La Center

LaCenter is a home rule-class city in Ballard County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 1,009 at the 2010 census, making it the most populous community in the county. The city is located northeast of Wickliffe at 37°429N 88°5830W (37.074782, -88.975091). It is geographically significant because of its proximity to the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. LaCenter was originally named Merriville after the daughter of Maggie Davis, the land owner who sold the property for the new city to its developer, the La Center Land Company, in 1902. After the Postal Service rejected this name, the postmaster requested "LaCentre" for the city's central location within Ballard County. One of the land developers, Stokely T. Payne, may have suggested the name, claiming the newCity to be the "center of the universe," and possibly in the hopes that it would someday become the county seat. It is part of the Paducah micropolitan area, and is located near the intersection of U.S. Route 60 and Kentucky Route 358. It has a total area of 0.62 square miles (1.6 km²), all land. In 2000, there were 1,038 people, 419 households, and 261 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 89.40% White, 9.06% African American, 0.10% Native American,0.29% Asian, and 1.16% from two or more races. About 13.9% of families and 16.5% of the population were below the poverty line.

History

The LaCenter Woman's Club states it was originally named Merriville. After the Postal Service rejected this name for the new post office, the postmaster requested "LaCentre" for the city's central location within Ballard County. One of the land developers, Stokely T. Payne, may have suggested the name, claiming the new city to be the "center of the universe," and possibly in the hopes that it would someday become the county seat. The La Center Land Company, in 1902, was the first company to build the city. The city is located in Ballard County, Kentucky, near the Kentucky-Tennessee state line. It is currently home to the La Center Women's Club and the LaCenter Women's Association. The City of LaCenter was founded in 1902. It was named after the daughter of Maggie Davis, the land owner who sold the property for the City to its developer, the La Centre Land Company. It has a population of about 2,000 people, with most of its residents living in the central part of the city, which is called LaCenter. The town is located on the Ohio River, which runs through the center of Ballard County and into the town of Paducah, Kentucky. The city was incorporated in 1903, but the date of its incorporation is not known. It may have been named after Davis' daughter, who was the owner of the property at the time of the City's founding, or after the land company's founder, who owned the land.

Geography

LaCenter is located at 37°429N 88°5830W (37.074782, -88.975091) It is located near the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. The city has a total area of 0.62 square miles (1.6 km²), all of which is land. LaCenter has a population of 1,816 (1,716 in the U.S. Census Bureau's count). The city is located in the Ohio River valley, which is a tributary of the Mississippi River. The Ohio River runs through the center of the city, and connects it with Paducah to the east and Wickliffe to the southwest. It also connects to Kentucky Route 358, which connects the city to the state capital of Louisville to the west. It is the only city in the state to have a city center with a population over 1,000 (LaCenter's population is 1,722). LaCenter is also home to the University of Kentucky's College of Arts and Sciences, which was founded in 1875. The university's motto is "The University of the Arts and Science of Kentucky is the birthplace of the Kentucky Centennial" The city's name is derived from the word "LaCenter" which means "the center" or "the place" in English. It was named after the town of LaCenter, Kentucky, where it is located. The town's name comes from the French word for "center" and "la center" meaning "to the center".

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,038 people, 419 households, and 261 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 89.40% White, 9.06% African American, 0.10% Native American,0.29% Asian, and 1.16% from two or more races. The city's population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 26.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median income for a household in the town was $27,188, and $36,250 for a family. The per capita income for the city is $14,317. About 13.9%. of families and 16.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.9! of those under age 18 and 12.2%. of those age 65 or over. For every 100 females, there are 80.5 males. For each 100 females age 18 or over, there is 71.0 males. The average household size is 2.26 and the average family size was 2.90. For. every 100,000 people, the population is 1,351.0 inhabitants per square mile (521.6/km²). There are 492 housing units at an average density of 640.4 per squaremile (247.3/ km²).

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in La Center, Ballard County, Kentucky = 96.3. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 60. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 98. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in La Center = 4 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 49,248 individuals with a median age of 46.2 age the population dropped by -12.42% in La Center, Ballard County, Kentucky population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,441.32 residents per square mile of area (556.06/km²). There are average 2.23 people per household in the 368 households with an average household income of $32,401 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 10.40% of the available work force and has dropped -3.12% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 23.36%. The number of physicians in La Center per 100,000 population = 24.4.

Weather

The annual rainfall in La Center = 48.2 inches and the annual snowfall = 6.2 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 104. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 209. 88 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 25.4 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 28, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in La Center, Ballard County, Kentucky which are owned by the occupant = 61.09%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 41 years with median home cost = $56,730 and home appreciation of -0.84%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $5.97 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,353 per student. There are 19 students for each teacher in the school, 682 students for each Librarian and 682 students for each Counselor. 4.19% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 4.49% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 3.89% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).