Belle Chasse, Louisiana

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Belle Chasse is a census-designated place (CDP) in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, on the West Bank of the Mississippi River. Belle Chasse is part of the Greater New Orleans Metropolitan area. The population was 9,848 at the 2000 census.

Belle Chasse is home to the Belle Chasse Naval Air Station, and to the Plaquemines Parish Public Library.

1 History
2 Geography
3 Demographics
4 External links

[edit] History

There is little concurrence regarding the origin of the name Belle Chasse. In French, Belle Chasse literally means "beautiful hunting." It is widely believed that it was named so for the richness of wildlife the initial French settlers observed when they first settled in the region. Others say that Belle Chasse was named after a Colonel Joseph D. Bellechasse, who lived in New Orleans around the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. Belle Chasse was the home town of Confederate statesman Judah P. Benjamin.

Belle Chasse is also home to a Naval Air Station for the U.S. Navy Reserve. It was founded in 1941 the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain, but in 1957 it relocated to its current location. It is home to various naval air units as well as an Air Force Reserves squadron.

[edit] Geography

Belle Chasse is located at 29°51′8″N, 89°59′54″W (29.852243, -89.998335)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 73.7 km² (28.4 mi²). 64.8 km² (25.0 mi²) of it is land and 8.8 km² (3.4 mi²) of it (11.99%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 9,848 people, 3,400 households, and 2,692 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 152.0/km² (393.6/mi²). There were 3,561 housing units at an average density of 55.0/km² (142.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.12% White, 4.23% African American, 0.61% Native American, 0.85% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.85% from other races, and 1.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.36% of the population.

There were 3,400 households, out of which 41.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.6% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.8% were non-families. 17.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 28.5% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 33.3% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $47,271, and the median income for a family was $52,064. Males had a median income of $39,957 versus $22,332 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $19,385. About 6.5% of families and 7.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.4% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.