Berwick, Louisiana

Berwick is a town in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 4,946 at the 2010 census.^[2] It is part of the Morgan City Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Berwick, Louisiana
Town
The Southwest Reef Lighthouse
Location of Berwick in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana.
Location of Louisiana in the United States
Coordinates: 29°41′53″N 91°13′37″W
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Parish	St. Mary
Founded by	Daniel Gray
Area [1]
• Total	6.07 sq mi (15.72 km2)
• Land	5.90 sq mi (15.28 km2)
• Water	0.17 sq mi (0.44 km2)
Elevation	3 ft (0.9 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	4,771
• Density	808.51/sq mi (312.18/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code	985
FIPS code	22-07100
Website	www.townofberwick.org

The town relocated the Southwest Reef Light and has been trying to save the Ship Shoal Light

History

The first white settler in the area was Thomas Berwick (c. 1740-c. 1792), a Philadelphia-born surveyor in the Opelousas district.^[3] He and his family settled on the banks of the Atchafalaya River after receiving a land grant in 1779. Berwick wanted to establish a port at the mouth of the river. His son Joseph (1783-1852) established a settlement on the west bank of the river that became the town of Berwick.

Today Berwick is home to several seafood processing plants and numerous boat companies.^[4]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 6.1 square miles (15.7 km²), of which 5.9 square miles (15.3 km²) is land and 0.15 square miles (0.4 km²), or 2.84%, is water.^[2]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	796		—
1890	769		−3.4%
1900	713		−7.3%
1910	2,183		206.2%
1920	1,691		−22.5%
1930	1,679		−0.7%
1940	1,906		13.5%
1950	2,619		37.4%
1960	3,880		48.1%
1970	4,168		7.4%
1980	4,466		7.1%
1990	4,375		−2.0%
2000	4,418		1.0%
2010	4,946		12.0%
2020	4,771		−3.5%
2024 (est.)	4,495	[5]	−5.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]

Berwick racial composition as of 2020^[7]

Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	3,601	75.48%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	516	10.82%
Native American	40	0.84%
Asian	26	0.54%
Pacific Islander	3	0.06%
Other/Mixed	190	3.98%
Hispanic or Latino	395	8.28%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,771 people, 1,665 households, and 1,016 families residing in the town.

Education

St. Mary Parish School Board operates public schools:

• Berwick High School
• Berwick Junior High School
• Berwick Elementary School

Media

• KBZE FM urban radio station

Notable people

• Jenny Craig, founder of Jenny Craig, Inc.