Tri-parish population up by 6%

The U.S. Census Bureau released its preliminary population figures last week for four states in preparation for the 2010 redistricting. Louisiana’s population, which grew 1.4 percent, the fourth-slowest growth rate in the nation since the last decennial tally, was among them.

Collectively, the Tri-parishes grew by 6 percent to 262,828 total residents. Lafourche Parish, at 7.1 percent, grew the fastest followed by Terrebonne at 7 percent and St. Mary at 2.1 percent.

The Hispanic and Latino population in the Tri-parishes grew by 6,921, or 170 percent of the 4,067 Hispanic or Latino Tri-parish residents in 2000. The ethnicity’s growth made up for 53 percent of the total 14,791 added residents in the 10-year span.

Terrebonne Parish listed a total population of 111,860 from the 2010 census. Of that number, 109,487 are marked as one race, with white topping the list at 78,591 and comprising 70.3 percent of the total population. Black or African American residents totaled 21,139, representing 18.9 percent of the population. Native Americans number 6,347, and are 5.7 percent of the population, Asians 1,140, for 1 percent of the population, and Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders at 58, meaning they represent 0.1 percent of the 2010 census number. Those listed as some other race total 2,212 and represent 2.1 percent of the population.

Housing occupancy rates in Terrebonne found that there are 43,887 listed residences with 40,091 being occupied and 3,796 recorded as being unoccupied. The parish averages 2.79 residents per occupied unit.

Overall, Terrebonne Parish saw a 7 percent increase in population from 2000 to 2010. Ten years earlier the white population was at 77,401 in Terrebonne Parish, showing a 2 percent growth in numbers from the years 2000 to 2010. The Native American population declined by 3 percent when numbers 10 years earlier totaled 6,486. Black and African American numbers in Terrebonne Parish increased by 13 percent from a 2000 total of 18,594.

“In actuality, I was hoping and thinking [the population increase] would be larger than that,” Terrebonne Parish President Michel Claudet said. “We had a population expansion, particularly after Katrina, and I knew we had some migration out of the parish after Gustav and Ike. But I believe this shows the economy and how we are a regional hub by the growth we have shown in our parish as compared to many other parishes around the state.”

Responding to the question of how census shifts in the region might play into the realignment of congressional districts, Claudet said there had been a push to establish a coastal congressional district.

“It appears that there may be a flexing of muscles where [legislators] are trying to form districts different from that. This may actually sever Terrebonne and Lafourche [parishes from being in the same congressional district],” Claudet said. “We as a region cannot let that happen. To sever Terrebonne and Lafourche would be the worst possible thing that could happen.”