Caldwell Parish, Louisiana
Caldwell Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of 2020, its population was 9,645. The parish seat is Columbia.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of, of which is land and is water.Major highways
- 25px U.S. Highway 165
- 25px Louisiana Highway 4
Adjacent parishes
- Jackson Parish
- Ouachita Parish
- Richland Parish
- Franklin Parish
- Catahoula Parish
- La Salle Parish
- Winn Parish
Communities
Towns
- Columbia
Villages
- Clarks
- Grayson
Census-designated place
- Banks Springs
Unincorporated communities
- Bosco
- Copenhagen
- Corey
- Hebert
- Kelly
- Ward 5
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the parish had a population of 9,645, 3,752 households, and 2,534 families. The median age was 41.2 years, 22.5% of residents were under the age of 18, and 18.9% were 65 years of age or older; for every 100 females there were 108.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 107.3 males age 18 and over.There were 4,583 housing units, of which 18.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 76.7% were owner-occupied and 23.3% were renter-occupied; the homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.4%. About 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
The racial makeup of the parish was 79.3% White, 15.9% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.6% from some other race, and 3.6% from two or more races; Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.3% of the population.
Racial and ethnic composition
| Race / Ethnicity | Pop 1980 | Pop 1990 | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
| White alone | 8,628 | 7,868 | 8,396 | 8,045 | 7,551 | 80.18% | 80.20% | 79.51% | 79.40% | 78.29% |
| Black or African American alone | 1,958 | 1,760 | 1,884 | 1,735 | 1,528 | 18.20% | 17.94% | 17.84% | 17.12% | 15.84% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone | 1 | 9 | 47 | 19 | 19 | 0.01% | 0.09% | 0.45% | 0.19% | 0.20% |
| Asian alone | 13 | 12 | 15 | 25 | 42 | 0.12% | 0.12% | 0.14% | 0.25% | 0.44% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone | x | x | 0 | 0 | 3 | x | x | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.03% |
| Other race alone | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 0.00% | 0.01% | 0.04% | 0.02% | 0.06% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial | x | x | 57 | 84 | 275 | x | x | 0.54% | 0.83% | 2.85% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 161 | 160 | 157 | 222 | 221 | 1.50% | 1.63% | 1.49% | 2.19% | 2.29% |
| Total | 10,761 | 9,810 | 10,560 | 10,132 | 9,645 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 10,560 people, 3,941 households, and 2,817 families residing in the parish. The population density was. There were 5,035 housing units at an average density of.In 2000, the racial makeup of the parish was 80.43% White, 17.90% Black or African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.47% from other races, and 0.61% from two or more races. 1.49% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Law enforcement
The Caldwell Parish Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency of the parish.Politics
Caldwell Parish has been a Republican stronghold since the 1960s. Bill Clinton carried it in 1992 and 1996, which was partly due to heavy third-party presence in those presidential elections. Since then, the Republican strength in the Parish has improved in every single election, with Donald Trump obtaining nearly 86% of the vote in 2024.Notable people
- Buddy Caldwell, Louisiana State Attorney General, 2008–2016
- Graves B. Erskine, Marine Corps General Officer
- Garland Gregory, LA Tech Football
- Pam Kelly, recipient of the Wade Trophy
- John J. McKeithen, Governor of Louisiana
- W. Fox McKeithen, Louisiana House of Representatives
- Clay Parker, LSU baseball pitcher and football punter
- Neil Riser, Louisiana State Senator elected in 2007
- Chet D. Traylor, Louisiana Supreme Court, 1997–2009