Vermilion Parish, Louisiana | |
|---|---|
 Museum atGueydan, Louisiana | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofLouisiana | |
 Louisiana's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:29°49′N92°19′W / 29.81°N 92.31°W /29.81; -92.31 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Louisiana |
| Founded | 1844 |
| Named after | Vermilion River andBay |
| Seat | Abbeville |
| Largest city | Abbeville |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,542 sq mi (3,990 km2) |
| • Land | 1,173 sq mi (3,040 km2) |
| • Water | 369 sq mi (960 km2) 24% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 57,359 |
| • Density | 48.90/sq mi (18.88/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Website | https://vppj.org/ |
Vermilion Parish (French:Paroisse de Vermillion) is aparish located in theU.S. state ofLouisiana, created in 1844.[1] Theparish seat isAbbeville.[2] Vermilion Parish is part of theLafayettemetropolitan statistical area, and located in southernAcadiana. At the2020 U.S. census, the population was 57,359.[3]
In the past several decades, much of the southern portion of the parish has been swept away by water erosion, especially afterHurricane Katrina andHurricane Rita in 2005.
Indigenous peoples lived in the area for thousands of years, from different cultures. By historic times, theChitimacha andAtakapa inhabited the area and were theAmerican Indians encountered bySpanish andFrench explorers and settlers. The tribes' numbers were drastically reduced as a result of exposure to European diseases.
French, Spanish,enslavedAfricans, and French-Canadians fromAcadia expelled after theSeven Years' War won byGreat Britain, had all entered the area by the end of the 18th century. As the population became mostlyCajun, the primary language was French for years. In the mid- to late 19th century, they were joined by European Americans; immigrants fromItaly, recruited to work on the plantations, as well asJewish immigrants fromGermany and eastern Europe due to outreach efforts from the state via the Louisiana Immigration Society.[4] They tended to settle in towns and become merchants.[5]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 1,542 square miles (3,990 km2), of which 1,173 square miles (3,040 km2) is land and 369 square miles (960 km2) (24%) is water.[6] It is the fifth-largest parish in Louisiana by total area. TheGulf of Mexico is located to the south of the parish.
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Louisiana Highway 343| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 3,409 | — | |
| 1860 | 4,324 | 26.8% | |
| 1870 | 4,528 | 4.7% | |
| 1880 | 8,728 | 92.8% | |
| 1890 | 14,234 | 63.1% | |
| 1900 | 20,705 | 45.5% | |
| 1910 | 26,390 | 27.5% | |
| 1920 | 26,482 | 0.3% | |
| 1930 | 33,684 | 27.2% | |
| 1940 | 37,750 | 12.1% | |
| 1950 | 36,929 | −2.2% | |
| 1960 | 38,855 | 5.2% | |
| 1970 | 43,071 | 10.9% | |
| 1980 | 48,458 | 12.5% | |
| 1990 | 50,055 | 3.3% | |
| 2000 | 53,807 | 7.5% | |
| 2010 | 57,999 | 7.8% | |
| 2020 | 57,359 | −1.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[8] 1790–1960[9] 1900–1990[10] 1990–2000[11] 2010[12] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980[13] | Pop 1990[14] | Pop 2000[15] | Pop 2010[16] | Pop 2020[17] | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 41,005 | 41,765 | 44,026 | 46,305 | 44,020 | 84.62% | 83.44% | 81.82% | 79.84% | 76.74% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 6,365 | 6,930 | 7,527 | 8,246 | 7,859 | 13.14% | 13.84% | 13.99% | 14.22% | 13.70% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 35 | 77 | 153 | 195 | 171 | 0.07% | 0.15% | 0.28% | 0.34% | 0.30% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 216 | 671 | 971 | 1,148 | 1,253 | 0.45% | 1.34% | 1.80% | 1.98% | 2.18% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | x[18] | x[19] | 4 | 4 | 9 | x | x | 0.01% | 0.01% | 0.02% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 11 | 20 | 18 | 53 | 170 | 0.02% | 0.04% | 0.03% | 0.09% | 0.30% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x[20] | x[21] | 366 | 667 | 1,581 | x | x | 0.68% | 1.15% | 2.76% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 826 | 592 | 742 | 1,381 | 2,296 | 1.70% | 1.18% | 1.38% | 2.38% | 4.00% |
| Total | 48,458 | 50,055 | 53,807 | 57,999 | 57,359 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Home to a number ofCajun peoples, at the2000 U.S. census,[22] there were 53,807 people, 19,832 households, and 14,457 families residing in the parish. Thepopulation density was 46 people per square mile (18 people/km2). At the 2019American Community Survey, there were 59,865 people living in the parish, up from 57,999 at the2010 U.S. census.[23] By the2020 United States census, there were 57,359 people, 22,086 households, and 15,143 families residing in the parish.
In 2000, were 22,461 housing units at an average density of 19 per square mile (7.3/km2). The racial makeup of the parish was 82.68%White, 14.17%Black or African American, 0.30%Native American, 1.82%Asian, 0.01%Pacific Islander, 0.26% fromother races, and 0.76% fromtwo or more races; 1.38% of the population wereHispanic or Latin American of any race; 24.89% reported speakingFrench orCajun French at home, while 1.64% speakVietnamese and 1.02%Spanish. In 2019, the racial and ethnic makeup was 81.4% non-Hispanic white, 14.5% Black and African American, 0.5% Native American, 2.0% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.4% some other race, and 1.1% from two or more races. An estimated 3.5% of the population were Hispanic and Latin American of any race.[23]
At the 2000 U.S. census, there were 19,832 households, out of which 37.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.50% weremarried couples living together, 13.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.10% were non-families. 23.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.16. The 2019 American Community Survey determined there were 22,086 households and 26,586 housing units; there was a home-ownership rate of 77% and the median housing value was $122,200. The median gross rent from 2015 to 2019 was $685.
In 2019, the median income for a household in the parish was $51,945; males had a median income of $53,658 versus $33,327 for females.[23] About 21.3% of the children under 18 lived at or below the poverty line, and 17.6% of the total population was below the poverty line. The median income for a household in the parish was $29,500, and the median income for a family was $36,093 in 2000. Males had a median income of $31,044 versus $18,710 for females. Theper capita income for the parish was $14,201. About 17.40% of families and 22.10% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 30.00% of those under age 18 and 21.40% of those age 65 or over.
Vermilion Parish School Board has an official territory covering the entire parish.[24] It operates most public schools in the parish. Schools servingDelcambre are located in Vermilion Parish but are operated by theIberia Parish School System.[25] The Vermilion Parish district pays money to the Iberia parish district to educate Delcambre students in Vermilion Parish.[26]
Public Schools that are run by the Vermilion Parish School Board include:
Vermilion Parish is also served by theDiocese of Lafayette with three schools:
Additionally, Vermilion Parish is served by two unaffiliated private schools:
Vermilion Parish is served by one institution of higher education:
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 124 | 13.93% | 531 | 59.66% | 235 | 26.40% |
| 1916 | 78 | 3.47% | 1,340 | 59.56% | 832 | 36.98% |
| 1920 | 1,420 | 72.08% | 549 | 27.87% | 1 | 0.05% |
| 1924 | 416 | 41.03% | 598 | 58.97% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1928 | 451 | 14.88% | 2,580 | 85.12% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 269 | 8.37% | 2,945 | 91.63% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 496 | 10.66% | 4,141 | 89.02% | 15 | 0.32% |
| 1940 | 2,621 | 34.53% | 4,969 | 65.47% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 676 | 12.61% | 4,684 | 87.39% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 1,212 | 19.36% | 1,806 | 28.85% | 3,243 | 51.80% |
| 1952 | 3,868 | 42.37% | 5,261 | 57.63% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 3,877 | 44.59% | 4,564 | 52.49% | 254 | 2.92% |
| 1960 | 2,170 | 14.87% | 11,257 | 77.13% | 1,168 | 8.00% |
| 1964 | 4,984 | 35.13% | 9,204 | 64.87% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 3,278 | 21.55% | 3,806 | 25.03% | 8,124 | 53.42% |
| 1972 | 8,909 | 66.39% | 3,876 | 28.88% | 635 | 4.73% |
| 1976 | 6,133 | 34.36% | 11,246 | 63.00% | 471 | 2.64% |
| 1980 | 10,481 | 48.96% | 9,743 | 45.51% | 1,185 | 5.54% |
| 1984 | 12,721 | 56.85% | 9,033 | 40.37% | 624 | 2.79% |
| 1988 | 9,224 | 41.99% | 12,180 | 55.45% | 562 | 2.56% |
| 1992 | 7,062 | 30.12% | 12,324 | 52.57% | 4,058 | 17.31% |
| 1996 | 7,653 | 33.77% | 12,609 | 55.64% | 2,399 | 10.59% |
| 2000 | 12,495 | 56.20% | 8,704 | 39.15% | 1,036 | 4.66% |
| 2004 | 15,069 | 61.38% | 9,085 | 37.00% | 398 | 1.62% |
| 2008 | 18,069 | 72.76% | 6,266 | 25.23% | 498 | 2.01% |
| 2012 | 18,910 | 75.68% | 5,720 | 22.89% | 357 | 1.43% |
| 2016 | 20,063 | 78.27% | 4,857 | 18.95% | 712 | 2.78% |
| 2020 | 21,930 | 80.26% | 5,009 | 18.33% | 385 | 1.41% |
| 2024 | 21,510 | 81.39% | 4,637 | 17.55% | 282 | 1.07% |
For most of the 20th Century, Vermillion was a Democratic-leaning parish, voting Republican only in landslide elections such as1972,1980, and1984. However, like otherAcadian parishes with largeCajun populations, the county has turned sharply right in the 21st century based on cultural issues and Democrats' discomfort with the oil and gas industry.[29]
Places adjacent to Vermilion Parish, Louisiana | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofVermilion Parish, Louisiana,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent parish or parishes | |
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