Allen Parish | |
|---|---|
 Allen ParishCourthouse in Oberlin (near sunset) | |
 Seal  Logo | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofLouisiana | |
 Louisiana's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:30°40′N92°50′W / 30.66°N 92.83°W /30.66; -92.83 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Louisiana |
| Founded | 1912 |
| Named after | Henry Watkins Allen |
| Seat | Oberlin |
| Largest city | Oakdale |
| Area | |
• Total | 766 sq mi (1,980 km2) |
| • Land | 762 sq mi (1,970 km2) |
| • Water | 4.1 sq mi (11 km2) 0.5% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 22,750 |
| • Density | 30/sq mi (11/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Area code | |
| Congressional district | 4th |
| Website | www |
Allen Parish (French:Paroisse d'Allen) is aparish located in theU.S. state ofLouisiana. As of the2020 census, the population was 22,750.[1] Theparish seat isOberlin and the largest city isOakdale.[2] Allen Parish is in southwestern Louisiana, southwest ofAlexandria.
Allen Parish is named for formerConfederate States Army general andGovernor of LouisianaHenry Watkins Allen. It was separated in 1912 from the largerCalcasieu Parish to the southwest.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 766 square miles (1,980 km2), of which 762 square miles (1,970 km2) is land and 4.1 square miles (11 km2) (0.5%) is water.[3]
Allen Parish is bordered on the east byEvangeline Parish, on the south byJefferson Davis Parish, and on the west byBeauregard Parish.Rapides Parish andVernon Parish both border Allen Parish on the north. Allen Parish may be considered to belong to either theSouthwest Louisiana region or toCentral Louisiana. It is bordered on the east byAcadiana (Evangeline Parish). Part of Allen Parish, west of theCalcasieu River, lies within the historical"No Man's Land" or Neutral Ground of disputed territory between the US and Spain.
The geologic composition of Allen Parish, like most of Louisiana, is clay and mud.[4]
Ecoregionally, Allen Parish primarily lies within theSouth Central Plains (USGS ecoregion 35), particularly theFlatwoods (ecoregion 35f), but also a bit of the Southern Tertiary Uplands (35e) in the northwestern corner of the parish. The southeastern corner of the parish, is in the WesternGulf Coastal Plain (ecoregion 34), specifically the NorthernHumid Gulf Coastal Prairies (34a). The Calcasieu river forms the primary boundary between the piney woods and prairie regions of the parish.[5]
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| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 18,382 | — | |
| 1930 | 15,261 | −17.0% | |
| 1940 | 17,540 | 14.9% | |
| 1950 | 18,835 | 7.4% | |
| 1960 | 19,867 | 5.5% | |
| 1970 | 20,794 | 4.7% | |
| 1980 | 21,390 | 2.9% | |
| 1990 | 21,226 | −0.8% | |
| 2000 | 25,440 | 19.9% | |
| 2010 | 25,764 | 1.3% | |
| 2020 | 22,750 | −11.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[6] 1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8] 1990-2000[9] 2010[10] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 15,146 | 66.58% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 4,016 | 17.65% |
| Native American | 525 | 2.31% |
| Asian | 183 | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander | 7 | 0.03% |
| Other/Mixed | 980 | 4.31% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 1,893 | 8.32% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 22,750 people, 7,925 households, and 5,566 families residing in the parish.
As of thecensus[12] of 2000, there were 25,440 people, 8,102 households, and 5,930 families residing in the parish. Thepopulation density was 33 people per square mile (13 people/km2). There were 9,157 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile (4.6/km2). The racial makeup of the parish was 71.90%White, 24.60%Black orAfrican American, 1.72%Native American, 0.57%Asian, 0.01%Pacific Islander, 0.24% fromother races, and 0.96% from two or more races. 4.50% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. 6.22% reported speakingFrench orCajun French at home, while 4.68% speakSpanish.[13]
There were 8,102 households, out of which 36.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.00% weremarried couples living together, 15.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.80% were non-families. 24.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the parish the population was spread out, with 24.60% under the age of 18, 9.30% from 18 to 24, 33.40% from 25 to 44, 20.80% from 45 to 64, and 11.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 126.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 133.50 males.
The median income for a household in the parish was $27,777, and the median income for a family was $33,920. Males had a median income of $32,371 versus $17,154 for females. Theper capita income for the parish was $13,101. About 17.90% of families and 19.90% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 22.60% of those under age 18 and 21.50% of those age 65 or over.
The most populated city as of the 2000 census wasOakdale, LA.
Allen Parish had 303 employer establishments in 2021, with a total employment of 3,513.[14] Allen Parish'sgross domestic product in 2022 was $898,617.[15]
Lumber production is a strong industry in the parish, particularly in the area of Oakdale.[16]
The Coushatta Casino Resort, owned and operated by theCoushatta Tribe of Louisiana, is located in Kinder and employs about 2,600 people.[17]
According to the Kinder Chamber of Commerce, "the gaming and hospitality industries, along with a plywood manufacturing facility, three prison facilities and a natural gas relay facility are the major private sector employers in the parish."[18] The primary crops are rice and soybeans.[18]
TheCoushatta Tribe of Louisiana's territory is bounded within Allen and Jefferson Davis parishes, and the tribe maintains traditional creative expressions such as music, dance, and fiber arts. An annualpowwow celebrating these arts takes place at the Coushatta Casino Resort near Kinder.[19]
Allen Parish is the origin of several notable musicians:blues singerRoy Brown, andzydeco musiciansPreston Frank and his sonKeith Frank.
The Allen Parish Tourism Commission operates the Allen Parish Cultural Center near Kinder.[20]
On September 27, 2008, the Allen Parish Tourist Commission opened Leatherwood Museum in Oakdale in a two-story house which served during the early 20th century as a hospital where women waited on the second-floor balcony to deliver their babies. The museum focuses on thehistory ofagriculture andtimber.[21]
Allen was a strongly Democratic parish inPresidential andCongressional elections; the last Republican to win a majority in the parish before 2000 wasRichard Nixon in1972. Starting in2000, whenGeorge W. Bush narrowly won the parish, Allen has become a Republican stronghold;John McCain won nearly two-thirds of the parish's vote in2008.
Allen is part of Louisiana's4th congressional district, held by RepublicanMike Johnson. In theLouisiana House of Representatives Allen is part of the 32nd district, held by Republican R. DeWitt Carrier. In theLouisiana Senate Allen is part of the 28th district, held by Republican Heather Cloud.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 7,003 | 80.03% | 1,661 | 18.98% | 87 | 0.99% |
| 2020 | 7,574 | 77.21% | 2,108 | 21.49% | 128 | 1.30% |
| 2016 | 6,867 | 74.28% | 2,106 | 22.78% | 272 | 2.94% |
| 2012 | 6,495 | 69.79% | 2,617 | 28.12% | 195 | 2.10% |
| 2008 | 6,333 | 66.90% | 2,891 | 30.54% | 243 | 2.57% |
| 2004 | 5,140 | 56.33% | 3,791 | 41.55% | 193 | 2.12% |
| 2000 | 4,035 | 48.66% | 3,914 | 47.20% | 343 | 4.14% |
| 1996 | 2,589 | 29.27% | 4,930 | 55.74% | 1,325 | 14.98% |
| 1992 | 3,069 | 30.64% | 5,626 | 56.16% | 1,322 | 13.20% |
| 1988 | 3,674 | 40.87% | 5,204 | 57.89% | 111 | 1.23% |
| 1984 | 4,474 | 47.69% | 4,842 | 51.61% | 66 | 0.70% |
| 1980 | 3,328 | 34.80% | 6,057 | 63.33% | 179 | 1.87% |
| 1976 | 2,080 | 27.11% | 5,373 | 70.02% | 220 | 2.87% |
| 1972 | 3,581 | 59.41% | 2,029 | 33.66% | 418 | 6.93% |
| 1968 | 1,004 | 13.83% | 2,026 | 27.91% | 4,229 | 58.26% |
| 1964 | 2,704 | 41.66% | 3,787 | 58.34% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 1,676 | 26.97% | 3,719 | 59.84% | 820 | 13.19% |
| 1956 | 2,469 | 50.46% | 2,284 | 46.68% | 140 | 2.86% |
| 1952 | 1,461 | 28.02% | 3,754 | 71.98% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 241 | 7.49% | 1,996 | 62.01% | 982 | 30.51% |
| 1944 | 336 | 13.22% | 2,205 | 86.78% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 277 | 9.65% | 2,592 | 90.35% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 324 | 12.80% | 2,207 | 87.20% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 130 | 5.89% | 2,075 | 93.93% | 4 | 0.18% |
| 1928 | 725 | 35.66% | 1,308 | 64.34% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 410 | 28.83% | 1,012 | 71.17% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1920 | 242 | 19.36% | 1,008 | 80.64% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1916 | 81 | 10.24% | 708 | 89.51% | 2 | 0.25% |
Residents are zoned toAllen Parish Schools[23]
There is a private school, Oberlin Covenant School, inOberlin. As of 1992[update] it was the parish's sole private school.[24]
It is in the service area ofSowela Technical Community College.[25]
Allen Parish's newspapers areThe Oakdale Journal andThe Kinder Courier News, owned byLouisiana State Newspapers, Inc.[26][27]
Allen Parish is home to one FM radio station,KKST-FM, anurban contemporary station in Oakdale.[28] Oakdale listeners receive signals from Alexandria andLafayette stations, while those in Kinder tend to receive from Lafayette andLake Charles.[29]
For television, Oakdale is served byAlexandria stationsKATC (ABC andCW), andKALB (NBC,CBS, and CW).[30] Kinder and Oberlin primarily receive Lake Charles stationKPLC (NBC and CW).[31][32]
Transportation in Allen Parish relies on highways and parish roads. The nearest long-distance bus stations are in Alexandria, Opelousas, Lafayette, and Lake Charles.
US 165 runs North–South. The other major highways, which areUS 190,LA 10, andLA 26, run East–West.
Detachment 1, B Company 3-156TH Infantry Battalion of the256TH IBCT resided inOakdale, Louisiana. This unit deployed twice toIraq in 2004-5 and 2010. Armory was closed, elements moved to Camp Beauregard.
Media related toAllen Parish, Louisiana at Wikimedia CommonsGeology
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Municipalities and communities ofAllen Parish, Louisiana,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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| Geographic | |
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