Berwick, Louisiana
Town in Louisiana, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Berwick is a town in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2020 census, Berwick had a population of 4,771.[2] It is part of the Morgan City Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Berwick, Louisiana | |
|---|---|
Town | |
| |
 Location of Berwick in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana. | |
.svg) Location of Louisiana in the United States | |
| Coordinates: 29°41′53″N 91°13′37″W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Louisiana |
| Parish | St. Mary |
| Founded by | Daniel Gray |
| Area | |
• Total | 6.07 sq mi (15.72 km2) |
| • Land | 5.90 sq mi (15.28 km2) |
| • Water | 0.17 sq mi (0.44 km2) |
| Elevation | 3 ft (0.91 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 4,771 |
| • Density | 808.5/sq mi (312.18/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code | 985 |
| FIPS code | 22-07100 |
| Website | www |
The town relocated the Southwest Reef Light and has been trying to save the Ship Shoal Light
History
The first settler in the area was Thomas Berwick (c. 1740-c. 1792), a Philadelphia-born surveyor in the Opelousas district.[3] He and his family settled on the banks of the Atchafalaya River after receiving a land grant in 1779. Berwick wanted to establish a port at the mouth of the river. His son Joseph (1783-1852) established a settlement on the west bank of the river that became the town of Berwick.
Today Berwick is home to several seafood processing plants and numerous boat companies.[4]
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 6.1 square miles (15.7 km2), of which 5.9 square miles (15.3 km2) is land and 0.15 square miles (0.4 km2), or 2.84%, is water.[5]
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Berwick had a population of 4,771. The median age was 37.9 years. 26.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.9 males age 18 and over.[8][9]
94.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 5.5% lived in rural areas.[10]
There were 1,832 households in Berwick, of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 47.0% were married-couple households, 15.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 29.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 1,016 families residing in the town.[8]
There were 2,045 housing units, of which 10.4% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 14.6%.[8][9]
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 3,601 | 75.48% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 516 | 10.82% |
| Native American | 40 | 0.84% |
| Asian | 26 | 0.54% |
| Pacific Islander | 3 | 0.06% |
| Other/Mixed | 190 | 3.98% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 395 | 8.28% |
Education
St. Mary Parish School Board operates public schools:
- Berwick High School
- Berwick Junior High School
- Berwick Elementary School
Media
- KBZE FM urban radio station
Notable people
- Jenny Craig, founder of Jenny Craig, Inc.
