Opelousas is a place of extremes – coexisting contradictions. It’s easy to see as you travel the city that there is both amazing beauty and staggering brokenness everywhere you turn in Opelousas.  This contradiction is most clearly seen in the smiling faces of children who live in conditions that for most Americans are unimaginable yet these children possess a joy to be envied.

Even though poverty is a problem that exists worldwide, people often look past it in their own backyards. Opelousas suffers from a level of poverty not seen in most other parts of the country. In the city of Opelousas, 44% of people live under the poverty level, compared to only 12% nationwide. The median household income of the city is just under $15,000 per year, compared to $42,000 throughout the rest of the country. Often times, where poverty is found, educational opportunities are hard to find. In Opelousas, only 57.2% of people over the age of 25 have graduated from high school.

Opelousas History

The City of Opelousas is the third oldest city in Louisiana.  As far back as 1690, French “Coureur de Bois” traders were probably the first Europeans to enter the territory of the

Opelousas Indians and carried on a lucrative trade with the Opelousas Indians at that time.  The exact year in which Opelousas was established is not certain, but records indicate that the first land grant was acquired by Louis Pellerin, a French officer stationed at the Opelousas Poste, in 1764.

Opelousas was part of the Louisiana Purchase acquired by the United states in 1803.  In 1805, St. Landry Parish was officially established, and was the largest parish in the state, known as the Imperial Parish of Louisiana.  Opelousas was named the parish seat and records indicate the first courthouse was constructed in 1806 on a square in the middle of town.  Since that time four other structures have been built on the same spot (1822, 1847, 1888, and the present courthouse built in 1939).

Louisiana was admitted to the Union in 1812, and Opelousas was later incorporated as a town in 1821.  During the Civil War, Opelousas became the state capital for nine months in 1862 after Baton Rouge fell under Union control.  The former Lieutenant Governor at that time was Homere Mouton, whose home became the Governor’s mansion, a title it still bears.

How did Opelousas get its name?  There is no record, however legend tells us that the Attakapas Indians occupied this area for their camping grounds.  These Indians were a warlike tribe and preyed upon neighboring tribes.  The three other tribes in the area, the Opelousas, the Choctaws, and the Alabamans, considered the Attakapas their enemy and together successfully drove them from their land, almost destroying the entire tribe.  The three tribes then made a pack and gave the land of the Attakapas to the Opelousas Tribe, thus the territory was called “Opelousas.”  The name Opelousas means Blackleg.

Opelousas Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 22,860 people, 8,699 households, and 5,663 families residing in the city.

The racial makeup of the city was 29.30% White, 69.12% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.88% of the population.

There were 8,699 households out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.7% were married couples living together, 26.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% 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 3.24.

In the city the population was spread out with 30.3% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 84.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $14,717, and the median income for a family was $19,966. Males had a median income of $24,588 versus $17,104 for females. The per capita income for the city was $9,957. About 37.7% of families and 43.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 57.2% of those under age 18 and 32.0% of those age 65 or over.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opelousas, Louisiana

Estimated median household income in 2005

• Opelousas $16,700
• Louisiana: $36,729

Estimated median house/condo value in 2005

• Opelousas: $50,600
• Louisiana: $101,700

Ancestries: French (8.5%), United States (6.1%), French Canadian (3.3%), German (2.1%), Subsaharan African (2.0%), English (1.8%).

For population 25 years and over in Opelousas

• 9th Grade or higher:  79.9%
• High school or higher: 57.2%
• Bachelor’s degree or higher: 10.8%
• Graduate or professional degree: 4.1%
• Unemployed: 16.8%

For population 15 years and over in Opelousas city

• Never married: 33.1%
• Now married: 40.1%
• Separated: 3.8%
• Widowed: 12.3%
• Divorced: 10.7%

Source:  http://www.city-data.com/city/Opelousas-Louisiana.html

51% of households with below-poverty level income are single-parent households.

46% of households with income below the poverty level have female single-parents.

5% of households with income below the poverty level have male single-parents.

Source:  Claritas Report:  Pop-Facts: Demographic Snapshot Report (4/5/06)