Regional Dashboard

Recognizing that “what gets measured gets improved,” the Vibrant Acadiana dashboard will track key metrics to provide an at-a-glance look at regional data on population, employment, education, and well-being. Along with the Quality-of-Life Survey, the Regional Dashboard provides objective data to help inform civic conversation on enhancing community vibrancy and growth.

Population

City of Lafayette Population

121,771

(2021)
-0.2% vs 2020

Since 1970, Lafayette has grown faster than any other large city in Louisiana. While that growth has flattened in recent years, Lafayette’s year-over-year change is tops among the 10 largest cities in Louisiana.

Lafayette Parish Population

244,205

(2021)
+1.0% vs 2020

The population of Lafayette Parish has more than doubled since 1970. In recent years, the parish’s smaller municipalities have grown at an explosive rate. Between 2020-2021, Carencro grew more than 15%, the fastest growth in the state.

Acadiana Region Population

674,075

(2021)
-0.1% vs 2020

Seven out of nine parishes in Acadiana have seen a population decline over the past decade and past year. The two parishes that grew were Lafayette and Jeff Davis. The largest population loss for both the decade and year was in St. Mary Parish.

Acadiana Age 25-34 Population

94,141

(2020)
-4.4% vs 2020

The young adult (age 25-34) population is an important indicator of population trends and workforce availability. Lafayette Parish has the highest proportion of 25-34-year-olds (15.9%), while Vermilion Parish has the lowest (12.2%) in the region.

Employment

Total Employment

272,676

(One Acadiana region, 2021)
+3.8% vs 2020

After a decline in total employment due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of those employed in the Acadiana region increased by 3.8% from 2020 to 2021.

Labor Force Participation

59.3%

(One Acadiana region, 2021)
+0.3%pt vs 2020

The rate of Acadiana’s working-age population in the labor force declined by more than 30,000 workers between 2014 and 2020. However, Acadiana’s labor force regained almost 1,400 workers in 2021.

Unemployment Rate

2.7%

(Lafayette MSA, Nov. 2022)
-0.9%pt vs Nov. 2021

Unemployment in the Lafayette MSA peaked at 11.5% in April 2020 but quickly fell over the remainder of 2020 and 2021. As of November 2022 data, it is at a record low level of 2.7%.

Median Household Income

$63,311

(Lafayette Parish, 2021)
+7.7% vs 2020

Within Acadiana, there is a large and widening gap between the parish with the lowest median household income (Evangeline, $32k) and the highest (Lafayette, $63k). When adjusted for cost of living, Lafayette Parish MHI tops the national average.

Education

3rd Grade Reading

40.9%

(One Acadiana region, 2022)
-0.5%pt vs 2021

Mastery of 3rd grade ELA (reading and writing) is critical; 75% of students who are poor readers in 3rd grade never catch up. Mastery of 3rd grade ELA varies across Acadiana parishes from 27% (St. Landry) to 51% (Vermilion).

High School Graduation

86.3%

(One Acadiana region, 2021)
-1.4%pt vs 2020

The average four-year high school graduation rate for Acadiana parishes is ahead of the statewide average (83.4%). It has increased by 12.9 percentage points since 2012 when it was 73.4%.

College-Going Rate

47.7%

(One Acadiana region, 2020)
-1.8%pt vs 2019

While 86.3% of Acadiana students graduate high school within four years, less than half of those graduates enroll in a two- or four-year college the first fall after graduating, trailing the state (53.8%) and national (62.7%) averages.

Postsecondary Attainment

28.1%

(One Acadiana region, 2021)
+0.6%pt vs 2020

In the nine-parish Acadiana region, as of 2021 data, 28.1% of adults age 25+ have an associate degree or above. Adding in Lumina Foundation’s estimate for nondegree credentials, our postsecondary attainment rate jumps to 40.9%.

Well-Being

Child Poverty

27.3%

(One Acadiana region, 2021)
-0.2%pt vs 2020

The child poverty rate varies across Acadiana, from 18.9% in Jeff Davis Parish to 37% in Evangeline Parish. For 2021, poverty is defined as an annual income below $26,500 for a family of four.

Violent Crime

467 per 100k

(Lafayette MSA, 2019)
No change vs 2018

Of Louisiana’s nine MSAs, the Lafayette MSA had the lowest property crime rate and the second lowest violent crime rate, as of 2019 data. The FBI rolled out a new data reporting system in 2020, and they advise against using more recent data for trend comparison yet.

Home Values

$199,683

(Lafayette MSA, Dec. 2022)
+9.2% vs Dec. 2021

Lafayette MSA home values are on the rise, a 9.2% increase year-over-year, compared to a 10.8% increase nationally. The Lafayette MSA’s average home value ($200k) is a little more than half of the national average ($357k), according to the Zillow Home Value Index.

Broadband Access

80.2%

(One Acadiana region, 2021)
+2%pt vs 2020

The Acadiana region – and the state of Louisiana as a whole – lags behind the national average of 86.2% of the population with access to broadband internet. The exception is Lafayette Parish, where 87.2% of residents have broadband access.

Data powered by the Blanco Center

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