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This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia\'s quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (February 2008) |
\'NOLA\' redirects here. For the album by Down, see NOLA (album)
"New Orleans" and "The Big Easy" redirect here. For other uses, see New Orleans (disambiguation) and The Big Easy (disambiguation).
| City of New Orleans Ville de La Nouvelle-Orléans |
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| Nickname: "The Crescent City", "The Big Easy", "The City That Care Forgot", "504" and "NOLA" (acronym for New Orleans, LA). | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Country |  United States
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| State |  Louisiana
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| Parish |  Orleans
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| Founded | 1718 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | C. Ray Nagin (D) | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 907 km² (350.2 sq mi) | ||
| - Land | 467.6 km² (180.6 sq mi) | ||
| - Water | 439.4 km² (169.7 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | -2 to 6 m (-6.5 to 20 ft) | ||
| Population (2000) | |||
| - City | 484,674 | ||
| - Density | 973/km² (2,518/sq mi) | ||
| - Metro | 1,319,367 | ||
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) | ||
| Website: http://www.cityofno.com | |||
New Orleans (pronounced /nʲuːˈɔɹliˌɛnz/, locally /ˌnuːˈɔːlɛnz/; French: La Nouvelle-Orléans [lanuvɛlɔʀleɑ̃] ) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana.
New Orleans is located in southeastern Louisiana along both the east and westbanks of the Mississippi River. The city is bordered by Lake Pontchartrain. It is coextensive with Orleans Parish meaning that the boundaries of the city and the parish are the same. Although the city is nearly 70 miles upriver from the Mississippi River Delta, the shape of the Louisiana coastline is so that Orleans Parish borders on the waters of Lake Borgne to its east. The city is named after Philippe II, Duc d\'Orléans, Regent of France, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. New Orleans is known for its multicultural heritage as well as its music and cuisine and is considered the birthplace of jazz.New Orleans: The Birthplace of Jazz (primarily excerpted from Jazz: A History of America\'s Music). PBS – JAZZ A Film By Ken Burns. Retrieved on 2006-05-17. America Savors Its Music During Jazz Appreciation Month. U.S. Dept. of State – USINFO. Retrieved on 2006-05-17.
Its status as a world-famous tourist destination is due in part to its architecture, music, cuisine, its annual Mardi Gras, and other celebrations and festivals. The city is often referred to as "The most unique city in America".Institute of New Orleans History and Culture at Gwynedd-Mercy CollegeBehind the Scenes: Hurricane on the BayouNew Orleans: A Choice Between Destruction and Reparations, by David Billings, The Fellowship of Reconciliation, November/December 2005Bring New Orleans BackSpike Lee offers his take on Hurricane Katrina, by Damian Dovarganes, Associated Press, July 14 2006
Contents |
Map of New Orleans from the 1888 Meyers Konversations-Lexikon
La Nouvelle-Orléans (New Orleans) was founded in 1718 by the French Mississippi Company, under the direction of Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville. It was named for Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, who was Regent of France at the time; his title came from the French city of Orléans. In 1763 (Treaty of Paris (1763)), the French colony was ceded to the Spanish Empire and remained under Spanish control for 40 years. Most of the surviving architecture of the Vieux Carré (French Quarter) dates from this Spanish period. Louisiana reverted to French control in 1801, but Napoleon sold it to the United States in the Louisiana Purchase two years later. The city grew rapidly with influxes of Americans, French, and Creole French.
During the War of 1812 the British sent a force to conquer the city. The Americans decisively defeated the British troops led by Sir Edward Pakenham in the Battle of New Orleans on January 8 1815.
As a principal port, New Orleans had a leading role in the slave trade, while at the same time having the most prosperous community of free persons of colour in the South.History of Les Gens De Couleur Libres. Retrieved on 2006-05-17. The population of the city doubled in the 1830s, and by 1840 New Orleans had become the wealthiest and third-most populous city in the nation.
The Union captured New Orleans early in the American Civil War. This action spared the city the destruction suffered by many other cities of the American South.
A view across Uptown New Orleans, with the Central Business District in the background (1991).
In the early 20th century, New Orleans was a progressive major city whose most portentous development was a drainage plan devised by engineer and inventor A. Baldwin Wood. Urban development until then was largely limited to higher ground along natural river levees and bayous. Wood\'s pump system allowed the city to expand into low-lying areas. Over the 20th century, rapid subsidence, both natural and human-induced, left these newly populated areas several feet below sea level.Kusky, Timothy M. (2005-12-29). "Why is New Orleans Sinking?". Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences , Saint Louis University. Retrieved on 2006-06-17.O\'Hanlon, Larry. "New Orleans Sits Atop Giant Landslide", Discovery Channel, 2006-03-31. Retrieved on 2006-06-17.
New Orleans was vulnerable to flooding even before the age of negative elevation. In the late 20th century, however, scientists and New Orleans residents gradually became aware of the city\'s increased vulnerability. Hurricane Betsy in 1965 had killed dozens of residents even though the majority of the city remained dry. The rain-induced 1995 flood demonstrated the weakness of the pumping system; however, since that time measures had been taken to repair New Orleans\'s hurricane defenses and restore pumping capacity.
An aerial view from a United States Navy helicopter showing floodwaters around the entire downtown New Orleans area (2005).
By the time Hurricane Katrina approached the city at the end of August 2005, most residents had evacuated. Although the hurricane\'s eye passed east of the city, the city\'s federal flood protection system failed, resulting in the worst civil engineering disaster in American history.Marshall, Bob. "17th Street Canal levee was doomed", Times-Picayune, 2005-11-30. Retrieved on 2006-03-12. Floodwalls and levees constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers failed below design specifications and 80% of the city flooded. Tens of thousands of remaining residents were rescued by boat, helicopter or otherwise made their way to shelters of last resort at the Louisiana Superdome or the Morial Convention Center. Over 1,500 people died in Greater New Orleans.
The city was declared off-limits to residents while clean-up efforts began. The approach of Hurricane Rita caused repopulation efforts to be postponed,Mayor: Parts of New Orleans to reopen. CNN.com (September 15 2005). Retrieved on 2006-05-02. and the Lower Ninth Ward was reflooded by Rita\'s storm surge. By October 1, 2005, parts of the city accounting for about one-third of the population of New Orleans had been reopened.[citation needed]
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This article or section contains information about scheduled or expected future events. It may contain tentative information; the content may change as the event approaches and more information becomes available. |
An estimate by the Census Bureau in July 2006 estimated the population of New Orleans to be 223,000; a subsequent study estimated that 32,000 additional residents had moved to the city as of March 2007, bringing the estimated population to 255,000, approximately 56% of the pre-Katrina population level. Another estimate, based on data on utility usage from July 2007, estimated the population to be approximately 274,000, or 60% of the pre-Katrina population; this is somewhat less than an estimate from the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center in June 2007, which indicated that approximately two-thirds of the pre-Katrina population had returned to the city, based on mail delivery records."N.O. head count gains steam", Times-Picayune, August 9, 2007. Retrieved August 14, 2007.
Population demographers, the mayor\'s office, and others believe, after discussions with still-displaced residents, that residents will gradually return to the region throughout the next couple of years.John A. Kilpatrick and Sofia Dermisi, Aftermath of Katrina: Recommendations for Real Estate Research, Journal of Real Estate Literature, Spring, 2007[citation needed]
Efforts continue to rebuild infrastructure, pick up hurricane-related debris, and restore a level of normality to the residents of New Orleans. Most of the residents that are still displaced continue to wait for state and federal assistance in the form of Kathleen Blanco\'s Louisiana Recovery Authority program, Small Business Administration loans and other forms of financial assistance to return to their home regions. A report released in February 2008 found that New Orleans\'s population has topped 300,000 for the first time since Hurricane Katrina with the approximate population 302,191 with a population increase of 2,000 new residents moving to the region per month. That differs from the 3,000 to 4,000 people a month the city saw in all of 2007. Most population analysts believe that the city will probably sit at a population of possibly 420,000 by the 2010 U.S. Census.Report: N.O. population tops 300,000, AP News
The New Orleans cityscape as of 2007.
Several major tourist events as well as other forms of revenue for the city of New Orleans have returned. The American Library Association held its annual convention in New Orleans in June 2006; the estimated 18,000 attendees represented the first city-wide convention in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina. The HIMSS healthcare information technology convention and the American College of Cardiology convention, both held in the spring of 2007, also each had more than 24,000 attendees.New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau, Retrieved 07-04-2007 The Bayou Classic, the traditional football game between Southern University and Grambling State University, returned in November 2006 after being displaced to Houston, Texas for its November 2005 game. The Essence Music Festival returned to the Crescent City for its July 2007 date after being displaced to Houston in July 2006.
Other major events such as Mardi Gras and the Jazz and Heritage Festival were never displaced and have continued as planned. The National Football League made a commitment to the city with the return of the New Orleans Saints, following speculation of a move to San Antonio, Texas, or Los Angeles, California after Hurricane Katrina, and there is the possibility of a 2012 or 2013 Super Bowl. The National Basketball Association has made a commitment with the return of the New Orleans Hornets, which played part time in the 2006-2007 season (one game per month), and full time for the 2007-2008 season. New Orleans has been granted the 2008 NBA All Star Game, which usually generates millions of dollars in revenue for its host city. Tulane University hosted the first and second rounds of the 2007 NCAA Men\'s Division I Basketball Championship.
Additionally, the Superdome hosted several college football bowl games. The New Orleans Bowl was held in December 2007, with the Sugar Bowl and 2008 BCS National Championship Game taking place the first week of January 2008. In mid-March 2007 a local group of investors began conducting a study to see if the city could support a Major League Soccer team."New Orleans and Major League Soccer?", ABC26 News, March 20, 2007. Retrieved August 26, 2007. Several national travel guides have once again listed New Orleans as one of the top five places to visit in the country. Many New Orleans phone book companies have stated the need to issue new phone books just seven months after the release of their previous ones due to the return of many residents and businesses.
A true-color satellite image of New Orleans taken on NASA\'s Landsat 7
New Orleans is located at (29.964722, −90.070556)US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31. on the banks of the Mississippi River, approximately 105 miles (170 km) upriver from the Gulf of Mexico. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 350.2 square miles (907 km²), of which 180.6 square miles (467.6 km²) of it is land and 169.7 square miles (439.4 km²) of it is water. The total area is 48.45% water.
The city is located in the Mississippi River Delta on the east and west banks of the Mississippi River and south of Lake Pontchartrain. The area along the river is characterized by ridges and hollows.
While erosion and wetland loss are huge problems along Louisiana\'s coast, the basement 30 to 50 feet (15 m) beneath much of the Mississippi Delta has been highly stable for the past 8,000 years with negligible subsidence rates.Strecker, M. A New Look at Subsidence Issues. From: tulane.edu, July 24, 2006.But a report by the American Society of Civil Engineers claims that "New Orleans is subsiding (sinking)":The New Orleans Hurrican Protection System: What Went Wrong and Why. Report by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Large portions of Orleans, St. Bernard, and Jefferson parishes are currently below sea level — and continue to sink. New Orleans is built on thousands of feet of soft sand, silt, and clay. Subsidence, or settling of the ground surface, occurs naturally due to the consolidation and oxidation of organic soils (called “marsh” in New Orleans) and local groundwater pumping. In the past, flooding and deposition of sediments from the Mississippi River counterbalanced the natural subsidence, leaving southeast Louisiana at or above sea level. However, due to major flood control structures being built upstream on the Mississippi River and levees being built around New Orleans, fresh layers of sediment are not replenishing the ground lost by subsidence.
Vertical cross-section of New Orleans, showing maximum levee height of 23 feet (7 m).
A recent study by Tulane and Xavier University notes that 51% of New Orleans is at or above sea level, with the more densely populated areas generally on higher ground. The mean (average) elevation of the city is currently between one and two feet (0.5 m) below sea level, with some portions of the city as high as 16 feet (5 m) and others as low as 10 feet (3 m) below sea level.Williams, L. Higher Ground - A study finds that New Orleans has plenty of real estate above sea level that is being underutilized. The Times Picayune, April 21, 2007.
In 2005, storm surge from Hurricane Katrina caused catastrophic failure of the federally designed and built levees thereby flooding 80% of the city.New Orleans People, Pets Flee Flood (photographs). From: National Geographic, August 30, 2005.Floodwaters, tensions rise in New Orleans. CNN, August 31, 2005. A report by the American Society of Civil Engineers says that "had the levees and floodwalls not failed and had the pump stations operated, nearly two-thirds of the deaths would not have occurred".
New Orleans has always had to consider the risk of hurricanes, but the risks are dramatically greater today due to coastal erosion from human interference. Since the beginning of the 20th century it has been estimated that Louisiana has lost 2,000 square miles (5,000 km²) of coast (including many of its barrier islands) which once protected New Orleans against storm surge. Following Hurricane Katrina the Army Corps of Engineers have instituted massive levee repair and hurricane protection measures to protect the city. By 2011 the city of New Orleans is planned to have 100-year flood protection. This means protection against the worst storm that would occur in an average 100-year period. This can also be stated as any given year having a 1% chance of having a storm that would cause some degree of flooding.
In 2006, Louisiana voters overwhelmingly adopted an amendment to the state\'s constitution to dedicate all revenues from off shore drilling to restore Louisiana\'s eroding coast line.President Bush signs OCS revenue sharing bill; Statement by Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco. From: gov.louisiana.gov, December 20, 2006. Two consecutive hurricane seasons have passed without any tropical activity near the city. That has given the Corps of Engineers more time to implement their projects. Congress has allocated $7 billion to bolster New Orleans\' flood protection.Walsh, B. Blanco, Nagin lobby for Louisiana aid. The Times Picayune, October 17, 2007.
| Climate chart for New Orleans | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5.9 62 43 |
5.5 65 46 |
5.2 72 53 |
5 78 58 |
4.6 85 66 |
6.8 89 72 |
6.2 91 74 |
6.2 91 74 |
5.6 87 71 |
3.1 80 60 |
5.1 71 52 |
5.1 65 46 |
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| temperatures in °F • precipitation totals in inches source: Weather.comMonthly Averages for New Orleans. Weather.com | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Metric conversion
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The climate of New Orleans is humid subtropical, with short, generally mild winters and hot, humid summers. In January, morning lows average around 43 °F (6 °C), and daily highs around 62 °F (17 °C). In July, lows average 74 °F (23 °C), and highs average 91 °F (33 °C). The lowest recorded temperature was 7 °F (−14 °C) on February 13, 1899. The highest recorded temperature was 102 °F (39 °C) on August 22, 1980. The average precipitation is 64.2 inches (1,630 mm) annually; the summer months are the wettest, while October is the driest month.Monthly Averages for New Orleans, LA. Retrieved on 2006-08-06. Precipitation in winter usually accompanies the passing of a cold front. Hurricanes pose a severe threat to the area, and the city is particularly vulnerable because of its low elevation. According the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the city is the most vulnerable in the country when it comes to hurricanes.Federal Emergency Management Agency Since 1965, portions of New Orleans have been flooded by four different storms, Hurricane Betsy, Hurricane Georges, Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita.Rita\'s impact, city by city. Flooding and power outages plague Texas and Louisiana. CNN, September 24, 2005.The Weather Channel\'s Special Report: Vulnerable Cities - New Orleans, LA. Retrieved on 2006-10-26. It is likely that we will see increases in hurricane intensity during the 21st century according to the IPCC Fourth Assessment ReportIPCC Fourth Assessment Report
Army Corps of Engineers interactive map showing flood risk
New Orleans experiences snowfall only on rare occasions. Most recently, a small amount of snow fell during the 2004 Christmas Eve Snowstorm. On December 25, a combination of rain, sleet, and snow fell on the city, leaving some bridges icy. Before that, the last white Christmas was in 1954 and brought 4.5 inches (11 cm). The last significant snowfall in New Orleans fell on December 22, 1989, when most of the city received 1–2 inches (2–5 cm) of snow.
The Central Business District of New Orleans is located immediately north and west of the Mississippi River, and was historically called the "American Quarter" or "American Sector". Most streets in this area fan out from a central point in the city. Major streets of the area include Canal Street, Poydras Street, Tulane Avenue and Loyola Avenue. Canal Street functions as the street which divides the traditional "downtown" area from the "uptown" area.
An aerial view of New Orleans (1999).
Every street crossing Canal Street between the Mississippi River and Rampart Street, which is the northern edge of the French Quarter, has a different name for the "uptown" and "downtown" portions. For example, St. Charles Avenue, known for its world-famous street car line, is called Royal Street below Canal Street. Elsewhere in the city, Canal Street serves as the dividing point between the "South" and "North" portions of various streets (e.g., South Broad becomes North Broad upon crossing Canal Street into downtown). In the local parlance downtown means "downriver from Canal Street" while uptown means "upriver from Canal Street". Downtown neighborhoods include the The Vieux Carré or French Quarter, Treme, the 7th Ward, Faubourg-Marigny, Bywater (the Upper Ninth Ward), and the Lower Ninth Ward. Uptown neighborhoods include the Warehouse District (the American Sector), the Lower Garden District, Garden District, the Irish Channel, the University District, Carrollton, Gert Town, Fontainebleau, and Broadmoor. In common language, however, the Warehouse and Central Business Districts, despite being above Canal Street, are frequently called "Downtown" as a specific region, as in the Downtown Development District.
New Orleans, Chartres Street looking towards Canal Street, (2004).
Other major districts within the city include Bayou St. John, Mid-City, Gentilly, Lakeview, Lakefront, New Orleans East, and Algiers.
The state of Louisiana is divided into parishes, rather than counties like most other U.S. states. Parishes located adjacent to the city include St. Tammany Parish to the north, St. Bernard Parish to the south and east, Plaquemines Parish to the south and southeast, and Jefferson Parish to the south and west.
New Orleans is world-famous for its plethora of unique architectural styles, as it reflects the city\'s historical roots and multicultural heritage. The city has seventeen historic landmark districts, administered by the New Orleans Historic District Landmarks Commission (HDLC). Many styles of housing exist in the city, including the shotgun house (which developed in the city) and the California bungalow style. Creole townhouses, notable for their large courtyards and intricate iron balconies, line the streets of the French Quarter. Throughout the city, there are many other historic housing styles: Creole cottages, American townhouses, double-gallery houses, and Raised Center-Hall Cottages. St. Charles Avenue is famed for its large Antebellum homes and its mansions in various styles such as Greek Revival, Colonial, and Victorian styles such as Queen Anne and Italianate. New Orleans is also noted for its large, European-style Catholic cemeteries, which can be found throughout the city.
For much of its history, New Orleans\' skyline consisted of only low- and mid-rise structures. The soft soils of New Orleans are susceptible to subsidence, and there was doubt about the feasibility of constructing large high rises in such an environment. The 1960s brought the trailblazing World Trade Center New Orleans and Plaza Tower, which demonstrated that high rises could stand firm on New Orleans\' soil. One Shell Square took its place as the city\'s tallest building in 1972, a title it will hold until the completion of the Trump International Hotel & Tower, scheduled in 2009.[citation needed] The oil boom of the early 1980s redefined New Orleans\' skyline again with the development of the Poydras Street corridor. Today, New Orleans\' high rises are clustered along Canal Street and Poydras Street in the Central Business District.
As of May 29, 2007, The $400 Million Trump Tower is going ahead.
"Lured by congressionally authorized tax credits and other financial incentives after Hurricane Katrina, a procession of developers announced plans to build high-rises.
The City of New Orleans & The Mississippi River
The 2000 U.S. Census count for New Orleans was 484,674, and the population was estimated to be 454,865 just prior to Hurricane Katrina, according to the U.S. Census bureau.[citation needed] The Census Bureau estimated that 223,000 people were living in New Orleans in July 2006. A population study from July 2006 to March 2007 found that the city gained 32,000 people during that seven month time frame, bringing its population to 255,000, or 56% of its pre-Katrina population.City\'s Population up 14 Percent Since July 2006. nola.com, 2007-05-03. Retrieved on 2007-05-03. A population analysis released in August 2007 estimated the population to be 273,000, 60% of the pre-Katrina population and an increase of about 50,000 since July 2006.Expert: N.O. population at 273,000. From: WWLTV, August 7, 2007. A September 2007 report by The Greater New Orleans Community Data Center, which tracks population based on U.S. Postal Service figures found that in August 2007 just over 137,000 households received mail. That compares with about 198,000 households in July 2005 for a figure of about 70% of pre-Katrina population.Mail survey shows N.O. population at 69 percent of Pre-Katrina. From: WWLTV, September 27, 2007. Estimations by the Census state that of those 37% who left the region entirely 36% moved to the Greater Houston area, 17% moved to Northern Louisiana, 8% relocated to the Southern California area, and the remaining 39% moved elsewhere throughout the country.[citation needed] A 2006 study by researchers at Tulane University and the University of California, Berkeley determined that there are as many as 10,000 to 14,000 undocumented workers, mostly from Mexico, currently residing in New Orleans [1]. This previously unchronicled group, combined with other estimates, could place the city\'s post-Katrina population closer to 300,000.
Janet Murguia, president and chief executive officer of the National Council of La Raza, stated that there could be up to 120,000 Hispanic workers in New Orleans which, according to the Census Bureau\'s population count would push the city\'s current population to more than 370,000. A more precise population number will not be known until the Census Bureau\'s official population count in 2010. In June 2007, the hispanic population rose from 15,000 pre-Katrina to over 50,000 post-Katrina.Moreno Gonzales, J. Katrina Brought a Wave of Hispanics. Guardian Unlimited, July 2, 2007.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (H.U.D.) has stated that some public housing developments, which were originally going to be torn down, are going to be re-opened temporarily; the public housing developments will be redeveloped in phases. On March 21, 2007, the House of Representatives passed a bill blocking any demolition of housing developments until H.U.D. shows solid plans for redevelopment, informing H.U.D. that they must contact all former developments on August 1, 2007 and that the buildings must be livable by October 2007. The House\'s measure must be approved by the United States Senate.HR 1227 Developers who take advantage of federal tax credits to build other low income and affordable housing should help residents to return to the region. Also, as residents receive federal grant money, even more people should return to the region.
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1810 | 17,242 | ||
| 1820 | 27,176 | 57.6% | |
| 1830 | 46,082 | 69.6% | |
| 1840 | 102,193 | 121.8% | |
| 1850 | 116,375 | 13.9% | |
| 1860 | 168,675 | 44.9% | |
| 1870 | 191,418 | 13.5% | |
| 1880 | 216,090 | 12.9% | |
| 1890 | 242,039 | 12.0% | |
| 1900 | 287,104 | 18.6% | |
| 1910 | 339,075 | 18.1% | |
| 1920 | 387,219 | 14.2% | |
| 1930 | 458,762 | 18.5% | |
| 1940 | 494,537 | 7.8% | |
| 1950 | 570,445 | 15.3% | |
| 1960 | 627,525 | 10.0% | |
| 1970 | 593,471 | -5.4% | |
| 1980 | 557,515 | -6.1% | |
| 1990 | 496,938 | -10.9% | |
| 2000 | 484,674 | -2.5% | |
| Est. 2006 | 223,388 | United States Census Bureau. Avoyelles Parish Quickfacts. Retrieved on 2008-02-02. | -53.9% |
| Historical Population FiguresGibson, Campbell (June 1998). Population Of The 100 Largest Cities And Other Urban Places In The United States: 1790 To 1990. Population Division, U.S. Bureau of the Census. Retrieved on 2006-05-02. | |||
As of the censusAmerican FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. of 2000, there were 484,674 people, 188,251 households, and 112,950 families residing in the city. The last population estimate before Katrina was 454,865 as of July 1, 2005 (thus, any pre-Katrina/post-Katrina analysis should use this figure, rather than the 2000 figure). The population density was 2,684.3 people per square mile (1,036.4/km²). There were 215,091 housing units at an average density of 1,191.3 per sqare mile (459.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 67.25% African American, 28.05% White, 0.20% Native American, 2.26% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.93% from other races, and 1.28% from two or more races. 3.06% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
A 2006 count done by the Census Bureau reveals the population of New Orleans stood at 223,338. The racial make-up of the city was 36.8% White, 58.8% Black, 0.2% Native American, 2.8% Asian, and 0.8% from other races. 4.1% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.
New Orleans contains many distinctive neighborhoods.
The population of Greater New Orleans stood at 1,337,726 in 2000, making it the 35th largest metropolitan area in the United States. These population statistics are based on legal residents of the city. Due to the enormous annual tourist flow, the number of people inside the city at a given time, such as Mardi Gras season, tends to exceed these numbers sometimes by the hundreds of thousands.
There were 188,251 households, out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.8% were married couples living together, 24.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 40% were non-families, 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.23.
The age distribution of the city\'s population is 26.7% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 88.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,133, and the median income for a family was $32,338. Males had a median income of $30,862 versus $23,768 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,258. 27.9% of the population and 23.7% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 40.3% of those under the age of 18 and 19.3% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Saint Louis Cathedral is a symbol of New Orleans.
New Orleans is notably absent from the Protestant Bible Belt that dominates religion in the Southern United States. In New Orleans and the surrounding Gulf Coast area, the predominant religion is Roman Catholicism. Within the Archdiocese of New Orleans (which includes not only the city but the surrounding Parishes as well), 35.9% percent of the population is Roman Catholic.New Orleans (Archdiocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]. Retrieved on 2007-01-04. Catholicism has been present in New Orleans since its initial founding and continues to have an extremely strong presence in the surrounding area. This is reflected in many of the city\'s French and Spanish cultural traditions, including its many parochial schools, street names, architecture, and festivals, including Mardi Gras.
Unlike much of the Deep South, the greater New Orleans area has long had a significant Jewish population, estimated at around 10,000 pre-Katrina.
New Orleans also famously has a presence of its distinctive variety of Voodoo, due in part to syncretism with Roman Catholic beliefs, the fame of voodoo practitioner Marie Laveau, and New Orleans\' distinctly Caribbean cultural influences.New Orleans, "now under the flag of the United States, is still very much a Caribbean city...." The Pearl of the Antilles and the Crescent City: Historic Maps of the Caribbean in the Latin American Library Map Collections. Latin American Library, Tulane University. Retrieved on 2007-01-04. New Orleans is described as "a Caribbean city, an exuberant, semi-tropical city, perhaps the most hedonistic city in the United States." R.W. Apple, Jr..
