Franklin Parish (, ) is a parish located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020, its population was 19,774. The parish seat and the most populous municipality is Winnsboro. The parish was founded in 1843 and named for Benjamin Franklin.

Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of , of which is land and (1.7%) is water.

Major highways U.S. Highway 425 Louisiana Highway 4 Louisiana Highway 15 Louisiana Highway 17 Louisiana Highway 577

Adjacent parishes Richland Parish (north) Madison Parish (northeast) Tensas Parish (southeast) Catahoula Parish (south) Caldwell Parish (west)

National protected area Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Communities

Towns

Winnsboro (parish seat and largest municipality) Wisner

Villages

Baskin Gilbert

Unincorporated communities

Chase Crowville Extension Fort Necessity Jigger Liddieville

Demographics

2020 census As of the 2020 census, the parish had a population of 19,774 and a median age of 40.4 years. 24.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.2% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.3 males age 18 and over.

As of the 2020 census, there were 7,727 households and 5,130 families residing in the parish. Of those households, 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 41.0% were married-couple households, 19.7% 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 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

As of the 2020 census, there were 8,883 housing units, of which 13.0% were vacant. Among occupied units, 71.3% were owner-occupied and 28.7% were renter-occupied; the homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.9%.

The racial makeup of the parish was 63.2% White, 33.1% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.4% from some other race, and 2.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.4% of the population.

As of the 2020 census, 26.0% of residents lived in urban areas while 74.0% lived in rural areas.

Racial and ethnic composition +Franklin Parish, Louisiana – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)16,29315,19714,19713,85312,43067.49%67.88%66.77%66.71%62.86%Black or African American alone (NH)7,6457,0156,6926,5006,50831.67%31.34%31.47%31.30%32.91%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)6315536260.02%0.14%0.26%0.17%0.13%Asian alone (NH)31243942380.13%0.11%0.18%0.20%0.19%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 Census160xx0.00%0.03%0.00%Other race alone (NH)8015170.03%0.00%0.00%0.02%0.09%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census118129479xx0.55%0.62%2.42%Hispanic or Latino (any race)1581201601962760.65%0.54%0.75%0.94%1.40%Total24,14122,38721,26320,76719,774 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

Education Franklin Parish School Board operates local public schools. - text list Franklin Parish High School is the sole public high school in the parish.

The parish also hosts two private schools. One of them, Franklin Academy in Winnsboro, was opened as a segregation academy on September 14, 1970, three weeks after parish schools were ordered by a federal judge to desegregate. Franklin Academy's student body is 97% white, while Franklin Parish High School's is majority Black.

Culture Franklin Parish hosts the annual Franklin Parish Catfish Festival with music, attractions and hundreds of vendors. The 2018 festival was attended by over 10,000 people in bad weather but usually the draw is between 15,000 and 20,000. People from across the region are attracted by the relatively high vendor count and this has an important economic contribution for local businesses. In past years the festival has included an antique car show, a zoo exhibit for children and an exhibit about Louisiana's contributions during World War II, along with performances from Grammy-winning artists Jo-El Sonnier and Jason Crabb.

Notable people Ralph E. King, Winnsboro physician who represented Catahoula, Franklin, and Richland parishes in the Louisiana State Senate from 1944 to 1952 and again from 1956 to 1960 Anthony "Booger" McFarland, Winnsboro native; All-American football player at Louisiana State University; played in National Football League for Tampa Bay Buccaneers Lainey Wilson, a 2024 Grammy Award winning country music singer, was born in Baskin.

Politics

See also

National Register of Historic Places listings in Franklin Parish, Louisiana

References