When you visit Rodessa City, Louisiana, you might be wondering what you should expect. There are approximately 113 residents of White (Non-Hispanic) race, 15 residents of Black or African American race, and five people of Hispanic race. Of those residents, 10.3% identify as Hispanic. The chart below shows the 7 most common races in Rodessa. Of those who are foreign-born, the largest number hails from Honduras, followed by Vietnam and Mexico.
The majority of residents in Rodessa City were white, with a percentage of Black and Native American being above the poverty line. The median age was 31.1 years, and there were many families with children, with nearly half of the families having at least one child. The majority of residents identify as Christian, with 108 males to one female. The median age was 31 years, and the median household size was 2.58.
In 1881, the Texas and Pacific Railway platted the area, and the Odessa Land and Townsite Company used it as a water stop for the trains. Railroad workers were attracted to the area because it resembled their native Odessa, Ukraine. The town's first postmaster, C. W. Rathburn, was appointed in 1885. He would serve as mayor for the next 30 years.
The city's population grew to over 80,000 in the 1950s, following the opening of the Odessa Petrochemical Complex, the nation's first privately-financed synthetic rubber plant. The plant, a joint venture between the El Paso Natural Gas Company and General Tire and Rubber Company, utilised waste products from oil and gas production. The city quickly became a major petrochemical distribution center. Since the Odessa Petrochemical Complex, the city's economy has been in boom-and-bust cycles, depending on the varying world demand for petroleum products.