Prairieville, Louisiana

Prairieville is a census-designated place in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is south of Baton Rouge and north of Gonzales.

Prairieville, Louisiana
Prairieville, Louisiana is located in Louisiana
Prairieville, Louisiana
Prairieville, Louisiana
Location of Prairieville in Louisiana
Coordinates: 30°18′11″N 90°58′19″W / 30.30306°N 90.97194°W / 30.30306; -90.97194
CountryUnited States
StateLouisiana
ParishAscension
Area
 • Total
22.08 sq mi (57.18 km2)
 • Land22.00 sq mi (56.97 km2)
 • Water0.08 sq mi (0.21 km2)
Elevation
23 ft (7 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
33,197
 • Density1,509.09/sq mi (582.67/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
70769
Area code225
FIPS code22-62385

Prairieville is an expanding bedroom suburb of Baton Rouge. Its name is derived from the once plentiful pastures and prairies that were visible from Highway 73 (Jefferson Hwy.) and Airline Highway, which is now covered with development. Prairieville started off as a quiet community with few people.

In recent decades, Prairieville has benefited from migration out of Baton Rouge, with new residents particularly drawn to the area by its high-performing public schools and low crime rate. Prairieville had a 2020 census population of 33,197 inhabitants.[2] If it was incorporated it would be the largest city in Ascension Parish. Prairieville is in one of the fastest-growing areas in Louisiana. Prairieville's population is bigger than the parish's two largest incorporated cities, Donaldsonville (6,695) and Gonzales (12,231) combined.

History

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Prairieville is vulnerable to hurricanes and tropical systems due to its proximity to the coast of southeast Louisiana. Hurricane Gustav caused major damage to the Prairieville area; many trees were downed and power lines were down for weeks.

The most notable local property was the Phillips Farm. The farmhouse is still a local landmark in Prairieville, although the original owner died in 2005. The house is lined with live oaks and a white planked fence surrounds the grounds. The pasture was sold in 1992 at the start of the suburban development and a 250-resident subdivision named "Seven Oaks" surrounds the farm where the pastures were.

In 2006, the farmhouse was sold at auction following the death of Dr. Carey A. Phillips. The 40-acre (160,000 m2) tract of land (including the house) has been made into a cemetery now called Oak Lane Memorial Park.

Prairieville is also known for the historic school PRairiville Middle, which was changed and established around the 1930s or later. It has remained the number one Middle school in the parish for its outstanding students and excellent grades. It scored the best score for LEAP time after time compared to other schools and the parish.

In 2020, Bluff Middle School opened,[3] and is one of the newer middle school's in Ascension Parish. [4]

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note
201026,895
202033,19723.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[5]

Prairieville was first listed as a census designated place in the 2010 U.S. census.

Prairieville CDP, Louisiana – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2010[6] Pop 2020[7] % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 21,390 23,477 79.53% 70.72%
Black or African American alone (NH) 3,295 4,835 12.25% 14.56%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 79 50 0.29% 0.15%
Asian alone (NH) 482 825 1.79% 2.49%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 23 11 0.09% 0.03%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 36 106 0.13% 0.32%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) 251 1,124 0.93% 3.39%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 1,339 2,769 4.98% 8.34%
Total 26,895 33,197 100.00% 100.00%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 33,197 people, 10,928 households, and 8,428 families residing in the CDP.[8]

Notable people

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References

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  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  2. ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2020 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Prairieville CDP, Louisiana". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  3. ^ "Home - Bluff Middle". bluffmiddle.ascensionschools.org. July 1, 2022. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  4. ^ "2024". Niche. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  5. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  6. ^ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Prairieville CDP, Louisiana". United States Census Bureau.
  7. ^ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Prairieville CDP, Louisiana". United States Census Bureau.
  8. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 28, 2021.