Leesville is a city in and the parish seat of Vernon Parish, Louisiana, United States.[1] The population was 6,753 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Fort Polk South Micropolitan Statistical Area. The city is home to the Fort Polk U.S. Army installation. The populations of Fort Polk and Leesville, if combined, would result in a city with a population of more than 20,000.
Geography
Leesville is located at 31°8′37″N 93°16′16″W / 31.14361°N 93.27111°W / 31.14361; -93.27111 (31.143553, -93.271196)[2] and has an elevation of 253 feet (77.1 m)[3].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.5 square miles (14.2 km²), of which, 5.4 square miles (14.1 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.55%) is water.
Notable natives
- Dwayne D. Bates - Born in Leesville (Fort Polk) in 1986 but moved away as a toddler, he is a senior and research associate at the University of South Carolina.
- Elizabeth "Beth" Carr, J.D. (1982) Former co-editor of Louisiana College Wildcat (2001-2004). Practicing attorney at The Smith Law Firm, L.L.P., Leesville, LA. One of only two female attorneys in the 30th JDC.
- Eddie Fuller - National Football League player, running back with the Buffalo Bills, also played for Louisiana State University and was part of the play which became known as the "Earthquake game".
- Demond Mallet - Professional basketball player, guard. Played in the German League and currently with Spanish Joventut Badalona.
- Claude Anthony "Buddy" Leach, Jr. - Politician, former member of the United States House of Representatives, Louisiana House of Representatives, and Louisiana Democratic state chairman; unsuccessful candidate for governor in 2003 and for the Louisiana State Senate in 2007
- Tommy W Jinks Jr - Professional in the Financial industry and author
- Kevin Mawae - National Football League All-Pro Center for the Tennessee Titans
- Keith Munyan - Born in Leesville in 1961 but moved away as a toddler, he is a Los Angeles photographer known for his multiple celebrity clients.
Demographics
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 6,753 people, 2,841 households, and 1,650 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,238.7 people per square mile (478.4/km²). There were 3,389 housing units at an average density of 621.7/sq mi (240.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 55.49% White, 35.33% African American, 1.47% Native American, 2.09% Asian, 0.56% Pacific Islander, 2.25% from other races, and 2.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.92% of the population.
There were 2,841 households out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.2% were married couples living together, 18.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.9% were non-families. Nearly 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $23,864, and the median income for a family was $30,435. Males had a median income of $27,267 versus $21,661 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,360. About 24.5% of families and 28.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.0% of those under age 18 and 15.1% of those age 65 or over.
References
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