Thursday, March 19, 2009
Parts of the 10/12 corridor continue to grow faster than the nation as a whole, new population estimates from the U.S. Census show.
Numbers released today indicate five parishes – Livingston, Ascension, Lafayette, Tangipahoa and St. Tammany – all had growth that exceeded state and national averages.
On top of that, Livingston and Ascension again made the list of 100 fastest-growing counties in the country, and beat the Southern average.
Estimates indicate both Louisiana and the nation as a whole grew by .9% between July 1, 2007 and July 1, 2008. Growth in the South was slightly better at 1.3%. By comparison, though, Livingston grew by 3.3%; Ascension, 2.7%; Lafayette, 1.1%; Tangipahoa, 1.3%; and St. Tammany, 1%. Although Orleans grew by 8.2% and St. Bernard by 12.8%, much of that is attributed to displaced residents returning home.
Demographer and political analyst Elliott Stonecipher calls the five corridor parishes “relative growth rockets.” “In comparison to anything else in the state except Bossier [up 1.4%],” he says, “it’s relatively ‘smoking.’” For the full 10/12 report on the census, click here.—Penny Brown Font