Fayette County, Alabama Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Fayette County
U.S. county
Fayette County courthouse in Fayette
Location within the U.S. state of Alabama
Alabama's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Alabama
Founded	December 20, 1824
Named for	Marquis de Lafayette
Seat	Fayette
Largest city	Fayette
Area
• Total	629 sq mi (1,630 km²)
• Land	628 sq mi (1,630 km²)
• Water	1.7 sq mi (4 km²) 0.3%
Population (2020)
• Total	16,321
• Estimate (2021)	16,148
• Density	25.948/sq mi (10.018/km²)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	4th
County Number 32 on Alabama Licence Plates

Fayette County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,321. Its county seat is Fayette. Its name is in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette (or de la Fayette), who aided General George Washington in the American Revolutionary War.

History
Geography
- Adjacent counties
Demographics
Transportation
Communities
Education
See also

History

Fayette County was established on December 20, 1824 during Lafayette's historic tour of the 24 United States

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 629 square miles (1,630 km²), of which 628 square miles (1,630 km²) is land and 1.7 square miles (4.4 km²) (0.3%) is water.

Adjacent counties

Marion County (north)
Walker County (east)
Tuscaloosa County (southeast)
Pickens County (southwest)
Lamar County (west)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1830	3,547	—
1840	6,942	95.7%
1850	9,681	39.5%
1860	12,850	32.7%
1870	7,136	−44.5%
1880	10,135	42.0%
1890	12,823	26.5%
1900	14,132	10.2%
1910	16,248	15.0%
1920	18,365	13.0%
1930	18,443	0.4%
1940	21,651	17.4%
1950	19,388	−10.5%
1960	16,148	−16.7%
1970	16,252	0.6%
1980	18,809	15.7%
1990	17,962	−4.5%
2000	18,495	3.0%
2010	17,241	−6.8%
2020	16,321	−5.3%
2021 (est.)	16,148	−6.3%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020

2020 census

Fayette County racial composition
Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	13,552	83.03%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	1,720	10.54%
Native American	43	0.26%
Asian	49	0.3%
Pacific Islander	1	0.01%
Other/Mixed	560	3.43%
Hispanic or Latino	396	2.43%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 16,321 people, 6,802 households, and 4,774 families residing in the county.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 17,241 people, 7,493 households, and 5,342 families residing in the county. The population density was 30 people per square mile (11/km²). There were 8,472 housing units at an average density of 14 per square mile (5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 86.92% White, 11.93% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races, and 0.51% from two or more races. 0.82% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

As of 2012 the largest self-reported ancestry groups in Fayette County were:

44.9% English
16.9% "American"
4.1% Irish

There were 7,493 households, out of which 30.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.30% were married couples living together, 10.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.70% were non-families. 26.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.30% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 26.50% from 25 to 44, 25.30% from 45 to 64, and 17.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,539, and the median income for a family was $34,560. Males had a median income of $29,239 versus $20,606 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,439. About 13.10% of families and 17.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.30% of those under age 18 and 17.90% of those age 65 or over.

Life expectancy

Of 3,143 counties in the United States in 2013, Fayette County ranked 2,882 in the longevity of male residents and 3,091 of female residents. Males in Fayette County lived an average of 71.2 years and females lived an average of 75.3 years compared to the national average for longevity of 76.5 for males and 81.2 for females. The average longevity of men in Fayette County increased by 2.0 years from 1985 to 2013 compared to a national average for the same period of an increased life span for men of 5.5 years. The average longevity, however, for females in Fayette County declined by 4.2 years between 1985 and 2013 compared to the national average for the same period of an increased life span of 3.1 years for women. High rates of smoking and obesity and a low rate of physical activity appear to be contributing factors to the low level of longevity for both sexes.

One study concluded that Fayette County between 1985 and 2010 was one of the few U.S. counties which saw a decline in the longevity of women and that the decline in female longevity in Fayette Country was the largest of any county in the nation.

Transportation

Major highways

U.S. Highway 43
State Route 13
State Route 18
State Route 96
State Route 102
State Route 107
State Route 129
State Route 171
State Route 233

Airport

Richard Arthur Field (Municipal)- A 5,000 ft (1,500 m) paved runway with JET A and 100LL fuel service. Located about 3 miles (4.8 km) northeast of the city center.

Rail

BNSF Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
Luxapalila Valley Railroad

Communities

Cities

Fayette (county seat)
Winfield (partly in Marion County)

Towns

Unincorporated communities

Education

Berry High School
Berry Elementary School
Fayette County High School
Fayette Middle School
Fayette Elementary School
Hubbertville School

Fayette County, Alabama facts for kids

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