Merrydale, Louisiana

Geography Merrydale is located at 30°30'15" North, 91°6'58" West (30.504289, -91.116195)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 11.0 km² (4.3 mi²). 11.0 km² (4.3 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.

Demographics As of the census of 2000, there are 10,427 people, 3,284 households, and 2,666 families residing in the town. The population density is 945.0/km² (2,445.2/mi²). There are 3,483 housing units at an average density of 315.7/km² (816.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 8.70% White, 90.18% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.20% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. 0.90% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 3,284 households out of which 47.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.0% are married couples living together, 30.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 18.8% are non-families. 16.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 4.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.15 and the average family size is 3.52.

In the town the population is spread out with 34.6% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 6.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 29 years. For every 100 females there are 87.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 79.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town is $28,544, and the median income for a family is $30,289. Males have a median income of $27,745 versus $19,518 for females. The per capita income for the town is $10,664. 31.6% of the population and 28.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 42.7% are under the age of 18 and 26.7% are 65 or older.