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 lags only Bossier City among the top 10 largest cities in Louisiana.
Lafayette Parish Population
244,205
(2021)
+0.9% 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)
+0.2% 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
98,425
(2020)
-0.3% vs 2019
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 (16.4%), while St. Landry and Vermilion parishes have the lowest (12.6%) 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%
(One Acadiana region, 2020)
-1%pt vs 2019
The rate of Acadiana’s working-age population in the labor force slowly ticked down from 2015 to 2020. Over that time, all parishes saw a decline in total labor force.
Unemployment Rate
3.1%
(Lafayette MSA, April 2022)
-8.4%pt vs April 2020
Unemployment in the Lafayette MSA peaked at 11.5% in April 2020 but quickly fell over the remainder of 2020 and 2021. As of April 2022 data, it is at a record low level of 3.1%.
Median Household Income
$58,761
(One Acadiana region, 2020)
+3.1% vs 2019
Within Acadiana, there is a large and widening gap between the parish with the lowest median household income (Evangeline, $31k) and the highest (Lafayette, $59k).
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
87.5%
(One Acadiana region, 2020)
+3.8%pt vs 2019
The average four-year high school graduation rate for Acadiana parishes is ahead of the statewide average (84%). It has increased by 14.1 percentage points since 2012 when it was 73.4%.
College-Going Rate
47.7%
(One Acadiana region, 2020)
-1.8%pt vs 2019
While 87.5% of Acadiana students graduate high school within four years, only 47.7% of those graduates enroll in college the first fall after graduating, trailing the state (53.8%) and national (66.2%) averages.
Postsecondary Attainment
27.5%
(One Acadiana region, 2020)
+1.2%pt vs 2019
Well-Being
Child Poverty
27.5%
(One Acadiana region, 2020)
-0.6%pt vs 2019
The child poverty rate varies across Acadiana, from 19.8% in Jeff Davis Parish to 40% in Evangeline Parish. For 2020, poverty is defined as an annual income below $26,200 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
$194,368
(Lafayette MSA, June 2022)
+12.5% vs June 2021
Lafayette MSA home values are on the rise, a 12.5% increase year-over-year, compared to a 19.8% increase nationally. The Lafayette MSA’s average home value ($194k) is a little more than half of the national average ($354k), according to the Zillow Home Value Index.
Broadband Access
78.2%
(One Acadiana region, 2020)
+2.5%pt vs 2019
The Acadiana region – and the state of Louisiana as a whole – lags behind the national average of 84.5% of the population with access to broadband internet. The exception is Lafayette Parish, where 86.1% of residents have broadband access.