Oakdale is a city in
Allen Parish
Allen Parish () is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,750. The parish seat is Oberlin and the largest city is Oakdale. Allen Parish is in southwestern Louisiana, southwest of Alexan ...
in south
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 ...
, United States. The population was 7,780 at the
2010 census.
Oakdale was founded as "Dunnsville" by William T. Dunn. The history of Allen Parish is preserved at the Leatherwood Museum, which reopened on September 27, 2008, in a renovated facility at 202 E. 7th Ave. in Oakdale.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.18%, is water.
Oakdale's closest neighbor in Allen Parish is
Elizabeth
Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to:
People
* Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name)
* Empress Elisabeth (disambiguation), lists various empresses named ''Elisabeth'' or ''Elizabeth''
* Princess Elizabeth ...
, located just west of Oakdale.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the
2020 United States census, there were 6,692 people, 2,112 households, and 1,418 families residing in the city.
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 8,137 people, 2,246 households, and 1,525 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,512 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 62.07%
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 ...
, 34.94%
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 ...
, 0.57%
Native American, 1.23%
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 ...
, 0.33% from
other races, and 0.85% from two or more races.
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 were 12.22% of the population.
There were 2,246 households, out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.6% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 23.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.1% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.2% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 38.6% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 157.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 179.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $22,826, and the median income for a family was $28,506. Males had a median income of $32,179 versus $16,039 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 city was $10,288. About 21.7% of families and 23.4% 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 25.1% of those under age 18 and 22.9% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
*
Bill Dodd
William Joseph Dodd (November 25, 1909 – November 16, 1991) was an American politician who held five positions in the Louisiana state government in the mid-20th century, including state representative, lieutenant governor, state auditor, pr ...
, former lieutenant governor of Louisiana
*
Leroy Johnson, posthumous recipient of the
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...
*
Coleman Lindsey
Coleman Lindsey (died November 7, 1968) was an American politician who served in the Louisiana Senate from 1924 to 1928 and 1932 to 1939 as a Democrat, when he became Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana
The lieutenant governor of Louisiana (; ) is ...
, former lieutenant governor of Louisiana
*
Mary Evelyn Parker
Mary Evelyn Parker (November 28, 1920 – January 17, 2015) was an American education, newspaper editor, and politician who served as the Treasurer of Louisiana from 1968 to 1987. She was the first woman to serve in the position.
Early life a ...
, former Louisiana State Treasurer
*
R.C. Slocum
Richard Copeland Slocum (born November 7, 1944) is a former American football player and coach who is currently a special assistant to the president at Texas A&M University. He has also served as interim athletics director at the university from ...
, former head football coach at
Texas A&M
Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, TA&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of ...
Education
Allen Parish School Board
Allen Parish School Board is a school district headquartered in Oberlin in Allen Parish in southwestern Louisiana, United States.
From 1960 to 1969, Dorothy Sue Hill, the state representative for Allen, Beauregard, and Calcasieu parishes, t ...
operates public schools:
*
Oakdale High School
*Oakdale Middle School
*Oakdale Elementary School
Notable facilities
Oakdale is home to the
Oakdale Federal Correctional Complex.
In April 2009, the Roy O. Martin Lumber Company, doing business as Martco, unveiled a $200 million
oriented-strand-board plant near Oakdale. The largest plant of its kind in the world, the facility initially employed 170 persons, according to company president Roy O. Martin, III.
Gallery
File:Oakdale, LA, City Hall IMG_0159.JPG, Entrance to Oakdale City Hall at 333 E. 6th Ave.
File:Allen Parish Library, Oakdale branch IMG 0160.JPG, Oakdale branch of the Allen Parish Library at 405 E 6th Ave.
File:Downtown Oakdale, LA IMG_0164.JPG, Downtown Oakdale, with the United States Post Office
The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal serv ...
at the front right
First United Methodist Church, Oakdale, LA IMG_0167.JPG, First United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant Christian denomination, denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was ...
at 309 E 6th Ave. in Oakdale
File:Behind the barricades at Federal Correctional Institute in Oakdale, LA IMG_0171.JPG, Behind the barricades at the Federal Correctional Institution, Oakdale
The Federal Correctional Institution, Oakdale (FCI Oakdale) is a low-security United States federal prison for male inmates in Louisiana. It is part of the Oakdale Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) and operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, ...
References
External links
Oakdale Federal Correctional Complex
{{authority control
Cities in Louisiana
Cities in Allen Parish, Louisiana
Cities in the Central Louisiana