| Lafayette metropolitan area | |
| Official Name: | Lafayette–New Iberia–Opelousas, La. Combined Statistical Area |
| Other Name: | Vermilionville |
| Settlement Type: | Combined Statistical Area |
| Nickname: | Hub City |
| Map Alt: | Map of Lafayette Metropolitan Area |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Louisiana |
| Subdivision Type2: | Principal city |
| Subdivision Name2: | Lafayette |
| Subdivision Type3: | Other cities |
| Timezone: | CST |
| Utc Offset: | -6 |
| Timezone Dst: | CDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -5 |
| Website: | http://www.lafayettela.gov/ |
| Footnotes: | Named for Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette |
The Lafayette–New Iberia–Opelousas combined statistical area is made up of six parishes in the Acadiana region of southern Louisiana. The statistical area consists of the Lafayette Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)[1] and two micropolitical statistical areas (μSAs)[2] – New Iberia, Louisiana Micropolitan Statistical Area, and Opelousas, Louisiana Micropolitical Statistical Area. The region consists of seven parishes: Acadia, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin, and Vermilion Parishes. As of the 2010 census, the CSA had a population of 604,784 (though a 2015 estimate placed the population at 627,146).[3]
The CSA is home to a large Cajun population and is also known as the "Cajun heartland".
As of the census[4] of 2010, there were 550,134 people, 188,219 households, and 134,322 families residing within the CSA. The racial makeup of the CSA was 70.42% White, 27.07% African American, 0.25% Native American, 1.01% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.40% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.35% of the population. Of the total population over the age of 5, 83.4% (419,800) spoke English and 12.7% (64,001) spoke French (including Cajun French and Louisiana Creole French).[5]
The median income for a household in the CSA was $29,577, and the median income for a family was $35,717. Males had a median income of $31,564 versus $18,942 for females. The per capita income for the CSA was $14,467.