Jasper, Alabama facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jasper, Alabama
City
City of Jasper
Motto(s):  "Experience from the past, knowledge for the future."
Location of Jasper in Walker County, Alabama.
Country	United States
State	Alabama
County	Walker
Area
• Total	29.66 sq mi (76.83 km2)
• Land	29.33 sq mi (75.97 km2)
• Water	0.33 sq mi (0.86 km2)
Elevation	328 ft (100 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	14,572
• Density	496.81/sq mi (191.82/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	35501-35504
Area code(s)	205, 659
FIPS code	01-38416
GNIS feature ID	0120822
Website	http://www.jaspercity.com/

Jasper is a city in and the county seat of Walker County, Alabama, United States. Its population was 14,352 as of the 2010 census. Named in honor of Sergeant William Jasper, an American Revolutionary War hero, Jasper was settled around 1815 and incorporated on August 18, 1886.

The first significant growth of the area was in 1886, when the Kansas City, Memphis and Birmingham Railroad and the Sheffield & Birmingham Railroads were completed through Jasper. The population grew from 200 people in 1886 to more than 3,000 in 1890. In a special edition in 1891, the Mountain Eagle stated there were six coal mines, two sandstone quarries, 400 coke ovens, one foundry and machine shop, two saw mills, one brick works, four hotels, and two banks.

History

Jasper, named in honor of Sergeant William Jasper, an American Revolutionary War hero, was settled around 1815, but was not incorporated until August 18, 1886.

During the Civil War, Union troops marching toward Selma burned the courthouse and several other buildings in town and raided neighboring farms for supplies.

The first significant growth of the area was realized in 1886, when the Kansas City-Memphis & Birmingham and the Sheffield & Birmingham Railroads were completed through Jasper. The population grew from 200 people in 1886 to more than 3,000 in 1890. In a special edition in 1891, the Mountain Eagle stated there were six coal mines, two sandstone quarries, 400 coke ovens, one foundry and machine shop, two saw mills, one brick works, four hotels, and two banks.

President Franklin Roosevelt visited the town in 1940 to attend a memorial service for his friend and supporter, William Bankhead.

Historic sites

Jasper has several sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the John Hollis Bankhead House, First United Methodist Church, Jasper Downtown Historic District, and Walker County Hospital.

Geography

Jasper is located at 33°50′32″N 87°16′38″W / 33.84222°N 87.27722°W / 33.84222; -87.27722 (33.842347, -87.277174).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 26.9 square miles (70 km²), of which 26.9 square miles (70 km²) is land and 0.04% is water.

Demographics

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 14,352 people, 5,760 households, and 3,831 families living in the city. The population density was 533.5 people per square mile (206.2/km²). There were 6,478 housing units at an average density of 241 per square mile (93/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.3% White, 13.4% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.l.

Of the 5,760 households 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 31.1% of households were one person and 14.6% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.33, and the average family size was 2.91.

The age distribution was 21.9% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% 65 or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.5 males.

The median household income was $33,044 and the median family income was $43,674. Males had a median income of $35,182 versus $22,868 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,491. About 10.2% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.3% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 14,572 people, 5,269 households, and 3,176 families residing in the city.

Notable people

See also

In Spanish: Jasper (Alabama) para niños