la Fayette Congressional district 3rd Website www.lafayettela.gov Area 696.7 km² County seat Lafayette | Largest city Lafayette Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5 Founded 1823 Population 230,845 (2013) | |
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Cities Lafayette, Youngsville, Carencro, Scott Points of interest Acadian Village, Alexandre Mouton House, Lafayette Science Museum, Cajundome, Paul and Lulu Hilliard U Colleges and Universities University of Louisiana, South Louisiana Communi, Cosmetology Training Center, Aveda Institute‑Lafayette, Blue Cliff College - Lafayette | ||
Lafayette Parish (French: Paroisse de Lafayette) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 221,578. The parish seat is Lafayette. The parish was founded in 1823. It was named in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette, the French general who took part in the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War and financially aided it.
Contents
- Map of Lafayette Parish LA USA
- History
- Geography
- Adjacent parishes
- National protected area
- Demographics
- Politics
- Law Enforcement
- Education
- National Guard
- Cities
- Town
- Census designated places
- Prison
- Notable residents
- References
Map of Lafayette Parish, LA, USA
Lafayette Parish is part of the Lafayette, LA Metropolitan Statistical Area and Lafayette-Opelousas-Morgan City, LA Combined Statistical Area.
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.
Adjacent parishes
National protected area
Demographics
This was an area of Cajun settlement and culture. According to the 2000 US Census, 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.[1]
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.
Politics
The parish voters often supported Democratic presidential candidates before the 1970s, but the majority of white conservatives have trended Republican since that time. Before 1965 and passage of the Voting Rights Act by Congress, most African Americans were disenfranchised, as they had been since 1898, when Louisiana passed a new constitution establishing barriers to voter registration and voting. They were excluded from the political system. After regaining the power to register and vote, they tended to affiliate with and support national Democratic Party candidates.
The majority of the parish voted for the Republican Presidential candidates from 1992 to 2000, and did so by generally increasing margins. The results in 2004 gave Republican George W. Bush 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 was strongly supported by African Americans and won 34% of the vote, some 32,145 votes.
Law Enforcement
Lafayette Police Department
Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office
University of Louisiana at Lafayette Police Department
Lafayette City Marshal
Education
Lafayette Parish School System operates public schools.
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.
Cities
Town
Census-designated places
Prison
County