Data from the 2010 U.S. Census paints the Acadiana region as a flourishing area in a state where overall growth was slow compared to others across the nation.
Experts and politicians who looked at the data, the first parts of which were released this week, believe Lafayette's culture, job opportunities and quality of life are responsible for the strong growth within both the city and parish during the past decade. " as a whole is becoming the focal point of culture within the state," said Ryan Teten, an assistant political science professor at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where he is also the associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts.
"Lafayette is becoming a powerhouse of technology and production, and it's a place where people want to be," he said. "It's a great 'big-small town.'"
Lafayette Parish grew 16.3 percent during the past decade, from 190,503 people to 221,578. The parish ranks as the sixth most populous parish in Louisiana, trailing behind East Baton Rouge, Jefferson, Orleans, Caddo and St. Tammany Parishes respectively.
The city of Lafayette remained the fourth most populous city in Louisiana and grew by 9.4 percent.
Ten years ago, 110,257 people called the Hub City home, but that number increased to 120,623 in 2010.
A place to call home
City-Parish President Joey Durel said the numbers area testament to all Lafayette has to offer. He said investments in infrastructure, the police department, Lafayette Utilities System's Fiber build out, arts and culture have all paid off and improved quality of life.
"It takes a complete community to be a great community," Durel said. "And I believe Lafayette is that complete community. Government has a responsibility to invest in some of those things. A community does not stay stagnate; it either grows or dies, and growing is better no matter how you look at it."
Durel said he was most impressed with the parish's growth because the area is one of the few parishes that grew not simply because of "an outmigration." Lafayette Parish had the sixth greatest growth rate, trailing behind Ascension, Livingston, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Bossier Parishes, respectively.
Durel said these other rapidly growing parishes are suburbs of bigger cities where people have fled from corporate limits. Lafayette's growth on the other hand, Durel said, is "not connected to out migration from another city."
Durel said he's taken issue with official annual population estimates between the two Censuses as the local traffic and transportation department could tell post-Katrina growth was more significant than some demographers initially thought. The 2010 Census proved he was right all along.
This growth will likely translate to greater representation of Acadiana in Baton Rouge during state legislative sessions, Durel said. The region could gain a seat in each the state's House of Representatives and Senate, he said.
"Acadiana has been on the short end for many, many years of voting blocks from New Orleans and other areas," Durel said. "That's why it's so important for our state legislative delegation from this area to work well together. We have an opportunity where the rest of the state can realize they have to come to Mike Hefner, a local demographer with Geographic Planning and Demographic Services, LLC on Golden Grain Road, said the 2010 Census data shows a movement of minorities from traditional areas.
"You're going to see more of a mixing of the races now than you did in 2000 or certainly in 1990," Hefner said. "There's more acceptance, more economic opportunities and more affordable housing."
In Lafayette Parish, the Hispanic population grew the most drastically by 158.9 percent. In 2000, only 3,320 Hispanics lived in the parish, but that number grew to 8,597 in 2010. Hispanic people in the city of Lafayette now account for 3.8 percent of the population compared to only 1.9 percent in 2000.
"The large immigration of Hispanics into the country has really seen its boom during the past decade," Teten said. "That can be seen as a trend all across the country. It isn't just unique to Louisiana."
The number of whites in Lafayette Parish grew by 10 percent during the decade, from 139,758 people to 153,706. Whites now account for 63.8 percent of the city of Lafayette's population, compared to 68.2 percent in 2000.
The black population within Lafayette Parish grew by 10 percent, to 57,073 people from 45,346. Blacks make up 31.1 percent of the city of Lafayette's population, compared to 28.5 percent in 2000.
During the past 10 years, the number of Asian people in Lafayette Parish grew by 62.1 percent to 3,331 people from 2,055. People of Asian descent now make up 1.8 percent of the city of Lafayette's population compared to 1.4 percent in 2000.
"People immigrate for a better quality of life, and that starts with a paycheck," Durel said. "With as booming Lafayette is and will continue to be, it's no surprise people of Asian, Indian and Hispanic descents become ambassadors for this region."
In the outlying areas
All of Lafayette Parish's incorporated areas also experienced significant growth, and three of Lafayette's neighboring parishes also grew.
"It's a trickle-down effect," Teten said. "As more industry, technology and culture comes to Lafayette,
that economic drive also spreads to the surrounding community." Youngsville saw the greatest boom during the past decade, increasing its population by 103 percent from 3,992 residents in 2000 to 8,105 in 2010.
Broussard grew by 39.5 percent, up to 8,139 people in 2010 compared to 5,974 in 2000. Carencro grew by 22.9 percent, from 6,120 people in 2000 to 7,526 in 2010. Scott grew by 9.5 percent, to 8,614 people in 2010 compared to 7,870 in 2000.
Even Duson saw a 2.6 percent growth, from 1,672 people in 2000 to 1,716 in 2010. Acadia, St. Martin and Vermilion Parishes all grew, while St. Landry Parish experienced a 4.9 percent decrease in population and Iberia Parish saw less than a 0 percent change in population.
Durel said the growth here can be related to his interaction with an out-of-town friend at the Acadiana Center for the Arts this weekend. The friend approached him during an intermission and expressed her pleasant surprise with all the area has to offer, proclaiming she was "going to move to Lafayette."
"Those are the kinds of comments I hear all the time," Durel said. "People fall in love with our residents, the friendliness, the culture, and in her case, the lack of snow."
