YOUNGSVILLE, La. (KLFY) — The U.S. Census numbers are in, and they show Youngsville is the fastest-growing municipality in Louisiana. Population data states 15,929 people in Youngsville as of April 2020. That’s up 299% from the 3,992 people recorded in 2000.
All the empty lots inside the Le Jardin D’ Abel subdivision are already sold. Across the city of Youngsville, there are over 2,800 homes in different states of development, and one of out every three homes sold in Lafayette Parish is inside Youngsville.
“I probably get about five to ten inquiries a day about houses for sale in Youngsville. We currently have no more inventory,” Latter & Blum Realtor Jessica LaCourse explained to News 10.
She said there is so much demand that people are securing a property before there is anything but grass and dirt.
“Youngsville has the lowest property taxes. We have the Youngsville Sports Complex out here,” LaCourse said. “People kind of gravitate towards that.”
Youngsville Mayor Ken Ritter emphasizes it’s not only about quantity but quality. He said, “I want to be the fastest-growing, but I want to make sure that these people are staying and investing here long term.”
He’s proud of low crime, high-performing schools, and improved drainage, but says it’s not time to celebrate the present. It’s time to plan for the future.
Ritter said he doesn’t want to be a transient place, “Once someone moves into Youngsville in a starter home, once they have their second and maybe third child that we still have an option to keep them here.”
5 takeaways from 2020 census data
Youngsville has almost doubled in size since 2010. Ritter says he knows that has a shelf life, but home buyers, like LaCourse who moved from Lafayette to Youngsville, have not slowed down yet.
“Houses are selling quickly. Getting built so quickly, and I will say Youngsville is doing very well with the housing market,” she concluded.
The housing boom does have secondary effects on the area such as a growing business sector. Mayor Ritter said his administration is working to ensure the quality of life does not decrease as the population increases.
