Oil City is a small town in Caddo Parish,

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 ...

. The population was 1,008 at the time of the 2010 census. Oil City is located on Louisiana Highway 1, north of Caddo Lake. It is part of the Shreveport– Bossier City Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The park in Oil City is named for Earl Williamson. The local politician served for 40 years on the Caddo Parish police jury (1933 to 1972) and again from 1979 to 1980. He served as mayor of Vivian from 1938 to 1946, and again from 1962 to 1966. John Charles "Chip" Dickey, Jr., the mayor from 2005 until his death in office in 2016 at the age of sixty, pushed for economic ventures, including the community center and restaurants. He was an ordained minister and led various youth camps. Dickey's father, John Charles Dickey, Sr., was the Oil City mayor from 1968 to 1976.

Geography

Oil City is located in northwestern Caddo Parish. Downtown Shreveport is to the southeast along Louisiana Highway 1, and Vivian is to the north. 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 ...

, Oil City has a total area of , of which is land and , or 3.45%, is water.

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 901 people, 406 households, and 220 families residing in the town. 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 1,219 people, 480 households, and 311 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 542 housing units at an average density of . In 2000, the racial makeup of the town was 55.13%

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 ...

, 44.05%

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 ...

, 0.08% Native American, and 0.74% 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 Latinos of any race were 1.72% of the population. By 2020, the racial and ethnic makeup was 49.94% non-Hispanic white, 41.4% Black or African American, 0.67% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 5.88% multiracial, and 1.78% Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 480 households, out of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.5% 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, 21.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.3% 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 3.27. In the town, the population was spread out, with 32.2% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.2 males. In 2000, the median income for a household in the town was $19,375, and the median income for a family was $25,114. Males had a median income of $23,516 versus $15,667 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 town was $9,697. About 28.8% of families and 35.9% 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 48.1% of those under age 18 and 28.4% of those age 65 or over. The 2020

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

estimated the median household income was $20,375, making it one of the poorest rural communities in Louisiana.

Notable people

* Earl Holliman, Golden Globe-winning film and TV actor * Roy McArthur "Hoppy" Hopkins (1943–2006) member of the Louisiana House of Representatives

References

External links

Town of Oil City official website
{{authority control Towns in Louisiana Towns in Caddo Parish, Louisiana Towns in Shreveport – Bossier City metropolitan area