Roddy Terrebonne
February 8, 2011Krewe of Christopher Tableau Only, Monday, March 7, 8 p.m. (Thibodaux)
February 10, 2011The Lafourche Parish population grew 7.1 percent from 89,974 in 2000 to 96,318 in 2010.
Of the 96,000 Lafourche residents, 79.4 percent are Caucasian, 13.2 percent are Black or African American, 3.8 percent are Hispanic or Latino, 2.8 percent are American Indian or Alaska Native, 2 percent are some other race, 1.8 percent are two or more races, 0.7 percent are Asian and 33 people, less than 0.1 percent, are Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander.
The parish saw its Hispanic and Latino population grow 184 percent in the 10-year span from 1,284 to 3,647. The Caucasian population rose 2.6 percent and the Black population grew 12.3 percent.
Lafourche has 35,486 occupied housing units, 3,096 vacant units and an average of 2.71 residents per occupied units, the data showed
Lafourche Parish President Charlotte Randolph was unavailable for comment.
St. Mary Hispanic and Latino growth offset decline in Caucasian population
St. Mary Parish added 1,150 residents, a slow growth rate of 2.1 percent attributable to the migration of white residents. The parish’s Caucasian population declined by 1,185, or 3.6 percent.
“After the storm we lost a lot of people,” St. Mary Parish President Paul Naquin said. “People moved out…you could see that trend in the Franklin area. I think most of the losses were in the Franklin area and I think that’s contributable to a hurricane protection area.”
The Hispanic and Latino population increased by 153 percent from 1,152 in 2000 to 2,920 in 2010.
The 1,768-person-Hispanic-and-Latino growth also made up 153 percent of the parish’s total growth and Naquin said the increase started in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina.
The Black population grew 4.4 percent.
The parish’s 2010 makeup was 59.3 percent Caucasian, 32.5 percent Black or African American, 5.3 percent Hispanic or Latino, 2.6 percent some other race, 2 percent two or more races, 1.8 percent American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7 percent Asian, and 0.1 percent Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.
Naquin said the parish will have to add apartments and other housing options for its residents. Currently, the parish has 20,457 occupied housing units, which equates to 2.67 people per unit.
“The main thing we’re going to have to work on is housing in St. Mary Parish. If we keep growing, we’re going to have to have housing… We’re going to have to have some apartments and some new housing in St. Mary Parish to entice people to come.”
The 2010 Census subdivided data has yet to be released for Louisiana; specific nationalities for the Hispanic and Latino population and specific community numbers are currently unavailable.
The state’s total growth rate of 1.7 percent ranked ahead of only Michigan, Rhode Island and Puerto Rico. Michigan and Puerto Rico had a decline in population.
