Louisiana was granted its statehood and joined the union in 1812, but did you know the term "parish" dates back to 1802? By 1816, "parish" was used to identify geographic regions and local government on maps. The state is divided into 64 parishes, but surprisingly, some places are still very rural.

Put it like this. You've probably had more people at a birthday party or crawfish boil than some of the populations in these places have in their entire town! Many aren't even considered towns. The number of people living in these places is so tiny that many areas are considered villages or dwellings!

A step further, the word "village" is a French term referring to a group of buildings. FYI, there are roughly 487 cities in Louisiana, and you can see them all by going to Louisiana-demographics.com. The total Louisiana population is 4.58 million, and below are 9 of the least populated parishes in the state. The data for this post is based on info from the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey Office December 2022. 

1.) Mound, LA (village) - Madison Parish - Population 19

2.) Bayou Corne, LA (unincorporated community) - Assumption Parish - Population 38

3.) Gloster, LA (unincorporated community) - DeSoto Parish - Population 42

4.) Marthaville, LA (unincorporated community) - Natchitoches Parish - Population 60

5.) Delacroix, LA (fishing island community) - St. Bernard Parish - Population 70

6.) Oak Ridge, LA (village) - Morehouse Parish - Population 83

7.) Romeville, LA (unincorporated community) - St. James Parish - Population 89

8.) Robeline, LA (village) - Natchitoches Parish - Population 94

9.) Gilliam, LA (village) - Caddo Parish - Population 98

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