Community Health Statistics for Caddo Parish, Louisiana Description of Caddo Parish, Louisiana

With about a quarter of a million residents, Caddo Parish, Louisiana is a fairly older community with almost two-thirds of its population aged 25 years or older. Most of the residents of Caddo Parish (82.3%) are high school graduate or higher and 22.3% have a bachelor's degree or higher compared to the national averages of 84.6% and 27.5%, respectively. There are slightly more females than males in Caddo Parish, and median family incomes are slightly lower than the national average at $48,522; per capita income is also slightly less than the national average at $22,323. There are also slightly more whites than blacks (50.3% compared to 46.4%, respectively) in Caddo Parish. Recent relevant statistical data for these and other areas of interest are presented below.

Table

Biophysical Considerations: Caddo Parish

Population Size

Census

Pop.

5,282

8,884

68.2%

12,140

36.7%

21,714

78.9%

26,296

21.1%

Population Size

Census

Pop.

31,555

20.0%

1900

44,499

41.0%

1910

58,200

30.8%

1920

83,265

43.1%

1930

124,670

49.7%

1940

150,203

20.5%

1950

176,547

17.5%

1960

223,859

26.8%

1970

230,184

2.8%

1980

252,358

9.6%

1990

248,253

1.6%

2000

252,161

1.6%

2006

253,118

0.4% (estimate)

Source: Caddo Parish Census Data, United States Census Bureau. "Louisiana Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990" at http://www.census.gov/population/cencounts / la190090.txt.

Table 2

Social Characteristics of Caddo Parish

Social Characteristics

Estimate

Percent

U.S.

Margin of Error

Average household size

2.50

2.60

+/-0.02

Average family size

3.23

3.19

+/-0.04

Population 25 years and over

163,358

+/-151

High school graduate or higher

83.2

84.6%

Bachelor's degree or higher

22.3

27.5%

Civilian veterans (civilian population 18 years and over)

21,732

11.6

10.1%

+/-838

With a Disability

Foreign born

4,593

1.8

12.4%

+/-592

Male, Now married, except separated (population 15 years and over)

42,075

45.3

52.3%

+/-983

Female, Now married, except separated (population 15 years and over)

40,134

37.5

48.4%

+/-1,125

Speak a language other than English at home (population 5 years and over)

8,447

3.6

19.6%

+/-702

Household population

244,937

+/-1,216

Group quarters population

Table 3

Economic Characteristics of Caddo Parish

Economic Characteristics

Estimate

Percent

U.S.

Margin of Error

In labor force (population 16 years and over)

120,200

61.4

65.0%

+/-1,680

Mean travel time to work in minutes (workers 16 years and over)

19.2

25.2

+/-0.4

Median household income (in 2009 inflation-adjusted dollars)

36,536

51,425

+/-923

Median family income (in 2009 inflation-adjusted dollars)

48,522

62,363

+/-1,507

Per capita income (in 2009 inflation-adjusted dollars)

22,323

27,041

+/-511

Families below poverty level

15.8

9.9%

+/-1.0

Individuals below poverty level

21.1

13.5%

+/-0.9

Table 4

Housing Characteristics of Caddo Parish

Housing Characteristics

Estimate

Percent

U.S.

Margin of Error

Total housing units

113,303

+/-499

Occupied housing units

98,086

86.6

88.2%

+/-1,105

Owner-occupied housing units

62,407

63.6

66.9%

+/-1,094

Renter-occupied housing units

35,679

36.4

33.1%

+/-1,109

Vacant housing units

15,217

13.4

11.8%

+/-949

Owner-occupied homes

62,407

+/-1,094

Median value (dollars)

106,700

185,400

+/-2,834

Median of selected monthly owner costs

With a mortgage (dollars)

1,046

1,486

+/-21

Not mortgaged (dollars)

+/-6

Table 5

Demographic Estimates for Caddo Parish

ACS Demographic Estimates

Estimate

Percent

U.S.

Margin of Error

Total population

252,467

Male

119,938

47.5

49.3%

+/-98

Female

132,529

52.5

50.7%

+/-98

Median age (years)

35.6

36.5

+/-0.1

Under 5 years

17,864

7.1

6.9%

+/-73

18 years and over

188,634

74.7

75.4%

+/-24

65 years and over

34,175

13.5

12.6%

+/-113

One race

249,130

98.7

97.8%

+/-472

White

127,032

50.3

74.5%

+/-531

Black or African-American

117,124

46.4

12.4%

+/-443

American Indian and Alaska Native

0.3

0.8%

+/-311

Asian

2,283

0.9

4.4%

+/-147

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander

78

0.0

0.1%

+/-30

Some other race

1,795

0.7

5.6%

+/-437

Two or more races

3,337

1.3

2.2%

+/-472

Hispanic or Latino (of any race)

5,583

2.2

15.1%

Explanation of Symbols:

'***' - The median falls in the lowest interval or upper interval of an open-ended distribution. A statistical test is not appropriate.

'*****' - The estimate is controlled. A statistical test for sampling variability is not appropriate.

'N' - Data for this geographic area cannot be displayed because the number of sample cases is too small.

'(X)' - The value is not applicable or not available.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2005-2009 American Community Survey

The 2000 Census indicates that slightly more than 252,000 live in Caddo Parish, representing a modest growth of about 1.6% in recent years. The Parish is comprised of the following eleven municipalities: Belcher, Blanchard, Gilliam, Greenwood, Hosston,...

Caddo Parish Public Expenditures
Source: Annual report, 2010 (http://www.caddo.org/pdfs/2010_Annual_Report.pdf)

Physical Environmental Considerations

Potential for disaster:

The potential for disaster in Caddo Parish is pronounced, given its proximity to Shreveport as shown in Figure 1 below:

Figure 2. Caddo Parish Flood Zone

Source: http://www.caddo.org/Images/fzonebig.jpg

The physical environment characteristics of Caddo Parish are set forth in Tables 6 and 7 below.

Table 6

Physical Environment Characteristics of Caddo Parish

Geography and Statistics

Statistics

Average elevation

174 feet

Land area in square miles

Water area in square miles

54.9

Table 7

Climate for Caddo Parish

Average temperatures

Statistics

Annual

65°

January

55°

July

93°

Annual average rainfall

50 inches

Flooding

The ravages of Hurricane Katrina made it painfully clear that the low-lying coastal regions of Louisiana are highly vulnerable to flooding. At present, the Caddo Parish Flood Control Section is tasked with maintaining stormwater drainage facilities pursuant to

1. Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) guidelines based on the following objectives:

Promote awareness of floodplain management issues

2. Administer and enforce the Floodplain Ordinances for Caddo Parish

3. Address storm-water and drainage issues in new development

4. Seek solutions to existing flood problems.

5. Provide assistance where possible to inquiries relating to flood control and drainage issues (Parish Departments, 2011, para. 5).

Earthquake

Three recent magnitude 5+ earthquakes in the region emphasize that vulnerability of the part of the country to earthquakes in the future.

Explosion/volcano

Oil and gas refining facilities in the region pose an ongoing threat of explosion, but there are no volcanoes in the region.

Severe weather conditions

Frequent, particularly during hurricane season.

To what extent are vital community structures likely to withstand a disaster?

Communications still pose a problem and FEMA continues to assess ways to improve the Caddo Parish infrastructure.

What is the potential for toxic exposures?

Given the proximity to oil and gas refining facilities in Shreveport, some of which are more than 100 years old, the potential for toxic exposures is significant.

Sociocultural Considerations

Are community members able to work together for disaster planning?

The Parish Commission recently created an Intergovernmental Consortium to help coordinate departmental activities (Annual report, 2007).

Health System Considerations

How well prepared are health service agencies to respond to a disaster?

The Caddo Parish Commission Parish Administrator and CEO, Woodrow Wilson, Jr., routinely conducts biweekly meetings with health service agency directors to coordinate services and initiatives (Wilson, 2011).

What facilities are available?

The following facilities are available in Caddo Parish:

1. Caddo-Shreveport Health Unit (1035 Creswell Street);

2. North Caddo Parish Health Unit (102 Industrial, Vivian, LA);

3. Shreveport Regional Laboratory (533 Vine Street);

4. Caddo Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinic (1031 Creswell);

5. Environmental Health Services Center (1033 Creswell).

Neighborhood/Community Safety Inventory

What is the extent of water pollution? What pollutants are involved?

According to the Parish's annual report, "Remaining at the top of the list are the challenges that we face with the Wilcox 1 Aquifer, which is the primary ground water source for potable water for area residents in the rural parts of the Parish" (2007, p. 7). On August 19, 2011, a temporary ground water emergency was declared for Caddo Parish (Order No. Env 2011-GW-014) that warned of aquifer depletion in the area as a result of the ongoing drought. Because many of the rural residents in the region depend on the same aquifer supplies using wells that pre-date 1985, it has been difficult to assess the impact of this drought on concentration of pollutants for these consumers (Order No. Env 2011-GW -- 014, 2011). Currently, some communities are experiencing a lack of safe drinking water and the Parish Commission has collaborated with researchers at Louisiana State University to assess potable ground water sources for quality and quantity in five test wells but the results of these analyses have not yet been published (Annual report, 2007).

Do local weather conditions pose health hazards? Are there drowning hazards?

Yes.

Do wild animals in the area serve as reservoirs for disease?

Rodents and mosquitoes represent a major health threat for many of the rural residents in Caddo Parish and require ongoing abatement programs (Parish Departments, 2011). The Parish's 2010 annual report notes that a Mosquito Control Facility together with research of diseases and viruses related to mosquitoes and rodents have been installed.

Do stray animals pose a safety or health hazard in the neighborhood?

This problem appears to be improving. The Parish Commission has made spay/neuter initiatives a high priority and the number of euthanized animals has dropped significantly (Annual report, 2007). More recently, animal control staff responded to almost 10,000 citizen complaints concerning strays (Annual report, 2010).

Safety Hazards in the Sociocultural Environment

Caddo Parish has a long history of racial unrest dating to the early 19th century (Vandal, 1998), and as late as mid-20th century, some blacks were still held in virtual bonded servitude by white land owners throughout the parish and black were routinely denied access to educational resources (De Jong, 2002). It should be noted, though, that the affirmative action efforts that were used to address longstanding educational access in the parish have resulted in some "reverse discrimination" lawsuits that have highlighted the emerging "race neutral" position of the Caddo Parish school board (Recent decisions -- primary and secondary education, 2005). The number of juvenile offenders in the Caddo Parish Detention Center was reduction from an average of 48 in 2006 to 38 on average in 2007 (Annual report, 2007).

To its credit, the Parish has targeted youth offenders and substance abuse through a number of innovative approaches, including a restorative justice diversion program and misdemeanor and truancy referral center operated by the District Attorney's Office; in addition, the Parish maintains a Family Drug Court to help reduce the incidence of substance abuse in the area and the Parish recently received a $50,000.00 grant to staff a person for the Family Drug Court (Annual report, 2007). More recently, a Juvenile Services Mental Health Out-Patient treatment Center has also been installed (Annual report, 2010).

Interpret the collected data using concepts of epidemiology (e.g., birth rate, death rate).

As can be seen from the data presented in Table 8 below, the percentage of infants receiving prenatal care within the…