CLAIBORNE PARISH'S POPULATION AND ECONOMIC TRENDS

Claiborne Parish is losing population, especially in the age groups that tend to support public services more than depend upon them. The parish lags behind most other Louisiana parishes, and far behind the nation, in per capita income, education, participation in the labor force.

In November 2003, the Coordinating and Developing Corporation (CDC), drawing from several sources of data, adopted a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy for Northwest Louisiana (1). Some figures reported for Claiborne Parish are particularly illuminating.

Population Trends: Before the early 1990s, Claiborne's population was slowly expanding. Between 1980 and 1990, Claiborne experienced a net gain of more than 300 citizens. Then
between 1990 and 2000, Claiborne Parish experienced a net loss of 554 residents, or more than 3% of its population. This was at a time when the populations of eight other Northwest Louisiana parishes increased. The parish's population decline is considered to be continuing.

People who leave areas in population decline tend to be people who support more public services than they receive. Thus, in declining areas public services tend to deteriorate while the proportion of residents who are most in need of the services increases. Between 1970 and 2000, while Louisiana aged by 9 years and the U.S. by 7 years, Claiborne's median age increased by only 4½ years. That's because the parish's school-aged population grew while other age groups declined in number. Between 1990 and 2000, the parish experienced a loss of almost 3% of 17 to 64 year olds, termed by CDC "workers and college students"and almost 5% of 65+ year olds, termed "retirees." During this time Northwest Louisiana as a whole gained 6% in each of these age groups, the age groups that tend to add more to public services than they take from them.

It is important to note, that "retirees" in declining areas such as Claiborne are more likely to be net dependents upon public services than "retirees" in more prosperous areas. Also, like most rural areas, Claiborne has a relatively large number of citizens in this age group (17% compared to Louisiana's 11½%).

Education and Income.
Of Claiborne's residents 25 years old and older, in 1990 only 66% had completed high school, the lowest percentage of the Northwest Louisiana parishes reported by CDC. In contrast, almost 75% of Louisiana residents of this age group and more than 80% of United States residentsof this age group are high school graduates.

Claiborne's per capita income in 1994 was only 61% of Louisiana's and 77% of that of the United States as a whole. Twenty-seven percent of Claiborne's residents were below poverty level, compared to 20% for Louisiana and 12% for the U.S.

Only 48% of Claiborne residents over age 16 participated in the labor market between 1997 and 2001, compared to 59% of Louisiana and 64% of United States residents.

(1) http://www.cdconline.org/CEDS/cedstables.htm#Percent%20of%20total%20Northwest%20Louisiana