Gretna, Louisiana

Gretna is a city located in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. Gretna is on the west bank of the Mississippi River, across from uptown New Orleans. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 17,423.

Gretna was the birthplace of early jazz great Emmett Hardy.

Geography

Gretna is located at 29°54'59" North, 90°3'15" West (29.916459, -90.054260)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.0 km² (3.9 mi²). 9.1 km² (3.5 mi²) of it is land and 0.9 km² (0.4 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 9.33% water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 17,423 people, 6,958 households, and 4,286 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,922.0/km² (4,983.9/mi²). There are 7,665 housing units at an average density of 845.6/km² (2,192.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 56.32% White, 35.53% African American, 0.60% Native American, 3.12% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 2.63% from other races, and 1.75% from two or more races. 6.34% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 6,958 households out of which 27.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.7% are married couples living together, 19.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 38.4% are non-families. 32.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.40 and the average family size is 3.06.

In the city the population is spread out with 23.8% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 98.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $28,065, and the median income for a family is $31,881. Males have a median income of $28,259 versus $21,019 for females. The per capita income for the city is $15,735. 24.2% of the population and 20.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 34.7% are under the age of 18 and 20.2% are 65 or older.