Vermilion Parish, Louisiana

Vermilion Parish, Louisiana
Location in the U.S. state of Louisiana
Louisiana's location in the U.S.
Founded	1844
Named for	Vermilion River and Bay
Seat	Abbeville
Largest city	Abbeville
Area
• Total	1,542 sq mi (3,994 km2)
• Land	1,173 sq mi (3,038 km2)
• Water	369 sq mi (956 km2), 24%
Population
• (2010)	57,999
• Density	49/sq mi (19/km²)
Congressional district	3rd
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5
Website	vermilionparishpolicejury.com

Vermilion Parish (Paroisse de Vermillon) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 57,999. The parish seat is Abbeville. The parish was founded in 1844.

Vermilion Parish is part of the Lafayette, LA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Vermilion and neighboring Cameron parishes are represented in the Louisiana State Senate by the Republican Jonathan W. Perry of Kaplan.

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

Indigenous peoples lived in the area for thousands of years, in 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 to which they had no immunity.

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, who tended to settle in towns and become merchants.

Geography

File:Vermilion Parish, LA.ogv

Timelapse of six years in southern Vermilion Parish, Louisiana (1973, 1980, 1986, 1992, 2003, 2010) 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. 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

• U.S. Highway 167
• Louisiana Highway 13
• Louisiana Highway 14
• Louisiana Highway 82

Adjacent parishes

• Acadia Parish (north)
• Lafayette Parish (northeast)
• Iberia Parish (east)
• Cameron Parish (west)
• Jefferson Davis Parish (northwest)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
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%
Est. 2014	59,616		2.8%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013

Home to a number of Cajun peoples, as of the census of 2000, 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/km²). There were 22,461 housing units at an average density of 19 per square mile (7/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 Latino of any race. 24.89% reported speaking French or Cajun French at home, while 1.64% speak Vietnamese and 1.02% Spanish.[1]

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.

In the parish the population was spread out with 28.10% under the age of 18, 9.40% from 18 to 24, 28.20% from 25 to 44, 20.80% from 45 to 64, and 13.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 93.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.80 males.

The median income for a household in the parish was $29,500, and the median income for a family was $36,093. 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

Vermilion Parish School Board operates public schools in the parish.

The schools serving Delcambre are located in Vermilion Parish and are operated by Iberia Parish School System.

Communities

File:Map of Vermilion Parish Louisiana With Municipal Labels.PNG

Map of Vermilion Parish, Louisiana With Municipal Labels

Cities

• Abbeville (parish seat)
• Kaplan

Towns

• Delcambre (part)
• Erath
• Gueydan

Village

• Maurice

Unincorporated communities

• Boston
• Charogne
• Forked Island
• Grosse Isle
• Henry
• Leblanc
• Leroy
• Indian Bayou
• Intracoastal City
• Meaux
• Pecan Island
• Perry

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana

External links

• Heinrich, P. V., 2006, White Lake 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.
• Official website
• Vermilion Historical Society