Editing Akron, Alabama

{{Use American English|date=September 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Akron, Alabama
|settlement_type          = [[Town]]
|image_skyline            = Tanglewood Plantation.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Tanglewood in Akron
|image_seal               = 
|image_map                = Hale County Alabama Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Akron Highlighted 0100676.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of Akron in Hale County, Alabama.
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             = 
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Alabama|County]]
|subdivision_name         = [[United States]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Alabama]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Hale County, Alabama|Hale]]
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|established_date         = 
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_sq_mi         = 0.69
|area_land_sq_mi          = 0.69
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.01
|elevation_ft             = 131
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 225
|population_metro         = 
|population_density_sq_mi = 327.99
|timezone                 = [[Central Time Zone (North America)|Central (CST)]]
|utc_offset               = -6
|coordinates              = {{coord|32|52|35|N|87|44|27|W|region:US-AL|display=inline}}
|timezone_DST             = CDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -5
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 35441
|area_codes                = [[Area codes 205 and 659|205, 659]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 01-00676
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = {{GNIS 4|112953}}
|footnotes                = 
|website                  = 
|pop_est_as_of = 
|pop_est_footnotes = 
|population_est = 
|unit_pref = Imperial
|area_footnotes = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_01.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 29, 2021}}</ref>
|area_total_km2 = 1.79
|area_land_km2 = 1.78
|area_water_km2 = 0.01
|population_density_km2 = 126.68
}}
'''Akron''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|æ|k|r|ɒ|n}}) is a town in [[Hale County, Alabama|Hale County]], [[Alabama]], [[United States]]. On January 18, 1906, landowners Charles E. Waller, Charles Lightman and M.H. Murphy sold at public auction a great number of individual business and residential lots which would be developed into the town of Akron, Alabama.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jan 11, 1906, page 3 - Greensboro Watchman at Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/308319764/?match=1&terms=akron |access-date=2024-09-17 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}</ref>  Akron became the fastest growing town in Hale County, and in a few years had grown to include a modern post office, railroad depot, various retail businesses, barber shop, hotel, drug store, concrete and block factory, wheel spoke factory, lumber mills, and attractive residences.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dec 27, 1917, page 2 - Greensboro Watchman at Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/308165091/?match=1&terms=%22trip%20to%20akron%22 |access-date=2024-09-17 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}</ref> The town was incorporated in March 1918.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-3558|title=Akron - Encyclopedia of Alabama|website=Encyclopedia of Alabama}}</ref> At the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]] the population was 356,<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US0100676| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Akron town, Alabama| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| work=American Factfinder| access-date=April 12, 2017}}{{dead link|bot=medic|date=April 2020}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> down from 521 at the [[2000 United States census|2000 census]]. Akron has one site on the [[National Register of Historic Places]], the [[Greek Revival architecture|Greek Revival]] cottage known as [[Tanglewood (Akron, Alabama)|Tanglewood]].

==Geography==
Akron is located in northwestern Hale County at {{Coord|32|52|35|N|87|44|28|W|type:city}} (32.876425, -87.740978),<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> {{convert|3|mi|0}} southeast of the [[Black Warrior River]] and {{convert|1|mi}} northwest of [[Alabama State Route 60]]. [[Greensboro, Alabama|Greensboro]], the Hale County seat, is {{convert|17|mi}} to the southeast. [[Eutaw, Alabama|Eutaw]] is {{convert|14|mi}} by road to the southwest, and [[Moundville, Alabama|Moundville]] is the same distance to the northeast.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town of Akron has a total area of {{convert|1.8|km2|order=flip|1}}, of which {{convert|0.01|sqkm|order=flip|3}}, or 0.77%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010"/>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align=left
|1920= 675
|1930= 793
|1940= 504
|1950= 684
|1960= 604
|1970= 535
|1980= 604
|1990= 468
|2000= 521
|2010= 356
|2020= 225
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="U.S. Decennial Census">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 6, 2013}}</ref>
}}
Akron first appeared on the 1920 U.S. Census as an incorporated town.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Bureau of the Census |title=Fourteenth Census of the United States - State Compendium - Alabama |url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/06229686v1-7ch01.pdf |date=1920}}</ref> It was also the same name as its precinct/census division, which preceded it in reporting on the census since 1900 (See Akron Precinct below).

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+''' Akron town, Alabama  – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small>
!Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Akron town, Alabama|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US0100676&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!Pop 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Akron town, Alabama|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US0100676&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!% 2010
!% 2020
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|46
|19
|12.92%
|8.44%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|308
|199
|86.52%
|88.44%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|0
|0
|0.00%
|0.00%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|0
|2
|0.00%
|0.89%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|0
|0
|0.00%
|0.00%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Some Other Race]] alone (NH)
|0
|0
|0.00%
|0.00%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed Race or Multi-Racial]] (NH)
|1
|4
|0.28%
|1.78%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|1
|1
|0.28%
|0.44%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''356'''
|'''225'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|}

As of the 2010 Census Akron had a population of 356.  The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 86.5% black or African American, 13.2% white, 0.3% reporting two or more races and 0.3% Hispanic or Latino of any race.<ref>2010 census report on race and Hispanic or Latino by place]</ref>

As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 521 people, 207 households, and 142 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|939.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 239 housing units at an average density of {{convert|430.8|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 17.85% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 81.00% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], and 1.15% from two or more races. 1.54% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race.

There were 207 households, out of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.8% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 30.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.4% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.4% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 81.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 68.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $19,875, and the median income for a family was $21,250. Males had a median income of $22,396 versus $18,500 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $10,929. About 37.1% of families and 40.7% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 60.2% of those under age 18 and 32.7% of those age 65 or over.

==Akron Precinct (1900-50)/Stewart-Akron Division (1960-)==
{{US Census population|align=right
|1900= 1090
|1910= 1710
|1920= 2191
|1930= 2454
|1940= 1527
|1950= 1714
|1960= 2883
|1970= 2064
|1980= 1789
|1990= 1745
|2000= 1868
|2010= 1582
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="U.S. Decennial Census">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 6, 2013}}</ref>
}}
Akron first appeared as the 2nd precinct of Hale County in 1900.<ref>{{cite web |title=Statistics of Population - Minor Civil Divisions - Alabama |url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/33405927v1ch05.pdf |website=United States Census Bureau  |date=1900}}</ref> Prior to this, from 1870 to 1890, the beat/precinct was previously known as New Prospect.<ref>{{cite web |title=Population of Civil Divisions less than counties |url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1870a-05.pdf |website=United States Census Bureau |date=1870}}</ref> In 1910, the 2nd precinct name was changed to "Evans", but reverted to Akron in 1920 and continued to report until 1950. In 1960, as part of a general reorganization of counties, Akron precinct was consolidated with others, including precinct 16, Stewart's Station, and was renamed the Stewart-Akron Census Division.<ref>{{cite web |title=Number of Inhabitants - Alabama |url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/37721510v1p2ch2.pdf |website=United States Census Bureau |date=1960}}</ref> Although the town of Akron has a heavily Black population, as did the former Akron precinct when it reported racial demographics in 1930–40, and in the Stewart-Akron division from 1960 to 1980, in 1990 it reported only a Black plurality. In 2000, it transitioned to a White plurality and in 2010, became a White majority for the first time.

==Notable person==

*[[Riggs Stephenson]], (1898–1985) was a left fielder in Major League Baseball for [[Chicago Cubs]], Nicknamed Old Hoss.

==References==

{{reflist}}

{{Coord|display=title|32.876425|-87.740978}}
{{Hale County, Alabama}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Hale County, Alabama]]
[[Category:Towns in Alabama]]
[[Category:Tuscaloosa, Alabama metropolitan area]]