Gonzales

Gonzales is a city in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2020 census, it has a population of 12,231. It is famous for its annual Jambalaya Festival, which was first held in 1968. The city is located at 30°1338N 90°5511W (30.227128, -90.919771). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.5 square miles (22.0 km²), of which 8.4 sq miles (21.7 km²) is land and 0.12 sq mi (0.27 sq km) is water. It has a subtropical climate, with hot summers and mild winters. Hurricanes pose a threat to the area due to its proximity to the coastline of southeast Louisiana. The last hurricane to strike the area was Hurricane Isaac in August 2012. In September 2008, Hurricane Gustav brought gusts of over 100 mph+ winds to the region. The area is subject to potential severe weather year-round, with hurricanes being rare for the city to make landfall in the area. The town was laid out and subdivided in 1906. It was officially incorporated as a village in 1922. Governor Earl K. Long proclaimed Gonzales as a town in 1952, during his term. In 2005, after the widespread destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina, the National Guard, and HSUS and other animal rescue groups, established their bases at the fairground in Gonzales.

History

Gonzales was laid out and subdivided in 1906. It was officially incorporated as a village in 1922. The town was chartered by the state legislature as a city in 1977. Gonzales became better known in 2005, after the widespread destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina. The National Guard, and HSUS and other animal rescue groups, established their bases at the fairground in Gonzales. This became their main search and rescue headquarters, as well as the site for holding pets pending return to their families. The Gonzales people occupied land at the confluence of the aforementioned European settlements. They settled among the Houma Indians who lived in the area. By 1851, the small European settlement still had only ten residents. By 1886, the settlement had grown, and the citizens of the community elected "Big" José Gonzáles as their sheriff. José's son, Joseph "Tee-Joe" (for Petit Joe) Gonzales, opened a general store and post office in May 1887. The post office became known as the Gonzales Post Office. The village continued to grow, with transportation improved by construction of Airline Highway. In 1968, Governor John J. McKeithen marked the occasion by proclaiming Gonzales as the "Jambalaya Capital of the World" Governor Earl K. Long proclaimed the town as a town in 1952, during his term. In 1977, Gonzales was proclaimed the city of Gonzales by the Louisiana state legislature. The city's name was changed to Gonzales in 1989.

Geography

Gonzales is located at 30°1338N 90°5511W (30.227128, -90.919771).According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.5 square miles (22.0 km²) of which 8.4square miles (21.7 km²), or 1.27%, is land. The city is home to the University of the Incarnate Word, which was founded in 1858. The university is located in the town of Gonzales, in the province of Baja California. The town has a population of 2,000, with 1,000 of them living in the central part of the city. It is the only city in the state to have a college of medicine in Gonzales. It also has a hospital, the Hospital de San Juan de los Cabos, which opened in 1878. The hospital was the first hospital in the region. It was built in 1881. It has a campus of 1,200 square miles, or 4,000 square miles. It opened in the early 19th century. It became the first city to have an airport in the area. It closed in the mid-20th century, when it was forced to close due to a lack of funding. The airport was re-opened in the late 20th century and reopened in the 1930s. It remains the only one in the Baja region of the state with a population in excess of 1 million.

Climate

Gonzales has a subtropical climate, with hot summers and mild winters. The area is subject to potential severe weather year-round, with snowfall being rare for the city. Hurricanes also pose a threat to the area due to its proximity to the coastline of southeast Louisiana. In September 2008, Hurricane Gustav brought 80+ mph winds to the region with gusts over 100 mph. The last hurricane to strike the area was Hurricane Isaac in August 2012. The city is located on the Gulf of Mexico, which is a major shipping route for the Gulf Coast and the Caribbean Sea. It has a population of around 3,000. The town is located in the parish of Gonzales, which has an estimated population of about 2,000, with an estimated annual rainfall of about 1,500 mm. The region is located near the coast of southeast Louisiana, which can be reached by air, sea, and land via the Louisiana Turnpike, Louisiana Highway, and Louisiana State Highway, which runs through the town. It is also close to the Louisiana-Louisiana border, where it is possible to catch a glimpse of Hurricane Gustav or Tropical Storm Isaac in the event of a direct hit on the coast. It also has a relatively mild winter, with temperatures of around 20 °F. The state has an average yearly rainfall of around 1,800 mm, with the majority of that coming in the form of rain and thunderstorms. The average annual snowfall is less than 1,000 millimeters.

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 12,231 people, 4,159 households, and 2,807 families residing in the city. At the 2000 census, the racial makeup of the city was 65.40% White, 31.25% African American, 0.22% Native American,0.61% Asian, 1.64% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. The city's population was spread out, with 27.4% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.18. In the city, the median income for a household was $38,173, and the medianincome for a family was $43,117. About 14.9% of families and 16.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.6 percent of those under age 18 and 14.5% of those age 65 or over. The per capita income for the city is $17,690. For every 100 females, there are 91.1 males. For each 100 females age 18 or over, there is 89.3 males. The median age was 34.1 years. The population density was 974.2 people per square mile (376.2/km²).

Government

The city is governed by a mayor-council form of government. The mayor is elected at-large, and the five council members are elected from single-member districts. The Chief of Police is elected and resides as a voting member. The current mayor of Gonzales is Barney Arceneaux. District 59 State Representative Eddie J. Lambert of Ascension Parish practices law in Gonzales. State Senator Jody Amedee, who represents Ascension, Livingston, St. James, and St. John the Baptist parishes, also practices law. Former Gonzales Mayor Johnny Berthelot holds the District 88 seat in the Louisiana House.Edward Joseph Price, an African-American Democrat and a Gonzales businessman, has held the District 58 House seat for Ascension, Iberville and St James parishes since 2012. Another District 58 representative was Melvin Irvin, a black educator and businessman from Gonzales, who held the seat from 1984 to 1992. He died in 2014. State Representative Randal Gaines, of St.John the Baptist Parish, formerly resided in Gonzles. The city is located in Ascension Parish, which is in the eastern part of the state. It is also the home of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, which was founded in 1883 and is a member of the Louisiana System of Higher Education. It has a chapter of theaughters of the American Revolution, which dates back to the 17th century. The town is located on the banks of the Red River, which flows into the Mississippi River.

National Guard

Gonzales is home to the 922nd engineer vertical construction company. The company is part of the 528th engineer battalion, 225th engineer brigade. It provides humanitarian relief during natural disasters within the U.S. and abroad. It is also ready to deploy anywhere in the world as they are needed, the National Guard says. The 922th EVCC plays a pivotal role in providing humanitarian relief within the United States and abroad, it says.

Sister cities

Gonzales has one sister city, as designated by Sister Cities International: Meylan, France. Gonzales also has a sister city with the town of Meylan in France. The town of Gonzales is located in the province of Sinaloa, in the north-east of the state. The city has a population of 2,000. It is located on the Gulf of Mexico, near the border with Baja California. It has a little more than 1,000 residents, most of whom are of Spanish descent. It also has 1,200 residents of English descent. The population is about 1,500. It was founded in 1805. It's located in a region known as the Piedmont region of the Pinto River Valley. The area is known as "The Pinto Valley" and was once part of the "Pinto River valley" region. It borders the Pueblo de Sinalona region of Mexico and the city of Ponce de Leon, in El Salvador. The village has a total population of 1,400. The community has a history of being part of several U.S. states, including Ponce, Sinalonia, and Ponce d'Alto Rico. It had a twin city with Meylan until the mid-19th century, when it became part of France. It now has one more sister city: Meylan, France, with which it has a relationship with France. Gonzales is also a member of the Sister Cities of the United States, with two sister cities.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Gonzales, Ascension Parish, Louisiana = 22.7. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 32. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 10. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Gonzales = 5.8 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 12,231 individuals with a median age of 33.5 age the population grows by 13.33% in Gonzales, Ascension Parish, Louisiana population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,337.89 residents per square mile of area (516.58/km²). There are average 2.61 people per household in the 3,493 households with an average household income of $42,396 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 6.30% of the available work force and has dropped -5.46% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 22.78%. The number of physicians in Gonzales per 100,000 population = 77.7.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Gonzales = 64.7 inches and the annual snowfall = 0 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 108. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 222. 91 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 41.3 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 25, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Gonzales, Ascension Parish, Louisiana which are owned by the occupant = 61.15%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 26 years with median home cost = $126,420 and home appreciation of 0.60%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $1.92 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,779 per student. There are 14.9 students for each teacher in the school, 414 students for each Librarian and 144 students for each Counselor. 2.49% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 10.03% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 4.61% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).