ZIP Code 70586

Ville Platte is the largest city in, and the parish seat of, Evangeline Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 7,430 at the 2010 census, down from 8,145 in 2000. The city's name is of French origin, roughly translating to "flat town", in reference to its relatively flat topography in contrast to the more hilly terrain north of the area. U.S. Route 167 passes through the city as Main Street (eastbound) and Lasalle Street (westbound) Chicot State Park, Louisiana's largest state park, is located 8 miles (13 km) north of Ville Platter. The first post office in the city was established in 1842 with Marcellin Garand as postmaster from 1842 to 1848. It is located at 30°4121N 92°1639W (30.689140, -92.277534) and has a total area of 4.0 square miles (10.4 km²), of which 0.25 acres (0.001 km²) is water. In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.9% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 23.3% from 25 to 44, and 17.0% from 45 to 44 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 85.5 males. The median income for a city was $12,917.

History

The area around Ville Platte appears to have been first settled during the last half of the eighteenth century, when Louisiana was under Spanish rule. The earliest record of settlement in the immediate area was in the 1780s.Popular legend states the founder of Villes Platte was Marcellin Garand, an adjutant major in the Army of the French Empire during the reign of Napoleon. In 1824, Garand obtained one of the first two lots that were platted in what is now Ville platte, with the second being obtained by a Doctor Robert Windex. Those lots were obtained from the estate of William O'Donegan. This appears to be the actual beginning of, or the founding of, the present town of Ville Platte. The first post office in Ville platte was established in 1842 with MarcellIn Garand as postmaster from 1842 to 1848. The post office was later moved to the site of the current Villeplatte post office, which was opened in 1849. The town is located on the banks of the Mississippi River, about 30 miles from the city of New Orleans. It has a population of around 2,000 people, with most of its residents living in the central part of the town. VillePlatte is located near the junction of I-10 and I-20, about 20 miles from New Orleans, and about 40 miles from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Geography

Ville Platte is located in eastern Evangeline Parish at 30°4121N 92°1639W (30.689140, -92.277534) The city has a total area of 4.0 square miles (10.4 km²), of which 0.25 acres (0.001 km²) is water. U.S. Route 167 passes through the city as Main Street (eastbound) and Lasalle Street (westbound) Chicot State Park, Louisiana's largest state park, is located 8 miles (13 km) north of the city. The park covers 6,400 acres (26 km²] of rolling hills and water and has large numbers of deer, raccoon, and other wildlife. The city is also home to the Louisiana State Museum, which has a collection of more than 2,000 pieces of art and other items of memorabilia from the Louisiana state and local history. It is also the home of the Louisiana National Guard, which is based in the city and the Louisiana Army National Guard Post, which was established in 1875. The Louisiana State Highway System was established by the state legislature in 1876. The state highway system was created to connect the cities of Alexandria and Opelousas. It was the first state highway to be built in the United States, and was completed in 1881. The highway system is still in use to this day and is a major route in the state. It leads southeast 17 miles (27 km) and north 52 miles (84 km) to Alexandria. It also leads northwest 28 miles (45km) to Oakdale.

Demographics

As of the 2020 U.S. census, there were 6,303 people, 3,007 households, and 1,686 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 40.53% White, 58.67% African American, 0.21% Native American, and 0.11% Asian. There were 3,513 housing units at an average density of 1,149.6 per square mile (443.3/km²) The city's median income was $12,917, and the median income for a family was $18,056. About 43.5% of families and 50.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 68. 9% of those under age 18 and 32. 5% ofThose age 65 or over. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.17. The median age was 34.5 years. For every 100 females, there are 85.5 males. The per capita income for the city is $9,672. The city has a population of 8,145, with the median age at 34.4 years of age. It has an average population of 3,517, with a median age of 34.7 years. It is the only city in the state with more than 1,000 people living in it, as of the census of 2000. There are 3,169 households, out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, and 35.4% were non-families.

Education

Ville Platte is a town in Evangeline Parish, Louisiana.Public schools in the town are operated by the Evangelines Parish School Board. There are also two private schools. The famous St. Landry Parish Sheriff Cat Doucet was educated in Villes Platte. The town is home to James Stephens Montessori School. The school is located on the town's main road, which is also known as the "Main Street" section of the town. It is also home to Ville PlatTE Elementary School, and Ville platte High School, which are both in the parish. The church-based Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic School is a Roman Catholic school, serving grades K-12. Christian Heritage Academy is a Christian school,serving grades PK-12, and is located in the city's downtown area. It was founded by the Rev. James Stephens in the early 1900s. The current school board was formed in the 1970s. It has three campuses: one for elementary school, one for middle school, and one for high school. The parish has a population of 2,816. It also has one of the largest concentrations of African-American residents in the state, at 2,715. The population of the parish is 2,917. It's the largest parish in the St. Louis-area, and the second largest in Louisiana. The Parish has a high school enrollment of 1,814. The high school is in the center of the community.

Culture

Ville Platte is located northwest of Louisiana's Cajun country. The town is famous for its smoked meat and swamp pop music. The Louisiana Cotton festival, run in conjunction with the Le Tournoi, and the Festival de la Viande Bouccanee (Smoked Meat Festival) are held in Ville Platter annually. Ville platte and the surrounding areas participate in the traditional Mardi Gras held in Mamou. It is one of the birthplaces of the Afro-creole zydeco music, as well as the Choctaw-Métis tradition of "viande boucanee" or smoked meat. Radio host Jim Soileau, the "Voice of KVPI" throughout most of the past 50 years, is semi-retired but still hosts the French News and co-hosts "La Tasse de Café" ("The Cup of Coffee") on Monday and Wednesday mornings. He has one ofthe most recognized voices in Acadiana and hosted "This is Mamou Caj Un radio" from location at Fred's Lounge for many years. He is one-of the most recognizable and well-known voices in the Acadiana music community. He also hosts "The Voice of Caj un radio" on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings at 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 p.m., and is known as "the voice of the Cajuns" and "the Voice of the French".

Government

Former U.S. Representative T. Ashton Thompson of Louisiana's 7th congressional district, since disbanded, was born in Ville Platte in 1916. He died in office in 1965 as a result of injuries sustained in an automobile accident in Gastonia, North Carolina. His death paved the way for Edwin Washington Edwards to assume the seat.Eric LaFleur, a local transactional attorney, has represented the area in both the 38th District of the Louisiana House of Representatives (2000 to 2008) and the 28th District in the Louisiana Senate (2008-2020) The current mayor, Jennifer Vidrine, is the first woman and first African American to hold the position.Walter L. Lee served as the Evangeline Parish Clerk of Court for 56 years, from 1956 to 2012.Bernard LeBas has represented Evangelines and St. Landry parishes in the 38rd District Louisiana House Of Representatives since 2008. The current city attorney is Eric Lafleur. The city's council is made up of members of the Republican, Democratic, and Libertarian parties. The mayor and city attorney are both women, as are the chief of police and city marshal. The council's members are all African American, as is the city's city judge and city clerk. The town has a population of about 2,000 people, with most of its residents living in or near the town of Ville Platte. It is located on the banks of the Red River, which flows into the Mississippi River.

Points of interest

Chicot State Park is located in the town of Chicot. The town is also home to the Flat Town Music Co. and the Alexis LaTour House. It is located on the banks of the Charentais River. The Charentes River is a tributary of the Rhine. The Rhine is a river that runs through the town. The village is located near the village of Charente, where the LaTour house is located.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Ville Platte, Evangeline Parish, Louisiana = 89. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 10. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 100. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Ville Platte = 6 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 6,303 individuals with a median age of 33.7 age the population dropped by -4.43% in Ville Platte, Evangeline Parish, Louisiana population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,569.08 residents per square mile of area (605.85/km²). There are average 2.42 people per household in the 3,093 households with an average household income of $16,070 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 8.40% of the available work force and has dropped -2.96% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 25.68%. The number of physicians in Ville Platte per 100,000 population = 109.3.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Ville Platte = 57.7 inches and the annual snowfall = 0.5 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 93. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 217. 93 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 41.8 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 23, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Ville Platte, Evangeline Parish, Louisiana which are owned by the occupant = 47.16%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 39 years with median home cost = $64,750 and home appreciation of 1.93%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $3.75 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,877 per student. There are 14.3 students for each teacher in the school, 475 students for each Librarian and 237 students for each Counselor. 2.95% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 8.79% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 3.56% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).