Oakdale, Louisiana

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Oakdale is a small city in Allen Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 8,137 at the 2000 census.

[edit] Geography

Oakdale is located at 30°48′48″N, 92°39′38″W (30.813371, -92.660504)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.3 km² (5.1 mi²). 13.1 km² (5.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (1.17%) is water. Oakdale's closest neighbor in Allen Parish is Elizabeth, LA. It is located just to the west of Oakdale.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 8,137 people, 2,246 households, and 1,525 families residing in the city. The population density was 619.7/km² (1,603.6/mi²). There were 2,512 housing units at an average density of 191.3/km² (495.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 62.07% White, 34.94% African American, 0.57% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.33% from other races, and 0.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.22% of the population.

There were 2,246 households out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.6% were married couples living together, 23.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.1% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the city the population was spread out with 21.2% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 38.6% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 157.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 179.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $22,826, and the median income for a family was $28,506. Males had a median income of $32,179 versus $16,039 for females. The per capita income for the city was $10,288. About 21.7% of families and 23.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.1% of those under age 18 and 22.9% of those age 65 or over.

Oakdale is also the location of the CT Hunting Club off of Ward Road. This club is known for their colorful members, their raucous parties, their excellent cuisine, and the over-all good time feeling that washes over all who stay at "the Camp" one weekend. Expect world-class Cajun cooking, an intense game of cards (Pedro is the game of choice), a healthy supply of marijuana, and of course an abundance of alcohol. An unspoken requirement for membership is to be a Louisiana resident, although as of 2005, one of the founding members relocated to The Woodlands, TX.