Lafayette County, Arkansas
Encyclopedia
Lafayette County is a county
located in the U.S. state
of Arkansas
. As of 2010, the population was 7,645. The county seat
is Lewisville
. Lafayette County was formed on October 15, 1827 and named in honor of Marquis de Lafayette, a French military hero and American general who fought during the American Revolutionary War
and who toured the US in 1824/25
upon the 50th anniversary of the founding of the nation.
The local pronunciation of the name is "luh-FAY-ut". It is a dry county
; therefore, the sale of alcohol is prohibited.
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 545.07 square miles (1,411.7 km²), of which 526.5 square miles (1,363.6 km²) (or 96.59%) is land and 18.57 square miles (48.1 km²) (or 3.41%) is water.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 8,559 people, 3,434 households, and 2,376 families residing in the county. The population density
was 16 people per square mile (6/km²). There were 4,560 housing units at an average density of 9 per square mile (3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 62.08% White
, 36.49% Black
or African American
, 0.37% Native American
, 0.22% Asian
, 0.01% Pacific Islander
, 0.20% from other races
, and 0.63% from two or more races. 1.03% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 3,434 households out of which 27.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.60% were married couples
living together, 14.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.80% were non-families. 28.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.40% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 24.40% from 25 to 44, 24.40% from 45 to 64, and 17.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 93.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $24,831, and the median income for a family was $30,720. Males had a median income of $26,492 versus $17,000 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $14,128. About 18.70% of families and 23.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.50% of those under age 18 and 19.30% of those age 65 or over.
County (United States)
In the United States, a county is a geographic subdivision of a state , usually assigned some governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 of the 50 states; Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs. Parishes and boroughs are called "county-equivalents" by the U.S...
located in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. As of 2010, the population was 7,645. The county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
is Lewisville
Lewisville, Arkansas
Lewisville is a city in Lafayette County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 1,285 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Lafayette County.-Geography:Lewisville is located at ....
. Lafayette County was formed on October 15, 1827 and named in honor of Marquis de Lafayette, a French military hero and American general who fought during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
and who toured the US in 1824/25
Visit of the Marquis de Lafayette to the United States (1824-25)
From July 1824 to September 1825, the last surviving French General of the Revolutionary War, the Marquis de Lafayette, made a famous tour of the 24 states in the United States...
upon the 50th anniversary of the founding of the nation.
The local pronunciation of the name is "luh-FAY-ut". It is a dry county
Dry county
A dry county is a county in the United States whose government forbids the sale of alcoholic beverages. Some prohibit off-premises sale, some prohibit on-premises sale, and some prohibit both. Hundreds of dry counties exist across the United States, almost all of them in the South...
; therefore, the sale of alcohol is prohibited.
Geography
Lafayette County is the smallest county in land area in Arkansas.According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 545.07 square miles (1,411.7 km²), of which 526.5 square miles (1,363.6 km²) (or 96.59%) is land and 18.57 square miles (48.1 km²) (or 3.41%) is water.
Major highways
U.S. Highway 82
Highway 29
Highway 53
Highway 160
Adjacent counties
- Hempstead County (north)
- Nevada County (northeast)
- Columbia CountyColumbia County, ArkansasColumbia County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population was 24,552. The county seat is Magnolia. Columbia County was formed on December 17, 1852, and was named for Christopher Columbus...
(east) - Webster ParishWebster Parish, LouisianaWebster Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The seat of the parish is Minden. In 2010, its population was 41,207....
, LouisianaLouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
(southeast) - Bossier ParishBossier Parish, LouisianaBossier Parish is named for Pierre Bossier, a 19th-century Louisiana state senator and U.S. representative from Natchitoches Parish.Bossier Parish was spared fighting on its soil during the American Civil War...
, LouisianaLouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
(south) - Caddo ParishCaddo Parish, LouisianaCaddo Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Shreveport; as of 2000, the population was 252,161...
, LouisianaLouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
(southwest) - Miller County (west)
Demographics
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 8,559 people, 3,434 households, and 2,376 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 16 people per square mile (6/km²). There were 4,560 housing units at an average density of 9 per square mile (3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 62.08% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 36.49% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.37% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.22% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.01% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.20% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.63% from two or more races. 1.03% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 3,434 households out of which 27.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.60% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 14.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.80% were non-families. 28.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.40% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 24.40% from 25 to 44, 24.40% from 45 to 64, and 17.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 93.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $24,831, and the median income for a family was $30,720. Males had a median income of $26,492 versus $17,000 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $14,128. About 18.70% of families and 23.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.50% of those under age 18 and 19.30% of those age 65 or over.
Cities
|
Lewisville, Arkansas Lewisville is a city in Lafayette County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 1,285 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Lafayette County.-Geography:Lewisville is located at .... Stamps, Arkansas Stamps is a city in Lafayette County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 2,131 at the 2000 census.Stamps was the shop headquarters for the former Louisiana and Arkansas Railway until the relocation in the early 1920s to Minden, Louisiana.... |
Townships
- Baker (StampsStamps, ArkansasStamps is a city in Lafayette County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 2,131 at the 2000 census.Stamps was the shop headquarters for the former Louisiana and Arkansas Railway until the relocation in the early 1920s to Minden, Louisiana....
) - French
- Hadley (BucknerBuckner, ArkansasBuckner is a city in Lafayette County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 396 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Buckner is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
) - La Grange (small part of LewisvilleLewisville, ArkansasLewisville is a city in Lafayette County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 1,285 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Lafayette County.-Geography:Lewisville is located at ....
) - Mars Hill
- Roane (BradleyBradley, ArkansasBradley is a city in Lafayette County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 563 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bradley is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
) - Russell
- Steel (most of LewisvilleLewisville, ArkansasLewisville is a city in Lafayette County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 1,285 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Lafayette County.-Geography:Lewisville is located at ....
) - Walker Creek