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City of Jeanerette now considered a town

2 years 6 months 1 week ago Thursday, September 16 2021 Sep 16, 2021 September 16, 2021 8:02 AM September 16, 2021 in News
Source: KATC
Jeanerette City Hall Photo: jeanerette.com

JEANERETTE — As a result of findings from the 2020 Census count, an Iberia Parish city is going to become a town.

KATC reports that the City of Jeanerette is set to become the Town of Jeanerette.

The community's revised status is due to a 2020 Census statistic that clocked Jeanerette's population in at a total of 4,813 people.

This figure fell just 188 shy of the population count needed to be considered a city; the Louisiana Directory of Cities, Towns, and Villages says a community's population must be over 5,000 to be considered a city.

According to KATC, Demographer Mike Hefner believes it's likely more than 5,000 people live in Jeanerette and that a number of individuals simply did not complete a census.

Hefner says Jeanerette can challenge the census count, but doing so would cost a pretty penny.

In regards to finances, Hefner indicated that one of the main concerns following the area's changed status is monetary.

He said cities typically receive more funding than towns and that fewer people living in an area means fewer police officers, fewer emergency services, and less assistance from the state.

KATC quotes Hefner as saying, "That's going to hurt the town overall, especially those that need services." 

Officials say Jeanerette technically lost its status as a city when the 2020 census was released in August, but the official determination comes from the state.

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