Lafayette metropolitan area, Louisiana

Lafayette
Vermilionville
Metropolitan statistical area
Lafayette, LA metropolitan statistical area
Lafayette, Louisiana skyline, 2021
Lafayette, Louisiana skyline, 2021
Official seal of Lafayette
Seal
Nickname: 
Hub City
Map
Map of Lafayette–New Iberia–Opelousas, LA CSA
CountryUnited States
StateLouisiana
Principal cityLafayette
Other cities
 - Youngsville
 - Broussard
 - Opelousas
 - New Iberia
Area
 • Land3,409 sq mi (8,828 km2)
Population
 (2020)
 • Metro
478,384
GDP
[1]
 • Metro$24.996 billion (2022)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
Websitehttp://www.lafayettela.gov/
Named for Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette

Lafayette, Vermilionville, or the Lafayette metropolitan statistical area per the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, is the third largest metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located in the south central Acadiana region, it covers five parishes. At the 2020 U.S. census, 478,384 people lived in the metropolitan area,[2] making it the 116th most populous in the United States and one of Louisiana's fastest growing metropolises; in 2010, its population was 273,738 and it outpaced the Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area in 2015.[3]

The approximately 3,408.5 square miles (8,828 km2) metropolitan area centers on Lafayette Parish, which contains the city of Lafayette—the largest economic and cultural center of Acadiana—with a consolidated city-parish population of 244,390 in 2019;[4] the city proper's population was 121,374 in 2020.[5] Part of the larger Lafayette-Opelousas-Morgan City combined statistical area, it borders the Lake Charles metropolitan area to the west.

As of 2020, the metropolitan statistical area is home to Amazon,[6] IberiaBank,[7] Rouses Market,[8] Albertsons,[9] Petroleum Helicopters International,[10] and other statewide and international corporations generating a gross domestic product of over 24.9 billion dollars as of 2022.[11] The Lafayette metropolitan area is one of the most predominantly-Catholic metropolises in the Southern United States,[12] and home to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. It is also home to a growing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender population.[13][14]

  1. ^ "Total Gross Domestic Product for Lafayette, LA (MSA)". Federal Reserve Economic Data. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
  2. ^ "2020 Population and Housing State Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "2019 Parish Population Estimates". data.census.gov. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
  5. ^ "QuickFacts: Lafayette city, Louisiana". United States Census Bureau.
  6. ^ "LCG: Hiring underway for new massive Amazon fulfillment center in Lafayette Parish". KLFY. 2021-03-17. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
  7. ^ "IberiaBank Headquarters Information". 🌎 CC Bank. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
  8. ^ "Locations Archive • Rouses Supermarkets". Rouses Supermarkets. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
  9. ^ "Albertsons Locations in Lafayette, LA | Pharmacy, Grocery, Weekly Ad". local.albertsons.com. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
  10. ^ "PHI, Inc". PHI, Inc - The Total Helicopter Company. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
  11. ^ U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (2001-01-01). "Total Gross Domestic Product for Lafayette, LA (MSA)". FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
  12. ^ "Religion in Lafayette metropolitan area". Sperling's BestPlaces. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  13. ^ Stickney, Ken. "Study: Lafayette doesn't do enough to support LGBTQ community". The Daily Advertiser. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
  14. ^ "History and Documents". Pride Lafayette, Inc. 2013-02-18. Retrieved 2021-07-31.