Rayne, Louisiana

Rayne
City
Downtown Rayne
Nicknames:  Frog Capital of the World Louisiana City of Murals
Location of Rayne in Acadia Parish, Louisiana.
Location of Louisiana in the United States
Coordinates: 30°14′45″N 92°14′50″W / 30.24583°N 92.24722°W / 30.24583; -92.24722[3]
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Parish	Acadia
Government
• Mayor	Chuck Robichaux (R)[1]
Area [2]
• Total	3.80 sq mi (9.84 km2)
• Land	3.79 sq mi (9.82 km2)
• Water	0.0077 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation [3]	30 ft (9.1 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	7,236
• Density	1,908.2/sq mi (736.75/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	70578[4]
Area code	337
FIPS code	22-63645
GNIS feature ID	2404597[3]
Website	www.rayne.org

Rayne is a town in Acadia Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is in an agricultural area where rice and sugarcane have been grown. With a population of 7,326 at the 2020 United States census,^[5] it is nicknamed the "Frog Capital of the World",^[6][7][8] as well as the "Louisiana City of Murals".^[9] Rayne is part of the Crowley micropolitan statistical area, and within the Lafayette metropolitan statistical area in Acadiana.

The area that would become Rayne was originally part of a large land grant awarded to French settlers in the 18th century. These settlers were primarily involved in agriculture, cultivating crops such as rice and sugarcane.^[10]

The establishment of Rayne began in the 1880s with the arrival of the railroad. The city was initially named Pouppeville,^[11] after a prominent local figure, but was soon renamed Rayne in honor of Rayne Grey, an engineer for the Southern Pacific Railroad, whose efforts were instrumental in bringing the railroad to the area.^[12] The railroad not only facilitated transportation and commerce but also attracted a diverse population, contributing to the town's growth and development.^[11]

Rayne's association with frogs began in the early 20th century. Local entrepreneur Jacques Weil noticed the abundance of frogs in the region and started exporting frog legs to New Orleans.^[11] This venture proved successful, and soon Rayne became known for its frog exports, earning its unique moniker. Over time, frogs became an integral part of the city's identity and culture.^[13]

An EF2 tornado hit Rayne on March 5, 2011, injuring at least twelve people and killing one person, leveling homes and causing natural gas leaks that prompted evacuations.^{[14][15][16][17][18]}

Rayne had a "negro school".^[19]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.8 square miles (9.9 km²), of which 0.0077 square miles (0.02 km²), or 0.18%, is water.^[20] The city is located in Acadiana, and forms part of the Lafayette metropolitan area.

As of the 2020 census, there were 7,236 people, 2,966 households, and 1,879 families residing in the city.^[22][23] The median age was 40.4 years. 23.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 85.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 83.2 males age 18 and over.^[22]

99.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.2% lived in rural areas.^[24]

There were 2,966 households in Rayne, of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 34.4% were married-couple households, 19.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 39.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.^[22]

There were 3,327 housing units, of which 10.9% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.2%.^[22]

From 2015 to 2019, the largest Hispanic and Latin American groups were Mexican Americans and stateside Puerto Ricans (0.3% each).^[25]

In 2019, the average family size was 3.34, and 38.0% of the population were never married.^[26]

The largest ancestry groups among the population were French (18.8%), Irish (6.6%), sub-Saharan African (2.1%), German (1.9%), English (1.4%), Scottish (0.9%), and Italian (0.7%). An estimated 10.1% spoke a language other than English at home, and Spanish was spoken by 1.1% of the population; other Indo-European languages were spoken by 8.7% of the population.^[26]

At the 2019 American Community Survey, the median household income was $32,266 and the median income for a family was $41,721; married couples had a median income of $53,373 and non-family households were $17,917. About 30.4% of the population lived at or below the poverty line, and 38.2% of the city aged under 18 lived at or below the poverty line; 32.4% of the population aged 65 and older were at or below the poverty line.^[26]

At the 2000 United States census, the racial and ethnic makeup of the city was 65.55% White American, 33.52% African American, 0.11% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.16% Asian, 0.19% from other races, and 0.47% from two or more races; Hispanic and Latin Americans of any race were 0.81% of the population.

Rayne hosts their annual Frog Festival the second weekend in May. The festival, which began in 1973, attracts thousands of visitors each year.^[27] It's a family-friendly event filled with a variety of activities and entertainment that reflect the city's distinctive character, including frog racing and jumping contests, frog-eating competitions, carnival rides, and live music performances.^[28]

Year-round, there are frog sculptures, murals, signs, and statues for visitors to see.^[29]

The Acadia Parish School Board serves the city. Rayne High School, home of the Mighty Wolves, is located in Rayne.

Other schools in Rayne include:

• Central Rayne Kindergarten
• Martin Pettijean Elementary
• South Rayne Elementary
• Armstrong Middle School
• Rayne Catholic Elementary

• Cajun and swamp pop musicians Johnnie Allan, Lee Benoit, Amedée Breaux, Harry Choates, Joe Falcon, "Happy Fats" LeBlanc, Belton Richard, Jo-El Sonnier, Tony Thibodeaux, Lawrence Walker, and Joe Werner
• Joshua Benton, director of Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard University
• Clint Conque and Ed Zaunbrecher, American football coaches
• Catherine Fischer, deafblind librarian and author
• Rhonda Franklin, professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Minnesota
• Mike Heinen, professional golfer
• Margaret Rose Henry, former majority leader of the Delaware Senate
• Donnie Meche, Gerard Melancon, and Elvis Perrodin, horse racing jockeys
• Byron Mouton, former standout basketball player at Tulane and Maryland
• Gerald Paddio, former NBA basketball player
• Dave Petitjean, humorist and actor
• Addison Rae (Easterling), American social media personality and dancer
• Josh Reed, LSU standout and NFL wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills
• Irene Whitfield Holmes, ethnomusicologist

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rayne, Louisiana.

• City of Rayne official website