Cameron Parish (French: Paroisse de Cameron) is the parish with the most land area in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Cameron and as of 2000, the population was 9,991. It is part of the Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Cameron Parish is part of the Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Lake Charles–Jennings Combined Statistical Area.
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History
Organized in 1870, the Parish is named for Simon Cameron, a Pennsylvanian who was President Abraham Lincoln's first secretary of war.
Cameron Parish was devastated by Hurricane Audrey on June 27, 1957, causing over 390 deaths, and then again by Hurricane Rita on September 24, 2005, and still yet again in 2008 by Hurricane Ike, although the latter storms caused no deaths within the parish.
Geography
The parish has a total area of 1,932 square miles (5,003 km²), of which, 1,313 square miles (3,401 km²) of it is land and 619 square miles (1,602 km²) of it (32.03%) is water.
Major highways
Adjacent parishes
- Calcasieu Parish (northwest)
- Jefferson Davis Parish (northeast)
- Vermilion Parish (east)
- Gulf of Mexico (south)
- Jefferson County, Texas (southwest)
- Orange County, Texas (west)
| Calcasieu Parish | Jefferson Davis Parish |
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| Orange County, Texas | Vermilion Parish | ||||||
| Cameron Parish, Louisiana | |||||||
| Jefferson County, Texas | Gulf of Mexico |
National protected areas
- Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge
- East Cove National Wildlife Refuge
- Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge (part)
- Sabine National Wildlife Refuge
Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 9,991 people, 3,592 households, and 2,704 families residing in the parish. The population density was 8 people per square mile (3/km²). There were 5,336 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile (2/km²). The racial makeup of the parish was 93.65% White, 3.88% Black or African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.94% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. 2.15% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 11.57% reported speaking French or Cajun French at home, while 1.83% speak Spanish.[1]
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 3,952 | — | |
| 1910 | 4,288 | 8.5% | |
| 1920 | 3,952 | −7.8% | |
| 1930 | 6,054 | 53.2% | |
| 1940 | 7,203 | 19.0% | |
| 1950 | 6,244 | −13.3% | |
| 1960 | 6,909 | 10.7% | |
| 1970 | 8,194 | 18.6% | |
| 1980 | 9,336 | 13.9% | |
| 1990 | 9,260 | −0.8% | |
| 2000 | 9,991 | 7.9% | |
| Est. 2006 | 7,792 | [2] | −22.0% |
| Cameron Parish Census Data[3] | |||
There were 3,592 households out of which 39.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.20% were married couples living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.70% were non-families. 20.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.21.
In the parish the population was spread out with 28.40% under the age of 18, 9.40% from 18 to 24, 29.60% from 25 to 44, 21.90% from 45 to 64, and 10.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 100.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.40 males.
The median income for a household in the parish was $34,232, and the median income for a family was $39,663. Males had a median income of $31,167 versus $19,113 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $15,348. About 9.10% of families and 12.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.10% of those under age 18 and 14.80% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Census-designated places
Map of Cameron Parish, Louisiana With Municipal Labels(There are no incorporated municipalities in Cameron Parish.)
Other communities
- Big Lake
- Creole
- Grand Chenier
- Grand Lake
- Holly Beach
- Johnson Bayou
Education
Cameron Parish School Board operates local public schools.
Cameron Parish Public Library is a public library system in Cameron Parish. All of the libraries are located in unincorporated areas.
The main Cameron Parish Library is at 469 Marshall Street in the Cameron CDP.[4]
The system operates six branches:[5]
- Creole Branch at 184C East Creole Highway in the Creole area
- Grand Chenier Branch at 2867 Grand Chenier Highway in the Grand Chenier area
- Grand Lake Branch at 961 Highway 384 in the Grand Lake area
- Hackberry Branch at 983 Main Street in the Hackberry CDP
- Johnson Bayou Branch at 4586 Gulf Beach Highway in the Johnson Bayou area
- Lowry Branch at 460 Lowry Highway in the Lowry area
See also
| Louisiana portal |
References
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ United States Census Bureau. "Cameron Parish Quickfacts". http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/22/22023.html. Retrieved on 2008-02-02.
- ^ United States Census Bureau. "Louisiana Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". http://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/la190090.txt. Retrieved on 2008-02-02.
- ^ "Louisiana Library Directory." State Library of Louisiana. Accessed September 22, 2008.
- ^ "CAMERON PARISH LIBRARY BRANCHES." Cameron Parish Public Library. April 6, 2005.
External links
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Coordinates: 29°51′N 93°12′W / 29.85°N 93.20°W
Categories: Louisiana parishes | Acadiana | Cameron Parish, Louisiana | Lake Charles metropolitan area
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