Louisiana Judicial District 17

Race. The 17th Judicial District, consisting of Lafourche Parish, was 80 percent white in 2006. African Americans made up 14 percent of the population. American Indians made up 2 percent of the population, along with Hispanic or Latino residents. Asians and persons identifying themselves as two or more races each made up one percent of the area population. The Houma Indian Nation is located in Lafourche Parish.

Education. Two thirds of Lafourche Parish residents completed high school in 2000, compared with 75 percent of Louisiana residents and 80 percent of residents nationwide.

Bachelor's Degree. 12 percent of Lafourche residents held a bachelor’s degree in 2000. This percentage is half of the percentage of Americans who held a bachelor’s degree nationwide in the same year. Lafourche Parish is home to Nicholls State University.

Income. In 1999, the per capita income in Lafourche was $15,809, lower than both the state and national averages. In 2004, the average household income in Lafourche was $38,437, higher than the state average but lower than the national average.

Poverty. In 2004, 17 percent of Lafourche residents lived below the poverty line, 2 percentage points less than the state average.
 

Additional Demographic Information. Demographic Information. The table below provides additional demographic information. Lafourche is home to many French-speaking residents, reflective of the Acadian roots of this region. 22 percent of residents spoke a language other than English at home even though only 2 percent of the population was foreign born. 18,419 people lived with a disability. While the population of the state of Louisiana as a whole decreased, Lafourche’s poulation increased by 4 percent.