New Iberia, Louisiana

City of New Iberia

City

Country

United States

State

Louisiana

Parish

Iberia

Area

10.6 sq mi (27.5 km²)

- land

10.6 sq mi (27.5 km²)

- water

0.0 sq mi (0 km²), 0%

Center

- coordinates

30°00′13″N 91°49′06″W / 30.00361, -91.81833Coordinates: 30°00′13″N 91°49′06″W / 30.00361, -91.81833

- elevation

20 ft (6.1 m)

Population

32,623 (2000)

Density

3,088.8 /sq mi (1,192.6 /km²)

Founded

1779

- Incorporated

1839

Mayor

Hilda Curry

Time zone

CST (UTC-6)

- summer (DST)

CDT (UTC-5)

ZIP code

70560, 70563

Area code

337

Location of New Iberia in Louisiana

Location of Louisiana in the United States

Website : http://www.cityofnewiberia.com/home.html

The city of New Iberia (French: La Nouvelle-Ibérie, Spanish: Nueva Iberia) is the parish seat of Iberia Parish, in the US state of Louisiana, 30 miles (48 km) southeast of Lafayette. ^[1] ^[2] In 1900, 6,815 people lived in New Iberia, Louisiana; in 1910, 7,499; and in 1940, 13,747. The population was 32,623 at the 2000 census.

History

In 1814, the federal government opened a post office, and it was officially known as "New Iberia," but postmarks shortly thereafter reveal that the town was being called "Nova Iberia" (with Latin for "new"). The town was incorporated as "Iberia" in 1839, but the state legislature resolved the situation in 1847, naming the town New Iberia. ^[6]

In 1868, Iberia Parish (county) was established, and New Iberia became the seat of parish government. At first, only rented space served for the courthouse, but by 1884 a new courthouse stood on a landscaped lot in downtown New Iberia, at the present-day site of Bouligny Plaza. That courthouse served Iberia Parish until 1940, when the current courthouse was built along Iberia Street, two blocks from the New Iberia downtown commercial district. ^[7]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.6 square miles (27.4 km²), all of it land.

New Iberia enjoys a sub-tropical climate with above average rainfall. Among the lakes is Lake Peigneur, which was formerly a 10-foot (3.0 m) deep freshwater lake until a 1980 disaster involving oil drilling and a salt mine. The lake is now a 1,300-foot (400 m) deep salt water lake, having been refilled by the Gulf of Mexico via the Delcambre Canal.

Demographics

As of the census^[10] of 2000, there were 32,623 people,^[2]^{[broken footnote]} 11,756 households, and 8,335 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,088.8 people per square mile (1,192.8/km²). There were 12,880 housing units at an average density of 1,219.5/sq mi (470.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 56.99% White, 38.42% African American, 0.21% Native American, 2.64% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races, and 1.20% from two or more races. 1.49% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 11,756 households, out of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1% were married couples living together, 20.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.24.

In the city of New Iberia, the population was spread out with 29.8% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,079, and the median income for a family was $30,828. Males had a median income of $30,289 versus $16,980 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,084. About 24.9% of families and 29.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40.8% of those under age 18 and 20.8% of those age 65 or over.

Culture