Kentwood, Louisiana

Kentwood, Louisiana
Town
Town of Kentwood
Kentwood residents observe a noontide Day of Prayer in front of the Town Hall in 2015
Motto(s):  "Wonderful Water, Woodlands, and Wildlife"
Location of Kentwood in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana.
Location of Louisiana in the United States
Coordinates: 30°56′10″N 90°30′55″W
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Parish	Tangipahoa
Founded	1893
Government
• Mayor	Irma Gordon (D)
Area
• Total	7.11 sq mi (18.42 km2)
• Land	7.11 sq mi (18.42 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation	225 ft (69 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	2,198
• Estimate  (2019)	2,436
• Density	342.62/sq mi (132.28/km2)
Time zone	UTC−06:00 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−05:00 (CDT)
Area code	985
FIPS code	22-39545
Website	Town of Kentwood, Louisiana

Kentwood is a rural town in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, United States, near the Mississippi border. The population was 2,198 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Hammond Micropolitan Statistical Area. Kentwood is best known as the hometown of singer Britney Spears.

History

This rural town was founded by Amos Kent in 1893.

On August 30, 2012, pressure on a dam on the Tangipahoa River to the north of the town as a result of Hurricane Isaac led to Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal calling for a mandatory evacuation of the town due to fears of large-scale flooding from Lake Tangipahoa. The evacuation order was later rescinded and the dam held.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 6.9 square miles (18 km²), of which 6.9 square miles (18 km²) is land and 0.14% is water.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1900	1,313		—
1910	3,609		174.9%
1920	3,059		−15.2%
1930	1,726		−43.6%
1940	1,854		7.4%
1950	2,417		30.4%
1960	2,607		7.9%
1970	2,736		4.9%
1980	2,667		−2.5%
1990	2,468		−7.5%
2000	2,205		−10.7%
2010	2,198		−0.3%
2019 (est.)	2,436		10.8%
U.S. Decennial Census

At the 2000 census there were 2,205 people, 850 households, and 559 families in the town. The population density was 318.4 people per square mile (123.0/km²). There were 979 housing units at an average density of 141.4 per square mile (54.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 64.85% African American, 34.42% White, 0.09% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.14% from other races, and 0.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.68%.

Of the 850 households 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.6% were married couples living together, 28.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non-families. 29.9% of households were one person and 15.8% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.28.

The age distribution was 29.9% under the age of 18, 11.5% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.7 males.

The median household income was $17,297 and the median family income was $23,889. Males had a median income of $25,583 versus $15,200 for females. The per capita income for the town was $11,171. About 29.5% of families and 37.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 49.2% of those under age 18 and 32.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Tangipahoa Parish School Board operates public schools:

• Kentwood High Magnet School (7-12)
• O. W. Dillon Memorial Elementary School (K-6)

Notable people

• Bryan Spears, film and television producer.

.

• Jamie Lynn Spears, actress and country music singer.
• Lynne Spears, author and mother of Bryan, Britney and Jamie Lynn Spears.
• Roger Ballard, country music singer-songwriter
• Stacy Head, New Orleans elected official born in nearby Greensburg but associated with Kentwood
• Michael "Mike" Jackson, former National Football League wide receiver
• Bambi Monroe (born Ashley Horn), former singer and former actress
• Little Brother Montgomery, jazz pianist
• Clay Shaw, New Orleans businessman and the only person prosecuted in connection with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. He was acquitted.
• Ann Alexander Smith, Louisiana educator
• Jackie Smith, National Football League tight end and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Collis Temple, Jr., first African-American athlete at Louisiana State University

See also

Camp Moore - a Confederate training base near Kentwood, now a museum.

External links

• Kentwood Community Development