Pike County, Alabama
Encyclopedia
Pike County is a county
of the U.S. state
of Alabama
. Its name is in honor of General Zebulon Pike
, of New Jersey
, an explorer who led an expedition to southern Colorado
and discovered Pikes Peak
in 1806. As of 2010 the population was 32,899. Its county seat
is Troy
.
of 2000, there were 29,605 people, 11,933 households, and 7,649 families residing in the county. The population density
was 44 people per square mile (17/km2). There were 13,981 housing units at an average density of 21 per square mile (8/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 60.77% White
, 36.60% Black
or African American
, 0.66% Native American
, 0.35% Asian
, 0.02% Pacific Islander
, 0.26% from other races
, and 1.35% from two or more races. 1.23% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 11,933 households out of which 29.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.60% were married couples
living together, 16.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.90% were non-families. 29.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.40% under the age of 18, 15.80% from 18 to 24, 26.00% from 25 to 44, 21.20% from 45 to 64, and 12.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 89.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $25,551, and the median income for a family was $34,132. Males had a median income of $27,094 versus $18,758 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $14,904. About 18.50% of families and 23.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.90% of those under age 18 and 21.90% of those age 65 or over.
County (United States)
In the United States, a county is a geographic subdivision of a state , usually assigned some governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 of the 50 states; Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs. Parishes and boroughs are called "county-equivalents" by the U.S...
of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. Its name is in honor of General Zebulon Pike
Zebulon Pike
Zebulon Montgomery Pike Jr. was an American officer and explorer for whom Pikes Peak in Colorado is named. As a United States Army captain in 1806-1807, he led the Pike Expedition to explore and document the southern portion of the Louisiana Purchase and to find the headwaters of the Red River,...
, of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, an explorer who led an expedition to southern Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
and discovered Pikes Peak
Pikes Peak
Pikes Peak is a mountain in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, west of Colorado Springs, Colorado, in El Paso County in the United States of America....
in 1806. As of 2010 the population was 32,899. Its county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
is Troy
Troy, Alabama
Troy is a city in Pike County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 18,003. Troy experienced a growth spurt of over 4,000+ people since 2000. The city is the county seat of Pike County....
.
History
In 1819 the State of Alabama was admitted to the Union and was soon organized into counties. Pike County was named from general Zebulon Montgomery Pike of New Jersey, being one of the oldest counties, established in the year 1831. The Act of Legislature of Alabama of December 13, 1821 provided that until the Commissioners of the County of Pike should select a site for the seat of justice, the temporary seat was established at the house of Andrew Townsend in said county. Pike County comprised a large tract of country, so large that it was called the State of Pike, including a part of what is now Crenshaw, Montgomery, Macon, Bullock, and Barbour Counties, and extended to the Chattahoochie River on the east.Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 672.1 square miles (1,740.7 km²), of which 671.03 square miles (1,738 km²) (or 99.84%) is land and 1.06 square miles (2.7 km²) (or 0.16%) is water.Major highways
U.S. Highway 29
U.S. Highway 231
State Route 10
State Route 87
State Route 93
Adjacent counties
- Bullock CountyBullock County, AlabamaBullock County, Alabama is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of Colonel Edward C. Bullock of Barbour County. Living descendants of Colonel Bullock include prominent American cinema film actress, Sandra Bullock. As of 2010 the population was 10,914. In 1867, Union Springs...
(northeast) - Barbour CountyBarbour County, AlabamaBarbour County, Alabama is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of James Barbour, who served as Governor of Virginia. As of 2010 the population was 27,457. Its county seat is Clayton.-History:...
(east) - Dale CountyDale County, AlabamaDale County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of General Samuel Dale. As of the 2010 census the population was 50,251...
(southeast) - Coffee CountyCoffee County, AlabamaCoffee County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of General John Coffee. As of 2010 the population was 49,948. Its county seats are Elba and Enterprise....
(south) - Crenshaw CountyCrenshaw County, AlabamaCrenshaw County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of a judge, Anderson Crenshaw. As of 2010 the population was 13,906. Its county seat is Luverne.-Geography:...
(west) - Montgomery CountyMontgomery County, AlabamaMontgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is the most populous county in the Montgomery Metropolitan Statistical Area; its population in 2010 was 229,363 .- History :...
(northwest)
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 29,605 people, 11,933 households, and 7,649 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 44 people per square mile (17/km2). There were 13,981 housing units at an average density of 21 per square mile (8/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 60.77% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 36.60% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.66% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.35% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.02% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.26% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.35% from two or more races. 1.23% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 11,933 households out of which 29.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.60% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 16.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.90% were non-families. 29.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.40% under the age of 18, 15.80% from 18 to 24, 26.00% from 25 to 44, 21.20% from 45 to 64, and 12.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 89.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $25,551, and the median income for a family was $34,132. Males had a median income of $27,094 versus $18,758 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $14,904. About 18.50% of families and 23.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.90% of those under age 18 and 21.90% of those age 65 or over.
Cities and towns
- BanksBanks, AlabamaBanks is a town in Pike County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 179.-Geography:Banks is located at .According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....
- BrundidgeBrundidge, AlabamaBrundidge is a city in Pike County, Alabama, USA. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 2,341.-Geography:Brundidge is located at .According to the U.S...
- GoshenGoshen, AlabamaGoshen is a town in Pike County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 300.-Geography:Goshen is located at .According to the U.S...
- Lewis (northeast of Troy)
- TroyTroy, AlabamaTroy is a city in Pike County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 18,003. Troy experienced a growth spurt of over 4,000+ people since 2000. The city is the county seat of Pike County....
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Pike County, Alabama
- Properties on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in Pike County, Alabama