St. Martin Parish, Louisiana

Infobox U.S. County
county = Saint Martin Parish
state = Louisiana




founded year = 1868
founded date =
seat wl = St. Martinville
largest city wl = Breaux Bridge
area_total_sq_mi = 816
area_total_km2 = 2115
area_land_sq_mi = 740
area_land_km2 = 1916
area_water_sq_mi = 77
area_water_km2 = 198
area percentage = 9.38%
census yr = 2000
pop = 48583
density_sq_mi = 66
density_km2 = 25
time zone = Central
UTC offset = -6
DST offset = -5
footnotes =
web = www.stmartinparish-la.org
named for = St. Martin

St. Martin Parish ( _fr. Paroisse de Saint-Martin) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is St. Martinville. As of the 2000 census, the population is 48,583.

St. Martin Parish is part of the Lafayette Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Lafayette–Acadiana Combined Statistical Area.

History

The parish is split into two noncontiguous parts because of a surveying error dating to 1868, when Iberia Parish was created by the Louisiana Legislature. St. Martin has the highest percentage of French-speaking residents of any county or parish in the United States.

Geography

The parish has a total area of 816 square miles (2,115 km²), of which, 740 square miles (1,916 km²) of it is land and 77 square miles (198 km²) of it is water. The total area is 9.38% water.

Major highways

*
*
*Louisiana Highway 70

Adjacent parishes

Iberia Parish splits the parish into two parts. In addition, the following parishes are also adjacent:
*St. Landry Parish (north)
*Pointe Coupee Parish (northeast)
*Iberville Parish (east)
*Assumption Parish (southeast)
*St. Mary Parish (southwest)
*Lafayette Parish (west)
*Iberia Parish (South of Upper St. Martin/North of Lower St. Martin)

National protected area

* Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

USCensusPop
title=
1790=
1800=
1810=
1820=
1830=
1840=
1850=
1860=
1870=
1880=
1890=
1900= 18940
1910= 23070
1920= 21990
1930= 21767
1940= 26394
1950= 26353
1960= 29063
1970= 32453
1980= 40214
1990= 43978
2000= 48583
estimate= 51341
estyear= 2006
estref= [cite web|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/22/22099.html|title=St. Martin Parish Quickfacts|author=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=2008-02-02]
footnote=St. Martin Parish Census Data [cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/la190090.txt|title=Louisiana Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|author=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=2008-02-02] As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 48,583 people, 17,164 households, and 12,975 families residing in the parish. The population density was 66 people per square mile (25/km²). There were 20,245 housing units at an average density of 27 per square mile (11/km²). The racial makeup of the parish was 65.95% White, 31.98% Black or African American, 0.92% Asian, 0.29% Native American, 0.20% from other races, and 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race made up 0.83% of the population. The 2000 census counted 44,915 people in the parish who are at least five years old of whom 31,229 (69.5%) speak only English at home, 27.44% reported speaking French or Cajun French at home, while 1.52% speak Louisiana Creole French. [http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&state_id=22&county_id=99&mode=geographic&zip=&place_id=&cty_id=&ll=&a=&ea=&order=r]

There were 17,164 households out of which 39.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.60% were married couples living together, 15.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.40% were non-families. 20.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.22.

In the parish the population was spread out with 29.50% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 29.60% from 25 to 44, 21.20% from 45 to 64, and 10.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 96.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.00 males.

The median income for a household in the parish was $30,701, and the median income for a family was $36,316. Males had a median income of $30,701 versus $18,365 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $13,619. About 18.40% of families and 21.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.70% of those under age 18 and 22.10% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

Notable natives and residents

* Bob Angelle, mayor.
* Drauzin Angelle, chief deputy in 1924.
* James D. Simon, state senator
* Wade O. Martin, Jr., secretary of state.
* Wade O. Martin, Sr., Louisiana public service commissioner.

ee also

References

External links

* [http://stmartinparish-la.org/ Official website]
* [http://www.cajuncountry.org/ St. Martin Parish Tourism Commission]
* [http://www.realcajunrecipes.com/search/searchresults.asp?searchtype=Parish&Parish=St.+Martin Cajun recipes from those in St. Martin Parish] , from a commercial website run by former Louisiana residents