LaSalle Parish ( French: ''Paroisse de La Salle'') is a

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

located in the U.S. state of

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 14,791. The parish seat is Jena. The parish was created in 1910 from the western section of Catahoula Parish.

Name

The parish is named for René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle. There is some confusion as to whether the parish is spelled "LaSalle" (no space) or "La Salle." An example of the latter view can be seen in the photo at right of the sign over the entrance to a "La Salle Parish Courthouse." A photo of this sign is also featured on the main webpage of the LaSalle Parish Clerk of Court, but the parish is consistently spelled "LaSalle" (no space) in the website text. The prevailing spelling of the parish is "LaSalle" (no space), consistent with the U.S. Census since 2011, and as demonstrated for example by a Google Trends comparison of the phrase's different spellings.

History

The parish was established (as the Parish of LaSalle) on July 3, 1908.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of , of which is land and (5.7%) is water.

Major highways

* U.S. Highway 84 * U.S. Highway 165 * Louisiana Highway 8 * Louisiana Highway 28

Adjacent parishes

* Caldwell Parish (north) * Catahoula Parish (east) * Avoyelles Parish (south) * Rapides Parish (southwest) * Grant Parish (west) * Winn Parish (northwest)

National protected area

* Catahoula National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 14,791 people, 4,814 households, and 3,643 families residing in the parish.

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 14,282 people, 5,291 households, and 3,798 families residing in the parish. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 6,273 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the parish was 86.13%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 12.20% Black or

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.64% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.01%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...

, 0.20% from other races, and 0.64% from two or more races. 0.82% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. There were 5,291 households, out of which 33.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.00% were married couples living together, 9.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.20% were non-families. 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.03. In the parish the population was spread out, with 26.10% under the age of 18, 9.40% from 18 to 24, 27.20% from 25 to 44, 22.60% from 45 to 64, and 14.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 100.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.20 males. The median income for a household in the parish was $28,189, and the median income for a family was $36,197. Males had a median income of $27,431 versus $19,697 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the parish was $14,033. About 14.90% of families and 18.70% 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 ...

, including 23.70% of those under age 18 and 18.90% of those age 65 or over.

National Guard

The 1087TH Transportation Company of the 165TH CSS (combat service support) Battalion of the 139TH RSG (regional support group) resides in Jena, Louisiana.

Communities

Towns

* Jena * Olla * Tullos * Urania

Unincorporated areas

Census-designated place

* Good Pine * Midway * Trout

Other unincorporated communities

* Standard * Summerville

Notable people

* Thomas "Bud" Brady, member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1976 to 1988 * Mike Francis, former Louisiana Republican state chairman * Henry E. Hardtner, lumberman known as "Louisiana's first conservationist", member of both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature, LaSalle Parish police juror, founder of Urania * Speedy O. Long, state senator, U.S. representative, district attorney * Jeffery Simmons, Football player for the Tennessee Titans

Politics

LaSalle Parish has been staunchly Republican since 1956, except in 1968 when it voted strongly for American Independent nominee George Wallace. Prior to that, it had been heavily Democratic, but no Democratic nominee since 1956 besides Jimmy Carter has passed forty percent of the parish’s vote, with

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...

, Joe Biden, and

Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. She is the first female, first African American, and ...

not even reaching double digits. In 2008 John McCain's performance was the strongest of any Republican in Parish history; every subsequent presidential election through 2024 has broken this record.

References

External links

State Website Profile

LaSalle Parish Clerk of Court

LaSalle Parish Sheriff's Office
{{authority control Louisiana parishes 1910 establishments in Louisiana Populated places established in 1910