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Vermilion Parish, Louisiana

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Vermilion Parish (French: Paroisse de Vermillion) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana, created in 1844.[1] The parish seat is Abbeville.[2] Vermilion Parish is part of the Lafayette metropolitan statistical area, and located in southern Acadiana. At the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 57,359.[3]

Vermilion Parish
Parish
Museum at Gueydan, Louisiana
Museum at Gueydan, Louisiana
Map of Louisiana highlighting Vermilion Parish
Location within the U.S. state of Louisiana
Map of the United States highlighting Louisiana
Louisiana's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 29°49′N 92°19′W / 29.81°N 92.31°W / 29.81; -92.31
Country United States
State Louisiana
Founded1844
Named forVermilion River and Bay
SeatAbbeville
Largest cityAbbeville
Area
 • Total
1,542 sq mi (3,990 km2)
 • Land1,173 sq mi (3,040 km2)
 • Water369 sq mi (960 km2)  24%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
57,359
 • Density37/sq mi (14/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district3rd

In the past several decades, much of the southern portion of the parish has been swept away by water erosion, especially after Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita in 2005.

History

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Indigenous peoples lived in the area for thousands of years, from different cultures. By historic times, the Chitimacha and Atakapa inhabited the area and were the American Indians encountered by Spanish and French explorers and settlers. The tribes' numbers were drastically reduced as a result of exposure to European diseases.

French, Spanish, enslaved Africans, and French-Canadians from Acadia expelled after the Seven Years' War won by Great Britain, had all entered the area by the end of the 18th century. As the population became mostly Cajun, the primary language was French for years. In the mid- to late 19th century, they were joined by European Americans; immigrants from Italy, recruited to work on the plantations, as well as Jewish immigrants from Germany and eastern Europe,[why?] who tended to settle in towns and become merchants.

Geography

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Timelapse of six years in southern Vermilion Parish, Louisiana (1973, 1980, 1986, 1992, 2003, 2011) land being overtaken by water.

According to the U.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.[4] It is the fifth-largest parish in Louisiana by total area. The Gulf of Mexico is located to the south of the parish.

Major highways

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Adjacent parishes

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Communities

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Cities

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Towns

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Unincorporated communities

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18503,409—
18604,32426.8%
18704,5284.7%
18808,72892.8%
189014,23463.1%
190020,70545.5%
191026,39027.5%
192026,4820.3%
193033,68427.2%
194037,75012.1%
195036,929−2.2%
196038,8555.2%
197043,07110.9%
198048,45812.5%
199050,0553.3%
200053,8077.5%
201057,9997.8%
202057,359−1.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]
1790–1960[7] 1900–1990[8]
1990–2000[9] 2010[10]
Vermilion Parish racial composition as of 2020[11]
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 44,020 76.74%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 7,859 13.7%
Native American 171 0.3%
Asian 1,253 2.18%
Pacific Islander 9 0.02%
Other/Mixed 1,751 3.05%
Hispanic or Latino 2,296 4.0%

Home to a number of Cajun peoples, at the 2000 U.S. census,[12] there were 53,807 people, 19,832 households, and 14,457 families residing in the parish. The population density was 46 people per square mile (18 people/km2). At the 2019 American Community Survey, there were 59,865 people living in the parish, up from 57,999 at the 2010 U.S. census.[13] By the 2020 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% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races; 1.38% of the population were Hispanic or Latin American of any race; 24.89% reported speaking French or Cajun French at home, while 1.64% speak Vietnamese 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.[13]

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% were married 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.[13] 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. The per capita income for the parish was $14,201. About 17.40% of families and 22.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.00% of those under age 18 and 21.40% of those age 65 or over.

Education

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Vermilion Parish School Board has an official territory covering the entire parish.[14] It operates most public schools in the parish. Schools serving Delcambre are located in Vermilion Parish but are operated by the Iberia Parish School System.[15] The Vermilion Parish district pays money to the Iberia parish district to educate Delcambre students in Vermilion Parish.[16]

Schools

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Public Schools that are run by the Vermilion Parish School Board include:

  • Cecil Picard Elementary (Grades PK-5) (Maurice)
  • Dozier Elementary (Grades PK-5) (Erath)
  • Eaton Park Elementary (Grades PK-2) (Abbeville)
  • Forked Island - E. Broussard Elementary (Grades PK-8) (Abbeville)
  • Indian Bayou Elementary (Grades PK-5) (Rayne)
  • James A. Herod Elementary (Grades 3–5) (Abbeville)
  • Jesse Owens Elementary (Grades PK-5) (Gueydan)
  • Kaplan Elementary (Grades PK-4) (Kaplan)
  • Leblanc Elementary (Grades PK-5) (Abbeville)
  • Meaux Elementary (Grades PK-5) (Abbeville)
  • Seventh Ward Elementary (Grades PK-5) (Abbeville)
  • Erath Middle (Grades 6–8) (Erath)
  • J. H. Williams Middle (Grades 6–8) (Abbeville)
  • North Vermilion Middle (Grades 6–8) (Maurice)
  • Rene A. Rost Middle (Grades 5–8) (Kaplan)
  • Abbeville High (Grades 9–12) (Abbeville)
  • Erath High School (Grades 9–12) (Erath)
  • Gueydan High (Grades 6–12) (Gueydan)
  • Kaplan High (Grades 9–12) (Kaplan)
  • North Vermilion High (Grades 9–12) (Maurice)

Vermilion Parish is also served by the Diocese of Lafayette with three schools:

  • Maltrait Memorial School (Grades PK-8) (Kaplan)
  • Mt. Carmel Catholic School (Grades PK-8) (Abbeville)
  • Vermilion Catholic High School (Grades 9–12) (Abbeville)

Additionally, Vermilion Parish is served by two unaffiliated private schools:

  • Harvest Time Christian Academy (Grades PK-12) (Abbeville)
  • Lighthouse Christian High School (Grades 9–12) (Abbeville)

Vermilion Parish is served by one institution of higher education:

Politics

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United States presidential election results for Vermilion Parish, Louisiana[18]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 21,930 80.26% 5,009 18.33% 385 1.41%
2016 20,063 78.27% 4,857 18.95% 712 2.78%
2012 18,910 75.68% 5,720 22.89% 357 1.43%
2008 18,069 72.76% 6,266 25.23% 498 2.01%
2004 15,069 61.38% 9,085 37.00% 398 1.62%
2000 12,495 56.20% 8,704 39.15% 1,036 4.66%
1996 7,653 33.77% 12,609 55.64% 2,399 10.59%
1992 7,062 30.12% 12,324 52.57% 4,058 17.31%
1988 9,224 41.99% 12,180 55.45% 562 2.56%
1984 12,721 56.85% 9,033 40.37% 624 2.79%
1980 10,481 48.96% 9,743 45.51% 1,185 5.54%
1976 6,133 34.36% 11,246 63.00% 471 2.64%
1972 8,909 66.39% 3,876 28.88% 635 4.73%
1968 3,278 21.55% 3,806 25.03% 8,124 53.42%
1964 4,984 35.13% 9,204 64.87% 0 0.00%
1960 2,170 14.87% 11,257 77.13% 1,168 8.00%
1956 3,877 44.59% 4,564 52.49% 254 2.92%
1952 3,868 42.37% 5,261 57.63% 0 0.00%
1948 1,212 19.36% 1,806 28.85% 3,243 51.80%
1944 676 12.61% 4,684 87.39% 0 0.00%
1940 2,621 34.53% 4,969 65.47% 0 0.00%
1936 496 10.66% 4,141 89.02% 15 0.32%
1932 269 8.37% 2,945 91.63% 0 0.00%
1928 451 14.88% 2,580 85.12% 0 0.00%
1924 416 41.03% 598 58.97% 0 0.00%
1920 1,420 72.08% 549 27.87% 1 0.05%
1916 78 3.47% 1,340 59.56% 832 36.98%
1912 124 13.93% 531 59.66% 235 26.40%

For most of the 20th Century, Vermillion was a Democratic-leaning parish, voting Republican only in landslide elections such as 1972, 1980, and 1984. However, like other Acadian parishes with large Cajun populations, the county has turned sharply right in the 21st century based on cultural issues and Democrats' discomfort with the oil and gas industry.[19]

See also

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vermilion Parish, Louisiana.

References

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  1. ^ "Vermilion Parish". Center for Cultural and Eco-Tourism. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Vermillion Parish, Louisiana". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  4. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
  5. ^ "Census confirms Maurice's growth". Vermilion Today. August 18, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  6. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
  7. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
  8. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
  9. ^ "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 2, 2014.
  10. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  11. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
  12. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  13. ^ a b c "Geography Profile: Vermilion Parish, Louisiana". data.census.gov. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  14. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Vermilion Parish, LA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved September 5, 2024. - Text list
  15. ^ "Iberia Parish schools for this district". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  16. ^ "VERMILION PARISH SCHOOL BOARD Abbeville, Louisiana Financial Report Year Ended June 30, 2002" (PDF). Government of Louisiana. p. 31 (PDF p. 34/76).
  17. ^ "Our Colleges". Louisiana's Technical and Community Colleges. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  18. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". Uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved December 2, 2017.
  19. ^ Martin, Jonathan (November 16, 2019). "Why the Louisiana Governor's Race Is So Close". The New York Times.
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29°49′N 92°19′W / 29.81°N 92.31°W / 29.81; -92.31

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