In Caldwell the poverty rate at 24.4 percent is closer to the state poverty rate of 24 percent, while Orleans is higher at 38.4 percent. These statistics establish that Caldwell and Orleans are similar in terms of poverty in each Parish, but differ greatly according to the way the region is characterized. The purpose of this essay is to evaluate different social and economic indicators for the two parishes and see if the urban rural characterization leads to marked differences. Due to the small area of the regions, data is sometimes not available for the same years or for the exact measurement required. What has been attempted is a study of general trends, in the 1990s in order to form conclusions about differences and or similarities from the data available.
Education is a good indicator of social well being in a region.
Education increases earning potential and can increase social mobility. For the Caldwell area there are 7 schools, including 1 private school, for children from Kindergarten through twelfth grade. The total number of students that attend school is 1,966 of the total population of 9,810 people. The number of teachers that work in this parish is 160. In Orleans Parish there are 202 schools, including 80 private schools, which educate 106,131 students.