Caldwell Parish, Louisiana
Parish in Louisiana, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Caldwell Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of 2020, its population was 9,645.[1] The parish seat is Columbia.[2]
Caldwell Parish, Louisiana | |
|---|---|
Caldwell Parish Courthouse in Columbia | |
 Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Louisiana | |
| Coordinates: 32°05′N 92°07′W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Louisiana |
| Founded | 1838 |
| Named after | Local Caldwell family |
| Seat | Columbia |
| Largest village | Clarks |
| Area | |
• Total | 541 sq mi (1,400 km2) |
| • Land | 529 sq mi (1,370 km2) |
| • Water | 11 sq mi (28 km2) 2.1% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 9,645 |
• Estimate (2025) | 9,344  |
| • Density | 18.2/sq mi (7.04/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 5th |
| Website | www |
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 541 square miles (1,400 km2), of which 529 square miles (1,370 km2) is land and 11 square miles (28 km2) (2.1%) is water.[3]
Major highways
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Adjacent parishes
- Jackson Parish (northwest)
- Ouachita Parish (north)
- Richland Parish (northeast)
- Franklin Parish (east)
- Catahoula Parish (southeast)
- La Salle Parish (south)
- Winn Parish (southwest)
Communities
Towns
- Columbia (parish seat)
Villages
Census-designated place
Unincorporated communities
- Bosco
- Copenhagen
- Corey
- Hebert
- Kelly
- Ward 5
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1840 | 2,017 | — | |
| 1850 | 2,815 | 39.6% | |
| 1860 | 4,833 | 71.7% | |
| 1870 | 4,820 | −0.3% | |
| 1880 | 5,767 | 19.6% | |
| 1890 | 5,814 | 0.8% | |
| 1900 | 6,917 | 19.0% | |
| 1910 | 8,593 | 24.2% | |
| 1920 | 9,514 | 10.7% | |
| 1930 | 10,430 | 9.6% | |
| 1940 | 12,046 | 15.5% | |
| 1950 | 10,293 | −14.6% | |
| 1960 | 9,004 | −12.5% | |
| 1970 | 9,354 | 3.9% | |
| 1980 | 10,761 | 15.0% | |
| 1990 | 9,810 | −8.8% | |
| 2000 | 10,560 | 7.6% | |
| 2010 | 10,132 | −4.1% | |
| 2020 | 9,645 | −4.8% | |
| 2025 (est.) | 9,344 | [4] | −3.1% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[5] 1790-1960[6] 1900-1990[7] 1990-2000[8] 2010-2013[9] | |||
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the parish had a population of 9,645, 3,752 households, and 2,534 families. The median age was 41.2 years, 22.5% of residents were under the age of 18, and 18.9% were 65 years of age or older; for every 100 females there were 108.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 107.3 males age 18 and over.[10]
There were 4,583 housing units, of which 18.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 76.7% were owner-occupied and 23.3% were renter-occupied; the homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.4%. About 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[10]
<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[11]
The racial makeup of the parish was 79.3% White, 15.9% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.6% from some other race, and 3.6% from two or more races; Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.3% of the population.[12]
Racial and ethnic composition
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980[13] | Pop 1990[14] | Pop 2000[15] | Pop 2010[16] | Pop 2020[17] | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 8,628 | 7,868 | 8,396 | 8,045 | 7,551 | 80.18% | 80.20% | 79.51% | 79.40% | 78.29% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 1,958 | 1,760 | 1,884 | 1,735 | 1,528 | 18.20% | 17.94% | 17.84% | 17.12% | 15.84% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 1 | 9 | 47 | 19 | 19 | 0.01% | 0.09% | 0.45% | 0.19% | 0.20% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 13 | 12 | 15 | 25 | 42 | 0.12% | 0.12% | 0.14% | 0.25% | 0.44% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | x [18] | x [19] | 0 | 0 | 3 | x | x | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.03% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 0.00% | 0.01% | 0.04% | 0.02% | 0.06% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x [20] | x [21] | 57 | 84 | 275 | x | x | 0.54% | 0.83% | 2.85% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 161 | 160 | 157 | 222 | 221 | 1.50% | 1.63% | 1.49% | 2.19% | 2.29% |
| Total | 10,761 | 9,810 | 10,560 | 10,132 | 9,645 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2000 census
As of the 2000 census[22], there were 10,560 people, 3,941 households, and 2,817 families residing in the parish. The population density was 20 people per square mile (7.7 people/km2). There were 5,035 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile (3.9/km2).
In 2000, the racial makeup of the parish was 80.43% White, 17.90% Black or African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.47% from other races, and 0.61% from two or more races. 1.49% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[22]
Law enforcement
The Caldwell Parish Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency of the parish.[23]
Politics
Caldwell Parish has been a Republican stronghold since the 1960s. Bill Clinton carried it in 1992 and 1996, which was partly due to heavy third-party presence in those presidential elections. Since then, the Republican strength in the Parish has improved in every single election, with Donald Trump obtaining nearly 86% of the vote in 2024.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 18 | 3.57% | 366 | 72.62% | 120 | 23.81% |
| 1916 | 20 | 3.47% | 554 | 96.01% | 3 | 0.52% |
| 1920 | 128 | 19.19% | 539 | 80.81% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 77 | 14.72% | 442 | 84.51% | 4 | 0.76% |
| 1928 | 288 | 26.42% | 802 | 73.58% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 86 | 5.58% | 1,448 | 93.96% | 7 | 0.45% |
| 1936 | 235 | 14.63% | 1,371 | 85.37% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 318 | 16.01% | 1,668 | 83.99% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 505 | 30.66% | 1,142 | 69.34% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 151 | 8.64% | 777 | 44.45% | 820 | 46.91% |
| 1952 | 961 | 45.27% | 1,162 | 54.73% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 587 | 35.17% | 468 | 28.04% | 614 | 36.79% |
| 1960 | 716 | 35.08% | 694 | 34.00% | 631 | 30.92% |
| 1964 | 2,534 | 80.62% | 609 | 19.38% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 490 | 13.19% | 973 | 26.19% | 2,252 | 60.62% |
| 1972 | 2,306 | 76.99% | 508 | 16.96% | 181 | 6.04% |
| 1976 | 1,890 | 49.66% | 1,830 | 48.08% | 86 | 2.26% |
| 1980 | 2,653 | 57.91% | 1,786 | 38.99% | 142 | 3.10% |
| 1984 | 3,341 | 69.33% | 1,348 | 27.97% | 130 | 2.70% |
| 1988 | 2,997 | 65.74% | 1,423 | 31.21% | 139 | 3.05% |
| 1992 | 1,752 | 37.40% | 2,061 | 44.00% | 871 | 18.60% |
| 1996 | 1,842 | 40.40% | 2,117 | 46.44% | 600 | 13.16% |
| 2000 | 2,817 | 65.09% | 1,359 | 31.40% | 152 | 3.51% |
| 2004 | 3,308 | 69.61% | 1,384 | 29.12% | 60 | 1.26% |
| 2008 | 3,696 | 75.54% | 1,118 | 22.85% | 79 | 1.61% |
| 2012 | 3,640 | 77.18% | 1,016 | 21.54% | 60 | 1.27% |
| 2016 | 3,822 | 81.46% | 788 | 16.79% | 82 | 1.75% |
| 2020 | 3,976 | 83.49% | 745 | 15.64% | 41 | 0.86% |
| 2024 | 3,724 | 85.93% | 580 | 13.38% | 30 | 0.69% |
Notable people
- Buddy Caldwell, Louisiana State Attorney General, 2008–2016
- Graves B. Erskine, Marine Corps General Officer (4-Star)
- Garland Gregory, LA Tech Football
- Pam Kelly, recipient of the Wade Trophy
- John J. McKeithen, Governor of Louisiana (1964–1972)
- W. Fox McKeithen, Louisiana House of Representatives (1984–1988)
- Clay Parker, LSU baseball pitcher and football punter (1981-1985)
- Neil Riser, Louisiana State Senator elected in 2007
- Chet D. Traylor, Louisiana Supreme Court, 1997–2009
Gallery
Martin Homeplace Museum outside Columbia
The Caldwell Parish Library is located behind the courthouse in Columbia
Caldwell Parish High School
Caldwell Memorial Hospital in Columbia
Long Lake in Caldwell Parish; a landowner builds a pier with slide and diving board.
