Hispanic population is growing fast along the corridor

Hispanics are now the fastest growing population along the corridor. Newly released Census estimates show seven of the 20 parishes with the highest percentages of Hispanic growth are on the corridor. Livingston Parish led the state, with a gain of more than 14%. During the same period, its total population growth was about 3%. Orleans Parish’s Hispanic population grew by more than 9%, while its total population grew by 8%. And Calcasieu’s Hispanic population gained nearly 8%, while its overall population grew less than 1%. Overall, Louisiana’s Hispanic population grew by 4.83% — faster than the national growth rate of 3.2%, according to an analysis by the Louisiana State Census Data Center. In fact, Louisiana’s Hispanic population is growing 4.6 times faster than the rest of the state’s population. By comparison, the non-Hispanic white population grew by just .14%; the non-Hispanic black population, by 1.64%. “This is the high-growth demographic in our region,” says Troy Blanchard, an associate professor of sociology at LSU who also worked on the analysis. “It represents a growing diversity in the area, and it’s an interesting trend we need to be aware of.” How does Hispanic population growth stack up against overall growth in the remaining corridor parishes among the Top 20? In Lafayette Parish, the Hispanic population is up 6.8%; the overall population, 1.1%. In St. Tammany Parish, the Hispanic population is up 6%; the overall population, about 1%. In East Baton Rouge Parish, the Hispanic population is up nearly 6%; the overall population is down less than 1%. And in Ascension Parish, the Hispanic population is up 5.8%; the overall population, 2.7%. The numbers are not current; they reflect population trends through July 1, 2008. They are estimates based on government records, not actual Census counts. — Penny Font