Lafayette Parish | |
|---|---|
| Parish of Lafayette Paroisse de Lafayette (French) | |
 Lafayette Parish Courthouse | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Louisiana | |
| Coordinates: 30°13′N 92°04′W / 30.21°N 92.06°W / 30.21; -92.06 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Louisiana |
| Founded | January 17, 1823 |
| Named after | Marquis de la Fayette |
| Seat | Lafayette |
| Largest city | Lafayette |
| Government | |
| • President | Monique Blanco Boulet (R) |
| Area | |
• Total | 269 sq mi (700 km2) |
| • Land | 269 sq mi (700 km2) |
| • Water | 0.5 sq mi (1.3 km2) 0.2% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 241,753 |
| • Density | 899/sq mi (347/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional districts | 3rd, 6th |
| Website | www.lafayettetravel.com |
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,[1] up from 221,578 at the 2010 United States census.[2] The parish seat and largest city is Lafayette.[3] The parish was founded in 1823.[4] Since 1996, the city and parish have operated as a consolidated government.
Etymology
The city and parish of Lafayette were 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.[5]
Geography
Lafayette Parish is a part of the region of Acadiana in southern Louisiana, along the Gulf Coast. 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.[6] 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 89-1
- Louisiana Highway 92
- Louisiana Highway 92-1
- Louisiana Highway 93
- Louisiana Highway 95
- Louisiana Highway 96
- Louisiana Highway 182
- Louisiana Highway 3025
- Louisiana Highway 3073
- Louisiana Highway 3184
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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)
Communities
Cities
- Broussard
- Carencro
- Lafayette (parish seat and largest municipality)
- Scott
- Youngsville
Town
Unincorporated areas
Census-designated places
Other communities
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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[7] 1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9] 1990-2000[10] 2010-2019[2] | |||
Racial and ethnic composition
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980[11] | Pop 1990[12] | Pop 2000[13] | Pop 2010[14] | Pop 2020[15] | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 114,922 | 123,436 | 137,762 | 148,972 | 150,475 | 76.61% | 74.92% | 72.31% | 67.23% | 62.24% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 29,963 | 36,652 | 45,149 | 56,633 | 60,677 | 19.97% | 22.25% | 23.70% | 25.56% | 25.10% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 214 | 340 | 498 | 683 | 716 | 0.14% | 0.21% | 0.26% | 0.31% | 0.30% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 681 | 1,563 | 2,041 | 3,293 | 5,212 | 0.45% | 0.95% | 1.07% | 1.49% | 2.16% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | x [16] | x [17] | 47 | 57 | 68 | x | x | 0.02% | 0.03% | 0.03% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 516 | 158 | 197 | 373 | 904 | 0.34% | 0.10% | 0.10% | 0.17% | 0.37% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x [18] | x [19] | 1,489 | 2,970 | 7,718 | x | x | 0.78% | 1.34% | 3.19% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3,721 | 2,613 | 3,320 | 8,597 | 15,983 | 2.48% | 1.59% | 1.74% | 3.88% | 6.61% |
| Total | 150,017 | 164,762 | 190,503 | 221,578 | 241,753 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the parish had a population of 241,753, with a median age of 36.4 years. 23.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.2 males age 18 and over. There were 97,428 households and 59,937 families residing in the parish.[20]
Of the households, 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 42.7% were married-couple households, 19.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 30.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[20]
There were 107,922 housing units, of which 9.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 65.2% were owner-occupied and 34.8% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.2%.[20]
The racial makeup of the parish was 63.4% White, 25.3% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.8% from some other race, and 5.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 6.6% of the population; when those residents are excluded, the parish was 62.24% non-H white, 25.1% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.16% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, and 3.57% multiracial or some other race.[21]
90.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 9.1% lived in rural areas.[22]
2019 American Community Survey
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.[23]
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.[23]
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.[24]
Education
Lafayette Parish School System operates public schools for the parish. Its boundaries parallel those of the parish.[25]
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),[26] a Remington College in Lafayette, a Blue Cliff College in Lafayette, an Aveda Institute, and a Louisiana Technical College in Lafayette.
Politics
The parish voters often supported Democratic presidential candidates before the 1970s, but the majority of conservative whites has trended Republican since that time.[27] Before 1965 and passage of the Voting Rights Act by the U.S 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, along with poor white voters, were excluded from the political system. After regaining the power to register and vote, black voters tended to affiliate with and support national Democratic Party candidates.
The majority of the parish voted for the Republican presidential candidates from 1992 to 2020, 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.[28]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| № | % | № | % | № | % | |
| 1912 | 244 | 23.95% | 646 | 63.40% | 129 | 12.66% |
| 1916 | 73 | 4.52% | 1,066 | 66.01% | 476 | 29.47% |
| 1920 | 1,045 | 55.94% | 823 | 44.06% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 531 | 28.97% | 978 | 53.36% | 324 | 17.68% |
| 1928 | 592 | 15.62% | 3,197 | 84.38% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 291 | 6.75% | 4,019 | 93.21% | 2 | 0.05% |
| 1936 | 306 | 6.28% | 4,570 | 93.72% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 1,850 | 22.64% | 6,323 | 77.36% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 742 | 13.39% | 4,801 | 86.61% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 2,068 | 27.21% | 1,787 | 23.52% | 3,744 | 49.27% |
| 1952 | 6,470 | 50.10% | 6,443 | 49.90% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 6,711 | 57.10% | 4,695 | 39.95% | 347 | 2.95% |
| 1960 | 6,047 | 26.66% | 14,132 | 62.30% | 2,505 | 11.04% |
| 1964 | 12,398 | 46.11% | 14,487 | 53.89% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 10,669 | 35.12% | 7,983 | 26.28% | 11,723 | 38.59% |
| 1972 | 22,939 | 69.10% | 8,740 | 26.33% | 1,519 | 4.58% |
| 1976 | 22,805 | 52.19% | 19,918 | 45.58% | 976 | 2.23% |
| 1980 | 31,429 | 58.72% | 19,694 | 36.79% | 2,403 | 4.49% |
| 1984 | 44,344 | 68.80% | 19,265 | 29.89% | 849 | 1.32% |
| 1988 | 36,648 | 59.44% | 24,133 | 39.14% | 877 | 1.42% |
| 1992 | 32,406 | 45.16% | 28,583 | 39.83% | 10,773 | 15.01% |
| 1996 | 36,419 | 48.91% | 32,504 | 43.65% | 5,545 | 7.45% |
| 2000 | 48,491 | 61.94% | 27,190 | 34.73% | 2,612 | 3.34% |
| 2004 | 57,732 | 64.20% | 31,210 | 34.71% | 981 | 1.09% |
| 2008 | 62,055 | 64.88% | 32,145 | 33.61% | 1,442 | 1.51% |
| 2012 | 64,992 | 65.89% | 31,768 | 32.21% | 1,882 | 1.91% |
| 2016 | 68,195 | 64.58% | 32,726 | 30.99% | 4,682 | 4.43% |
| 2020 | 72,519 | 63.32% | 39,685 | 34.65% | 2,317 | 2.02% |
| 2024 | 72,007 | 64.82% | 37,170 | 33.46% | 1,909 | 1.72% |
Law enforcement
| Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office | |
|---|---|
| Common name | Sheriff's Office |
| Abbreviation | LPSO |
| Motto | "Serving the community with courtesy, professionalism, and respect." |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Legal jurisdiction | Parish (County) |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Lafayette, Louisiana |
| Deputy Sheriffs | 500 |
| Unsworn employees | 250 |
| Agency executive |
|
| Divisions | 7
|
| Facilities | |
| Stations | 4 |
| Jails | 1 |
| Patrol Cars | Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, Chevrolet Impala |
| Patrol Motorcycles | Harley Davidson |
| Website | |
| http://www.lafayettesheriff.com/ | |
The Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office (LPSO) is the sheriff's department in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana. The department, headed by Sheriff Mark T. Garber, consists of around 750 sworn and non-sworn employees. Although the LPSO's jurisdiction consists of the entire parish of Lafayette, in order to not duplicate services provided by local city police, the primary patrol area is the unincorporated areas of the parish. It also runs the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center. The LPSO is CALEA (Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies) accredited and has taken part in Operation FALCON.[citation needed]
In 2003, the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office joined with the University of Louisiana to create ALETA, the Acadiana Law Enforcement Training Academy. This academy trains new LPSO deputies and UL Police officers, as well as recruits from several other police agencies in South Louisiana, to become P.O.S.T. certified law enforcement officers. The program is an eleven-week course that provides physical training and conditioning along with classroom instruction.[citation needed]
Lafayette Parish is further served by the Lafayette Police Department, University of Louisiana at Lafayette Police Department, and the Lafayette City Marshal.
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.
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.
- Gladys Clark, (1918–2011), Cajun spinner and weaver
- 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.[30]
- Frank Schmitz, (1945-1966), four time NCAA champion gymnast and silver medal winner at the 1965 Trampoline World Championships.
- Fred Prejean, (1946-2022) community leader and American activist.
- Dustin Poirier, (born 1989), professional mixed martial artist. Ultimate Fighting Championship Lightweight competitor and former Interim UFC Lightweight Champion.
See also
- Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana
References
- ^ "QuickFacts: Lafayette Parish, Louisiana". U.S. Census Bureau.
- ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "History". Lafayette County Sheriff's Office. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
- ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Government Printing Office. pp. 178.
- ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
- ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
- ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
- ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
- ^ "1980 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Louisiana - Table 14 - Persons by Race and Table 15 - Total Persons and Spanish Origin Persons by Type of Spanish Origin and Race (p. 20/12-20/20)" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
- ^ "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Louisiana - Table 6 - Race and Hispanic Origin" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 15-38.
- ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Lafayette Parish, Louisiana". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Lafayette Parish, Louisiana". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Lafayette Parish, Louisiana". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
- ^ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
- ^ not an option in the 1980 Census
- ^ not an option in the 1990 Census
- ^ a b c "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved January 3, 2026.
- ^ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved January 3, 2026.
- ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2026.
- ^ a b "2019 Selected Social Characteristics". data.census.gov. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
- ^ "Geography Profile: Lafayette Parish, Louisiana". data.census.gov. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
- ^ Geography Division (December 18, 2020). 2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Lafayette Parish, LA (PDF) (Map). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved May 31, 2025. - Text list
- ^ "Our Colleges". Louisiana's Technical and Community Colleges. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ David Leip's Election Atlas
- ^ The New York Times electoral map
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
- ^ Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1963.
External links
- Lafayette Consolidated Government
- Lafayette Economic Development Authority
- Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission
- 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.
30°13′N 92°04′W / 30.21°N 92.06°W / 30.21; -92.06