Oberlin, Louisiana

Oberlin, Louisiana
Town
Downtown Oberlin with the Allen Parish Courthouse in the background
Location of Oberlin in Allen Parish, Louisiana.
Location of Louisiana in the United States
Coordinates: 30°37′10″N 92°45′51″W / 30.61944°N 92.76417°W / 30.61944; -92.76417Coordinates: 30°37′10″N 92°45′51″W / 30.61944°N 92.76417°W / 30.61944; -92.76417
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Parish	Allen
Government
• Mayor	Joseph "Moochie" Manuel (D) (first elected 2014)
Area [1]
• Total	4.38 sq mi (11.35 km2)
• Land	4.38 sq mi (11.35 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation	69 ft (21 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	1,770
• Estimate  (2019)[2]	1,730
• Density	394.89/sq mi (152.46/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code	70655
Area code(s)	337
FIPS code	22-57450

Oberlin is a town in and the parish seat of Allen Parish, Louisiana, United States.^[3] The population was 1,770 at the 2010 census.^[4] The town is named after Johann Friedrich Oberlin.

Oberlin was the home of , a Democratic member of the Louisiana State Senate and, later, the Louisiana Public Service Commission. He ran unsuccessfully in 1944 for governor of Louisiana.

Geography[]

Oberlin is located at

30°37′10″N 92°45′51″W / 30.61944°N 92.76417°W / 30.61944; -92.76417 (30.619560, -92.764058).^[5] According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.4 square miles (11.4 km²), all land.^[4] Oberlin is located on U.S. Route 165 at LA 26.

Climate[]

Demographics[]

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1900	213		—
1910	232		8.9%
1920	623		168.5%
1930	790		26.8%
1940	962		21.8%
1950	1,544		60.5%
1960	1,794		16.2%
1970	1,857		3.5%
1980	1,764		−5.0%
1990	1,808		2.5%
2000	1,853		2.5%
2010	1,770		−4.5%
2019 (est.)	1,730	[2]	−2.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]

As of the census^[9] of 2000, there were 1,853 people, 702 households, and 464 families residing in the town. The population density was 602.0 people per square mile (232.3/km²). There were 789 housing units at an average density of 256.3 per square mile (98.9/km²).

The racial makeup of the town was 60.28% White, 37.61% African American, 0.76% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.16% from other races, and 0.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.70% of the population.

There were 702 households, out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.0% were married couples living together, 17.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.4% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $23,333, and the median income for a family was $30,583. Males had a median income of $28,558 versus $16,923 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,050. About 18.3% of families and 25.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.3% of those under age 18 and 31.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education[]

Allen Parish School Board operates and Oberlin Elementary School in Oberlin.^[10]

Notable people[]

• Hoyle Granger- and Mississippi State University alumni. Fullback for the Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints from 1966-72. Member of Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.

References[]

External links[]

• Media related to Oberlin, Louisiana at Wikimedia Commons