| Crowley, Louisiana | |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Nickname: | Rice Capital of America |
| Motto: | Where Life Is Rice And Easy |
| Image Map1: | Louisiana in United States (US48).svg |
| Map Caption1: | Location of Louisiana in the United States |
| Coordinates: | 30.2136°N -92.3736°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Louisiana |
| Subdivision Type2: | Parish |
| Subdivision Name2: | Acadia |
| Established Title: | Incorporated |
| Established Date: | 1887 |
| Founder: | C.C. Duson and W.W. Duson |
| Named For: | Patrick Crowley, railroad owner |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Chad Monceaux |
| Leader Title1: | Police Chief |
| Leader Name1: | Troy Hebert |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 15.16 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 5.85 |
| Area Land Km2: | 15.15 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 5.85 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.00 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.00 |
| Elevation Ft: | 20 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 11710 |
| Population Density Km2: | 772.70 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 2001.37 |
| Timezone1: | CST |
| Utc Offset1: | -6 |
| Timezone1 Dst: | CDT |
| Utc Offset1 Dst: | -5 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 70526 |
| Area Code: | 337 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 22-18650 |
| Blank2 Name Sec2: | Wikimedia Commons |
| Website: | crowley-la.com |
Crowley (Local pronunciation:) is a city in, and the parish seat of, Acadia Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana.[2] At the 2020 United States census, Crowley had a population of 11,710.[3] Crowley is the principal city of the Crowley micropolitan statistical area, which includes all of Acadia Parish. It is also part of the larger Lafayette - Acadiana combined statistical area.
Crowley was founded in 1886 by C.C. Duson and W.W. Duson.[4] Incorporated in 1887, W.W. Duson, General Manager of Southwest Louisiana Land Company, plotted and developed Crowley. W.W. Duson's daughter, Maime Duson, married Percy Lee Lawrence, who founded the First National Bank of Crowley. The 7-story building was once the tallest building between Houston and New Orleans. They lived with their three children, P.L. Jr., Pattee, and Jack at 219 East 2nd Street. The house was burned down in a fire a few years later.
The town was named after Pat Crowley, an Irish railroad owner who brought the railroad depot to W.W. Duson's land.[5] Descendants of founder W.W. Duson continue to live in Crowley.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.85sqmi, all land.[6]
Louisiana Highway 13 passes through the city with Kaplan, which is located in Vermilion Parish, being located 19 miles southeast and Eunice, located in both Acadia and St. Landry parishes, is located 20 miles north. The city of Rayne is located 9 miles east of Crowley via U.S. Highway 90 and I-10. The city of Jennings is located 17 miles west via U.S. Highway 90 and I-10.
| Number | Percentage | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 7,059 | 60.28% | |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 3,834 | 32.74% | |
| Native American | 25 | 0.21% | |
| Asian | 51 | 0.44% | |
| Other/Mixed | 348 | 2.97% | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 393 | 3.36% |
In 2019, the racial and ethnic makeup of the city was 58.5% non-Hispanic or Latino white, 34.8% Black or African American, <0.0% Asian, 0.4% some other race, 1.9% two or more races, and 4.4% Hispanic and Latin American of any race.[8] At the 2000 U.S. census, the racial and ethic makeup was 67.83% White American, 30.98% Black or African American, 0.15% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.29% Asian, 0.01% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, 0.23% from other races, and 0.51% from two or more races. Hispanics and Latin Americans were 1.10% of the population.
There were 4,807 households, and 33.5% were married couples living together, 18.5% male households with no female present, and 41.8% female households with no male present. The average family size was 3.34.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 5.4% aged 5 and under, 72.4% aged 18 and older, and 17.2% aged 65 and older. The median age was 37.7 years, up from 35 years at the 2000 United States census.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,972. Family households had a median income of $31,168, married couples had a median income of $50,066, and non-family households had a median income of $19,138. An estimated 37.1% of the population lived at or below the poverty line.
Crowley is noted for its annual International Rice Festival.[9] Crowley has the nickname of "Rice Capital of the World",[10] [11] because at one time it was a major center for rice harvesting and milling. Today, Crowley still has a number of rice mills and rice is the main crop of many local farmers.
The Crowley High School "Fighting Gents" were State Division 3A champions in the 1989 football season and had an 8–2 regular season.
Crowley is also the home of Notre Dame High School.[12] Notre Dame is an Acadia Parish-wide Catholic high school whose football program has won six state championships and numerous District Champion titles, in addition to numerous state championships in other sports, such as men's baseball, women's softball, men's tennis, men's track & field, and women's volleyball.