Vermilion Parish, Louisiana

History

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 due to outreach efforts from the state via the Louisiana Immigration Society. They tended to settle in towns and become merchants.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 1542 sqmi, of which 1173 sqmi is land and 369 sqmi (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

• [[Image:US 167.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 167
• [[Image:Louisiana 13 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 13
• [[Image:Louisiana 14 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 14
• [[Image:Louisiana 82 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 82
• [[Image:Louisiana 89 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 89
• [[Image:Louisiana 91 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 91
• [[Image:Louisiana 92 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 92
• [[Image:Louisiana 330 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 330
• [[Image:Louisiana 331 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 331
• [[Image:Louisiana 338 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 338
• [[Image:Louisiana 339 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 339
• [[Image:Louisiana 343 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 343

Adjacent parishes

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

Communities

Cities

• Abbeville (parish seat and largest municipality)
• Kaplan

Towns

• Delcambre (part)
• Erath
• Gueydan
• Maurice

Census-designated place

• Perry

Unincorporated communities

• Andrew
• Bancker
• Boston
• Bayou Tigre
• Camille
• Charogne
• Chenier Au Tigre
• Cossinade
• Cow Island
• Esther
• Forked Island
• Grosse Isle
• Henry
• Leblanc
• Leroy
• Indian Bayou
• Intracoastal City
• Laurents Point
• Leleux
• Leroy
• Mack
• Marceaux
• Meaux
• Mouton Cove
• Mulvey
• Nunez
• Pecan Island
• Riceville
• Rose Hill
• Theall
• Woodlawn
• Wright
• Youngs

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010

Racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the parish had a population of 57,359. The median age was 39.3 years. 25.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.8 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the parish was 77.5% White, 13.8% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2% Asian,

44.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 55.9% lived in rural areas.

The 2020 census recorded 22,195 households and 15,143 families residing in the parish, of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 47.1% were married-couple households, 17.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 25,741 housing units, of which 13.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 74.3% were owner-occupied and 25.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.4%.

2019 [[American Community Survey]]

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. 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 housing value was $122,200, and the median gross rent from 2015 to 2019 was $685.

2010 census

At the 2010 U.S. census, there were 57,999 people living in the parish.

2000 census

Home to a number of Cajun peoples, at the 2000 U.S. census, there were 53,807 people, 19,832 households, and 14,457 families residing in the parish. The population density was 46 /mi2.

In 2000, there were 22,461 housing units at an average density of 19 /mi2. 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.

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 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

Vermilion Parish School Board has an official territory covering the entire parish. 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. The Vermilion Parish district pays money to the Iberia parish district to educate Delcambre students in Vermilion Parish.

Schools

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 School (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:

• South Louisiana Community College service area, Gulf Area Campus (Abbeville)

Politics

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 parish has turned sharply right in the 21st century based on cultural issues and Democrats' discomfort with the oil and gas industry.

References

References

1. "Vermilion Parish". Center for Cultural and Eco-Tourism.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
3. "Census - Geography Profile: Vermillion Parish, Louisiana". [[United States Census Bureau]].
4. Williams, E. Russ. (1974). "Louisiana's Public and Private Immigration Endeavors: 1866-1893". Louisiana History: The Journal of the Louisiana Historical Association.
5. Marler, Scott. (2001). "Merchants in the Transition to a New South: Central Louisiana, 1840-1880". Louisiana History: The Journal of the Louisiana Historical Association.
6. (August 22, 2012). "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
7. (August 18, 2021). "Census confirms Maurice's growth".
8. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau.
9. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library.
10. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau.
11. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau.
12. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau.
13. "1980 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Louisiana - Table 14 - Persons by Race and Table 15 - Total Persons and Spanish Origin Persons by Type of Spanish Origin and Race (p. 20/12-20/20)".
14. "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Louisiana - Table 6 - Race and Hispanic Origin".
15. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Vermilion Parish, Louisiana".
16. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Vermilion Parish, Louisiana".
17. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Vermilion Parish, Louisiana".
18. included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
19. included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
20. not an option in the 1980 Census
21. not an option in the 1990 Census
22. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
23. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
24. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
25. "Geography Profile: Vermilion Parish, Louisiana".
26. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
27. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Vermilion Parish, LA". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
28. "Iberia Parish schools for this district". [[National Center for Education Statistics]].
29. "VERMILION PARISH SCHOOL BOARD Abbeville, Louisiana Financial Report Year Ended June 30, 2002". [[Government of Louisiana]].
30. "Our Colleges". [[Louisiana's Technical and Community Colleges]].
31. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
32. Martin, Jonathan. (November 16, 2019). "Why the Louisiana Governor's Race Is So Close".