Rapides Parish, Louisiana

Rapides Parish () () is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 130,023. The parish seat and largest city is Alexandria, which developed along the Red River of the South. Rapides is the French word for "rapids". The parish was created in 1807 after the United States acquired this territory in the Louisiana Purchase.

Rapides Parish is included in the Alexandria metropolitan area, Louisiana.

History

In 1763, the land that is now Rapides Parish became the new home of the Apalachee tribe, who were settled there with the permission of Governor Kerlerec. Some Native Americans had come after fleeing the British and their Creek Indian allies from what is now Leon County, Florida. Many of their descendants remain in Natchitoches Parish.

The first French settler was Vincent Porei, who was granted a small tract of land in July 1764 by the Civil and Military Commander of Natchitoches. Nicolas Etienne Marafret Layssard arrived in December 1766, with the permission of Aubrey and Foucault, to establish a "tar works" in the pineries of Rapides, for naval stores. He was later appointed the first Civil Commander of Rapides Parish. During the 1760s, the area was still a dependency of Natchitoches Parish

Parts of Catahoula Parish, Grant Parish, Vernon Parish, and Winn Parish were initially part of Rapides Parish territory, but they eventually separated and obtained land from neighboring parishes.

Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of , of which is land and (3.2%) is water. It is the largest parish in Louisiana by land area.

Water features Catahoula Lake Red River

Major highways Interstate 49 U.S. Highway 71 U.S. Highway 165

U.S. Highway 167

Louisiana Highway 1 Louisiana Highway 8 Louisiana Highway 28

Louisiana Highway 107 Louisiana Highway 112 Louisiana Highway 113 Louisiana Highway 115 Louisiana Highway 116 Louisiana Highway 119 Louisiana Highway 121 Louisiana Highway 180 Louisiana Highway 181 Louisiana Highway 454 Louisiana Highway 456 Louisiana Highway 457 Louisiana Highway 461 Louisiana Highway 462 Louisiana Highway 463 Louisiana Highway 465 Louisiana Highway 470 Louisiana Highway 488 Louisiana Highway 496 Louisiana Highway 497 Louisiana Highway 498 Louisiana Highway 623 Louisiana Highway 1177 Louisiana Highway 1198 Louisiana Highway 1199 Louisiana Highway 1200 Louisiana Highway 1201 Louisiana Highway 1203 Louisiana Highway 1204 Louisiana Highway 1205 Louisiana Highway 1206 Louisiana Highway 1207 Louisiana Highway 1208-1 Louisiana Highway 1208-2 Louisiana Highway 1208-3 Louisiana Highway 1208-4 Louisiana Highway 1208-5 Louisiana Highway 1243 Louisiana Highway 1250 Louisiana Highway 1254 Louisiana Highway 1258 Louisiana Highway 3054 Louisiana Highway 3100 Louisiana Highway 3128 Louisiana Highway 3144 Louisiana Highway 3170 Louisiana Highway 3225 Louisiana Highway 3250 Louisiana Highway 3265

Adjacent parishes Grant Parish (north) La Salle Parish (northeast) Avoyelles Parish (east) Evangeline Parish (southeast) Allen Parish (southwest) Vernon Parish (west) Natchitoches Parish (northwest)

National protected area Kisatchie National Forest (part)

Military installations Esler Airfield (LA Army National Guard) Louisiana National Guard Training Center Pineville (LA Army National Guard) Camp Claiborne (defunct) Camp Livingston (defunct) England Air Force Base (defunct)

National Guard 225th Engineer Brigade

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

+Rapides Parish, Louisiana – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)96,41491,93283,05981,62376,32371.27%69.88%65.74%62.02%58.70%Black or African American alone (NH)36,03136,66738,29841,93740,26126.63%27.87%30.31%31.86%30.96%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)4295288929689010.32%0.40%0.71%0.74%0.69%Asian alone (NH)5548791,0711,5451,8050.41%0.67%0.85%1.17%1.39%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census392633xx0.03%0.02%0.03%Other race alone (NH)22524911384590.17%0.02%0.07%0.10%0.35%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census1,1481,9585,151xx0.91%1.49%3.96%Hispanic or Latino (any race)1,6291,5261,7393,4185,0901.20%1.16%1.38%2.60%3.91%Total135,282131,556126,337131,613130,023 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 130,023 people living in the parish, the median age was 39.3 years, 24.0% of residents were under the age of 18, and 17.6% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.9 males.

The racial makeup of the parish was 59.6% White, 31.1% Black or African American, 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.8% from some other race, and 5.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.9% of the population.

60.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 39.8% lived in rural areas.

There were 51,268 households and 32,667 families residing in the parish; 31.7% of households had children under the age of 18 living in them, 41.4% were married-couple households, 18.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 33.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 57,935 housing units, of which 11.5% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 65.0% were owner-occupied and 35.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.6%.

2010 census

In 2010, there were 131,613 people living in the parish. 63.3% were White, 25.0% Black or African American, 1.83% Asian, 2.15% Native American, 1.56% of some other race and 1.88% of two or more races. 6.85% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

2000 census

In 2000, there were 126,337 people, 47,120 households, and 33,125 families living in the parish. The population density was . There were 52,038 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the parish was 66.51% White, 30.43% Black or African American, 0.74% Native American, 0.86% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.42% from other races, and 1.01% from two or more races. 1.38% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 47,120 households, out of which 34.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.70% were married couples living together, 16.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.70% were non-families. 26.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the parish the population was spread out, with 27.20% under the age of 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 27.90% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 13.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.00 males.

The median income for a household in the parish was $29,856, and the median income for a family was $36,671. Males had a median income of $29,775 versus $20,483 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $16,088. About 16.40% of families and 20.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.30% of those under age 18 and 16.30% of those age 65 or over.

Infrastructure and politics The Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections formerly operated the J. Levy Dabadie Correctional Center on property adjacent to Louisiana National Guard Training Center Pineville in Pineville in Rapides Parish."Time in Prison ." Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections. 28/40. September 23, 2010."J. Levy Dabadie Correctional Center ." Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections. Retrieved on September 23, 2010. The facility closed in July 2012."J. Levy Dabadie Correctional Center." (Archive) Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections. Retrieved on October 23, 2012.

Politics Since the late 20th century, conservative whites have mostly shifted from the Democratic Party, long in control in Louisiana and other Deep South states, to the Republican Party. The population of Alexandria is heavily Democratic, but voters in the white-majority Rapides Parish frequently favor Republican candidates in competitive presidential elections. In 2012, Republican Mitt Romney carried the parish with 37,193 votes (64.1 percent), compared to Democrat U.S. President Barack Obama's 20,045 (34.6 percent). The 2012 results in Rapides Parish were similar to those of 2008. Republican Senator John McCain won the parish with 36,611 votes (63.6 percent) to President Obama's 20,127 (35 percent).

With 58.8 percent and 63.8 percent, respectively, George W. Bush carried Rapides Parish in both 2000 and 2004 over the Democrats, Vice President Al Gore and John F. Kerry. The last Democrat to win at the presidential level in Rapides Parish was Bill Clinton, who in 1996 received 23,004 votes (46.1 percent) to Robert J. Dole's 21,548 (43.2 percent). Ross Perot, founder of the Reform Party, received 4,670 ballots (9.4 percent). In 2016, Hillary Clinton suffered the worst defeat for a Democratic candidate in the parish since Walter Mondale in 1984. This is in contrast to the fact that her husband, Bill, won the parish in 1996 during his reelection bid.

Education Rapides Parish School Board operates public schools. - Text list

Louisiana State University of Alexandria is in Alexandria.

Louisiana Christian University is located in Pineville.

Rapides Parish is in the service area of Central Louisiana Technical Community College.

Communities Cities Alexandria (parish seat and largest municipality) Pineville

Towns Ball Boyce Cheneyville Glenmora Lecompte Woodworth

Villages Forest Hill McNary

Unincorporated areas

Census-designated Place Deville Echo

Unincorporated communities

Buckeye Clifton Elmer Flatwoods Gardner Hineston Kolin Lena Libuse Melder Otis Poland Ruby Sieper Tioga

Gallery

Rapides Parish, Louisiana

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