LaFayette ( ) is a city in, and the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
of,
Walker County,
Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 6,888. It was founded as Chattooga.
LaFayette is part of the
Chattanooga, TN-GA Metropolitan Statistical Area
The Chattanooga, TN-GA Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget, is an area consisting of six counties – three in southeast Tennessee (Hamilton, Marion, and Sequatchie) and three in nort ...
.
History
LaFayette was founded as Chattooga, in 1835, as the seat of newly formed Walker County. The county was named after the former United States senator
Freeman Walker. Chattooga was renamed LaFayette in 1836 after
Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette (6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (, ), was a French aristocrat, freemasonry, freemason and military officer who fought in the Ameri ...
, the French aristocrat who fought in the American Revolutionary War.
Geography
LaFayette is located at (34.709704, -85.283862).
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the city has a total area of , all land.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the
2020 United States census
The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, there were 6,888 people, 2,847 households, and 1,844 families residing in the city.
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 7,121 people, 2,712 households, and 1,749 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,926 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.6%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 7.5%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.04%
Native American, 0.9%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.01%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 0.76% from
other races, and 0.93% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 1.07% of the population.
There were 2,712 households, out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 32.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.1% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 19.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $23,093, and the median income for a family was $29,387. Males had a median income of $27,528 versus $20,906 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $15,318. About 16.0% of families and 27.2% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 33.4% of those under age 18 and 15.7% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
*
Andy Bean
Thomas Andrew Bean (born March 13, 1953) is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour.
Bean has won numerous tournaments at both the amateur and professional level. Bean won 11 PGA Tour victories, includi ...
, golfer, repeat winner on both the
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour (stylized in all capital letters as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in the United States and North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also k ...
and
Champions Tour
PGA Tour Champions (formerly the Senior PGA Tour and the Champions Tour) is a men's professional senior golf tour, administered as a branch of the PGA Tour.
History and format
The Senior PGA Championship, founded in 1937, was for many years ...
*
Ronald H. Griffith, United States Army General, former
Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army
*
Zahra Karinshak
Zahra S. Karinshak is an American attorney and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, Karinshak represented the 48th Georgia State Senate district.
Early life and career
Karinshak was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the oldest of five chi ...
, Georgia State Senator, attorney, and Air Force veteran
References
External links
City of LaFayettecatwalkchatt.comThe website for the Walker County Messenger, the county newspaper since 1877.
WQCH Radio
{{authority control
Cities in Georgia (U.S. state)
Cities in Walker County, Georgia
County seats in Georgia (U.S. state)
Cities in the Chattanooga metropolitan area
Chattanooga metropolitan area county seats