Winnfield is a small city in, and the parish seat of, Winn Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2020 census, Winnfield had a population of 4,153.[3]

History

Winnfield Courthouse, 1904

When Winn Parish was officially formed by the state legislature in 1852, Winnfield was established as the parish seat.[4]

Winnfield was a major producer of salt in the Civil War days; salt kettles used at Big Cedar and Drake's Salt Works furnished salt for the Confederate army. One still exists today in front of the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame, turned into a fountain. The salt works was located on Saline Bayou.[5] Later the Cary Salt Works started an 840-foot deep mine west of Winnfield. The mine was used by the federal government in Project Coyboy Plowshare Program, Cowboy Event. Between December 1959 and March 1960 a series of high explosives were set off inside the Carry Salt Works in an unused portion of the mine.[6][7][8]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.3 square miles (8.6 km2), all land.

It is about a three hour traveling distance from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.[9]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1880133—
19102,925—
19202,9751.7%
19303,72125.1%
19404,51221.3%
19505,62924.8%
19607,02224.7%
19707,1421.7%
19807,3112.4%
19906,138−16.0%
20005,749−6.3%
20104,840−15.8%
20204,153−14.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]

Racial and ethnic composition

Winnfield city, Louisiana – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2000[11] Pop 2010[12] Pop 2020[13] % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 2,732 2,165 1,636 47.52% 44.73% 39.39%
Black or African American alone (NH) 2,857 2,432 2,210 49.70% 50.25% 53.21%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 21 27 18 0.37% 0.56% 0.43%
Asian alone (NH) 9 17 4 0.16% 0.35% 0.10%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) 0 2 0 0.00% 0.04% 0.00%
Other race alone (NH) 0 6 14 0.00% 0.12% 0.34%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 64 66 143 1.11% 1.36% 3.44%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 66 125 128 1.15% 2.58% 3.08%
Total 5,749 4,840 4,153 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Winnfield had a population of 4,153. The median age was 37.8 years. 26.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.8% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 85.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 78.9 males age 18 and over.[14][15]

There were 1,693 households, including 1,173 families, in the city. Of all households, 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Married-couple households made up 24.7% of households, while 22.9% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present and 46.3% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[14]

There were 2,085 housing units, of which 18.8% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.5%.[14]

99.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.4% lived in rural areas.[16]

Economy

Winnfield City Hall

As of 2014, according to Bauer, Walmart, Winn Correctional Center, and the area lumber mill offer the majority of the jobs in the Winnfield area; because of the poverty in the area, residents are willing to take low-paying jobs at Winn Correctional Center despite the danger present there.[17]

Arts and culture

Museums

Annual events

Education

Public schools

Winn Parish School Board operates local public schools, which include:

  • Winnfield Senior High School (9–12)
  • Winnfield Middle School (5–8)
  • Winnfield Primary School (K–4)

Higher education

Media

Newspapers

  • The Piney Woods Journal
  • Winn Parish Enterprise
  • Winn Parish Journal

TV

  • KCDH-LP, cable only

Radio

Infrastructure

Health Care

Winn Parish Medical Center is a 30-bed facility. it was founded in 1948.[18]

Notable people

References

  1. 1 2 3 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Winnfield, Louisiana
  2. ↑ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  3. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
  4. ↑ "About Winn Parish | Winn Parish Police Jury". Retrieved May 2, 2026.
  5. ↑ Davies, Greggory E. "1948 History of Winnfield, Winn Parish, LA". USGenWeb Archives.
  6. ↑ Project Cowboy: Fracturing of rock salt by a contained high explosive. Ucrl; 6054. Lawrence Radiation Laboratory. 1960.
  7. ↑ "Cowboy Trails. Phase I. Small-Scale Explosive Tests in Salt Domes. Part 1. Goals, Methods and Conclusions. Part 2. Experimental Program". November 19, 2015. Archived from the original on November 19, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Project Coyboy - Coyboy Event - Project Plowboy WinnFreeNet.com". winnfield.winnfreenet.com.
  9. ↑ Bauer, Shane (June 2016). "My four months as a private prison guard". Mother Jones. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  11. ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Winnfield city, Louisiana". United States Census Bureau.
  12. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Winnfield city, Louisiana". United States Census Bureau.
  13. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Winnfield city, Louisiana". United States Census Bureau.
  14. 1 2 3 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
  15. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
  16. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
  17. ↑ "My Four Months as a Private Prison Guard: Part One ." Mother Jones. June 23, 2016. Retrieved on July 2, 2016. About 2:50 through 3:20 of 4:30.
  18. ↑ "WPMC Hospital". Winn Parish Medical Center. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnfield,_LA