Calhoun County, Alabama facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Calhoun County
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Calhoun County courthouse in Anniston
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Location within the U.S. state of Alabama
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 Alabama's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Alabama |
| Founded | December 18, 1832 as Benton County |
| Named for | John C. Calhoun |
| Seat | Anniston |
| Largest city | Oxford |
| Area | |
| • Total | 612 sq mi (1,590 km2) |
| • Land | 606 sq mi (1,570 km2) |
| • Water | 6.4 sq mi (17 km2) 1.0% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 116,441 |
| • Estimate
(2021)
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115,972  |
| • Density | 190.26/sq mi (73.46/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
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Calhoun County is a county in the east central part of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population was 116,441. Its county seat is Anniston. It was named in honor of John C. Calhoun, noted politician and US Senator from South Carolina.
Calhoun County is included in the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Contents
History
Benton County was established on December 18, 1832, named for Thomas Hart Benton, a member of the United States Senate from Missouri, with its county seat at Jacksonville. Benton, a slave owner, was a political ally of John C. Calhoun, another slaveholder and a U.S. senator from South Carolina. Through the 1820s-1840s, however, Benton's and Calhoun's political interests diverged, with Calhoun increasingly using secession as a weapon to maintain and expand slavery throughout the United States. Benton, on the other hand, was slowly coming to the conclusion that slavery was wrong and that preservation of the union was paramount. On January 29, 1858, Alabama supporters of slavery, objecting to Benton's change of heart, renamed Benton County as Calhoun County. In 1870, during widespread terror in the state in the run-up to the 1870 gubernatorial election, four blacks and one white were lynched.
The county seat was moved to Anniston after years of controversy and a State Supreme Court ruling in June 1900. An F4 tornado struck here on Palm Sunday March 27, 1994. It destroyed Piedmont's Goshen United Methodist Church twelve minutes after the National Weather Service of Birmingham issued a tornado warning for northern Calhoun, southeastern Etowah, and southern Cherokee.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 612 square miles (1,590 km2), of which 606 square miles (1,570 km2) is land and 6.4 square miles (17 km2) (1.0%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Cherokee County - northeast
- Cleburne County - east
- Talladega County - south
- St. Clair County - west
- Etowah County - northwest
National protected areas
- Mountain Longleaf National Wildlife Refuge
- Talladega National Forest (part)
Transportation
Major highways
Interstate 20
U.S. Highway 78
U.S. Highway 278
U.S. Highway 431
State Route 9
State Route 21
State Route 144
State Route 200
State Route 202
State Route 204
State Route 301
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Rail
- Alabama and Tennessee River Railway
- Norfolk Southern Railway
- Amtrak
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1840 | 14,260 | — | |
| 1850 | 17,163 | 20.4% | |
| 1860 | 21,539 | 25.5% | |
| 1870 | 13,980 | −35.1% | |
| 1880 | 19,591 | 40.1% | |
| 1890 | 33,835 | 72.7% | |
| 1900 | 34,874 | 3.1% | |
| 1910 | 39,115 | 12.2% | |
| 1920 | 47,822 | 22.3% | |
| 1930 | 55,611 | 16.3% | |
| 1940 | 63,319 | 13.9% | |
| 1950 | 79,539 | 25.6% | |
| 1960 | 95,878 | 20.5% | |
| 1970 | 103,092 | 7.5% | |
| 1980 | 119,761 | 16.2% | |
| 1990 | 116,034 | −3.1% | |
| 2000 | 112,249 | −3.3% | |
| 2010 | 118,572 | 5.6% | |
| 2020 | 116,441 | −1.8% | |
| 2021 (est.) | 115,972 | −2.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020 |
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2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
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| White (non-Hispanic) | 79,519 | 68.29% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 25,365 | 21.78% |
| Native American | 386 | 0.33% |
| Asian | 1,164 | 1.0% |
| Pacific Islander | 112 | 0.1% |
| Other/Mixed | 4,885 | 4.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 5,010 | 4.3% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 116,441 people, 44,636 households, and 28,975 families residing in the county.
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 118,572 people, 47,331 households, and 31,609 families residing in the county. The population density was 194 people per square mile (75/km2). There were 53,289 housing units at an average density of 87 per square mile (34/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 74.9% White, 20.6% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.6% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. 3.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 47,331 households, out of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples living together, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.9% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.2 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $38,407, and the median income for a family was $49,532. Males had a median income of $41,599 versus $29,756 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,574. About 15.2% of families and 19.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.8% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Cities
- Anniston (county seat)
- Glencoe (partly in Etowah County)
- Jacksonville
- Oxford (partly in Talladega County and in Cleburne County)
- Piedmont (partly in Cherokee County)
- Southside (partly in Etowah County)
- Weaver
Towns
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
Ghost towns
Places of interest
Calhoun County is home to Jacksonville State University, the Anniston Museum of Natural History, the Berman Museum of World History and the Coldwater Covered Bridge. It also contains a portion of the Talladega National Forest.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Calhoun (Alabama) para niños
