City & Parish Information

AFFORDABILITY

Affordable housing is available in Crowley, with some of the best housing values in the nation. The median value of homes in Crowley is $100,000. The median rental price for a home in Crowley is below $400.00 a month.

The sales tax for the city of Crowley is 9.5 percent. Of this 9.5 percent sales tax, the state of Louisiana collects four percent, the Acadia Parish School Board collects one and a half percent, the Acadia Parish Police Jury collects one percent, the Acadia Parish Sheriff’s Department collects a half percent and the city of Crowley collects the remaining two and a half percent.

Only local and parish governments levy property tax in Louisiana. There is no state tax on property. Assessors are required by law to assess industrial property at 15 percent of fair market value, land at 10 percent of fair market value. The city of Crowley’s property tax millage is 30.25 mills and the parish property tax millage is 69.97 mills.

As an added inducement, the Louisiana Homestead Exemption allows resident homeowners to exclude the first $75,000 of their home’s value from taxes. Homeowners over 65 years of age with annual incomes less than $50,000 (adjusted annually to the Consumer Price Index) can have their assessments “frozen,” which means as long as the homeowners live in their homes and make no substantial improvements, their assessed home value will not increase even though the valuations of property around them escalate.

SETTING AND ACCESSIBILITY

The city of Crowley is in a rural setting. The population of Crowley is over 14,000 and the population of Acadia Parish is approximately 58,000. Crowley is located 20 miles west of Lafayette and 55 miles east of Lake Charles. Major cities such as New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Houston are less than 200 miles from Crowley.

The city of Crowley is in close proximity to Interstates 10 and 49, Louisiana State Highway 90 and Louisiana State Highway 35. There are three major airports within 80 miles of Crowley. Lafayette Regional Airport is in Lafayette, located about 25 miles from Crowley; Lake Charles Airport is located in Lake Charles, approximately 50 miles away; and the farthest and largest of the three is located in Baton Rouge, which is approximately 80 miles from Crowley. The city of Crowley also has a taxicab company currently in operation. The nearest bus and train stations are in Lafayette.

Yearning for knowledge? Crowley is not far from higher education facilities. In a short commute, you can attend some of Louisiana’s most prestigious universities, including the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Louisiana State University or one of its satellite campuses and McNeese State University. Crowley is also home to the Louisiana Technical College – Acadian Campus. Louisiana offers any student that is 55 years or older, and who is a resident of Louisiana, free tuition for any one three-credit course.

The city of Crowley is also one of the largest Register of Historic Places, with turn-of-the-century Victorian homes surrounded by majestic oak trees.

FITNESS AND HEALTHCARE

Currently the city has three fitness facilities: Healthworks Gym, Bayou Bend Country Club and Golf Course and Curves for Women. The city is also home to Mobley Field walking and jogging track, utilized daily by many Crowley citizens. The Crowley Recreation Complex also has a walking trail winding through the center.

Louisiana residents are fortunate to have a wealth of healthcare options available to them from specialty clinics to recognized medical schools to full-service hospitals. Crowley also has emergency medical services, extended care and assisted living facilities available locally. The American Legion Hospital, located at 1305 Crowley-Rayne Highway, has been serving the medical needs of Crowley and Acadia Parish since 1929. A private, nonprofit, acute care facility, the hospital is licensed by the state of Louisiana and operates a 140-bed facility. Crowley offers easy access to a number of specialty hospitals, including the Veterans Clinic located nearby in Jennings.

CLIMATE

What about the climate? The climate of Crowley and Louisiana is largely fantastic for three seasons of the year – autumn, winter and spring. Autumn is perhaps our most beautiful season. October afternoons have temperatures in the high 70s and morning lows near 60. It is also our driest month of the year. Winters are mild, despite the occasional arctic chill. January afternoon temperatures range from 56 to 62 degrees and snow is rare. Spring temperatures are similar to autumn, but come with more rainfall. The average date of the last frost in southern Louisiana occurs in mid-February, so the growing season is relatively long compared to other portions of the country. Summer, of course, brings heat and humidity. Louisiana summers can be slightly uncomfortable for some, with afternoon high temperatures in the low to mid 90s. If you are tired of those bone chilling cold days and plowing snow from your driveway is getting old - leave the cold behind! Crowley may be just the place for you. Our weather is almost always right for enjoying the beautiful outdoors – and there’s plenty to do here in Crowley.

HISTORY OF ACADIA PARISH

During the French regime, Acadia Parish was a part of the district known as Poste des Opelousas (later known as St. Landry Parish) from which several southwest parishes were formed. Under United States jurisdiction, Opelousas became the seat of all legal transactions. As more and more small communities sprang up in the area, long distances of travel became a hardship. St. Landry Representative J.C. Lyons, of Plaquemine Brulee, in 1886 introduced a bill into the Louisiana legislature calling for the creation and organization of the parish. The suggested name for the parish was subsequently changed to Acadia. On October 6, 1886, the election was held to decide if St. Landry Parish would be divided. The vote was 2,516 for and 1,521 against and Acadia Parish was created by the vote of the people. There was a bitter fight as to which town would be parish seat. In an election in March 1887, the city of Crowley was chosen with 698 votes, while Rayne received 560 and Prairie Hayes 519. Acadia parish now has a population of over 58,000 people and includes the cities of Crowley, Church Point, Rayne, Estherwood, Mermentau, Iota and Morse.

LOUISIANA QUICK FACTS

Located in the southern United States bordering the Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana was admitted as the 18th state in 1812. Part of the vast region claimed by La Salle for France in 1682, it was first successfully settled in 1718 with the foundation of New Orleans. Baton Rouge is the capital and, as of 2005, the largest city. The current population of the state is 4,490,000 people. The state is made up of 64 parishes which consist of many cities, towns and villages.