Editing Rainsville, Alabama

{{short description|City in Alabama, United States}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Rainsville
|settlement_type          = [[City]]
|image_skyline            = USPS - Rainsville, Alabama 35986.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Rainsville post office
|image_seal               = 
|image_map                = File:DeKalb County Alabama Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Rainsville Highlighted 0163336.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of Rainsville in DeKalb County, Alabama.
|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        = [[DeKalb County, Alabama|DeKalb]]
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|established_date         = 
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 53.63
|area_total_sq_mi         = 20.71
|area_land_km2            = 53.59
|area_land_sq_mi          = 20.69
|area_water_km2           = 0.04
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.01
|elevation_ft             = 1296
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 5505
|population_metro         = 
|population_density_km2   = 102.72
|population_density_sq_mi = 266.03
|timezone                 = [[Central Time Zone (North America)|Central (CST)]]
|utc_offset               = -6
|coordinates              = {{coord|34|29|32|N|85|50|43|W|region:US-AL|display=inline}}
|timezone_DST             = CDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -5
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 35986
|area_code                = [[Area code 256|256]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 01-63336
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2404589<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2404589}}</ref>
|footnotes                = 
|website                  = {{URL|www.rainsvillealabama.com}}
|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>
}}
'''Rainsville''' is a city in [[DeKalb County, Alabama|DeKalb County]], [[Alabama]], United States. At the 2010 census the population was 4,948,<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US0163336| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Rainsville city, Alabama| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=October 6, 2015}}{{dead link|bot=medic|date=April 2020}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> up from 4,499 in 2000. Rainsville is located on top of [[Sand Mountain (Alabama)|Sand Mountain]], a southern extension of the [[Cumberland Plateau]].

==History==
Rainsville was incorporated in October 1956.

An [[2011 Rainsville tornado|EF5 tornado]] struck the city on [[2011 Super Outbreak|April 27, 2011]], leaving 25 fatalities. It initially touched down {{convert|10|mi|0}} to the southwest in [[Lakeview, Alabama|Lakeview]], causing structural damage to small buildings and snapping trees. It grew in intensity, and the path width increased from around fifty yards to a half a mile, as the rotation entered the Rainsville and [[Sylvania, Alabama|Sylvania]] communities. Damage included houses that were completely removed from foundations and debris scattered for about one mile, trees debarked, and a few mobile homes were destroyed with debris strewn for about a mile downstream. In Sylvania, some of these houses removed from foundations contained anchor bolts and foundation straps. 
[[File:Destroyed bus in Rainsville.JPG|thumbnail|EF5 Rainsville Tornado]]

==Geography==
Rainsville is located northwest of the center of DeKalb County at {{coord|34|29|32|N|85|50|43|W|type:city}} (34.492258, -85.845316).<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> It is bordered to the northeast by [[Sylvania, Alabama|Sylvania]], to the northwest by [[Powell, Alabama|Powell]], to the southwest by [[Shiloh, DeKalb County, Alabama|Shiloh]], and to the southeast by [[Pine Ridge, Alabama|Pine Ridge]].

Alabama State Routes [[Alabama State Route 35|35]] and [[Alabama State Route 75|75]] intersect in the center of town. AL 35 leads northwest {{convert|19|mi}} to [[Scottsboro, Alabama|Scottsboro]] and southeast {{convert|9|mi|0}} to [[Fort Payne, Alabama|Fort Payne]], the DeKalb County seat. AL 75 leads northeast {{convert|10|mi|0}} to [[Henagar, Alabama|Henagar]] and southwest {{convert|26|mi}} to [[Albertville, Alabama|Albertville]].

According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], Rainsville has a total area of {{convert|53.3|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|0.04|km2|order=flip|2}}, or 0.07%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010"/>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1960= 568
|1970= 2099
|1980= 3907
|1990= 3875
|2000= 4499
|2010= 4948
|2020= 5505
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{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><br />2013 Estimate<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2013/SUB-EST2013-3.html|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2013|access-date=June 3, 2014}}</ref>
}}
Rainsville first appeared on the 1960 U.S. Census, having incorporated as a town in 1956. It was erroneously reported as having 398 residents.<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> This was due to an error which failed to include additional residents within the town limits, it was afterwards adjusted to 568 residents.<ref>{{cite web |title=List of Corrections |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1960/population-volume-1/vol-01-02-b.pdf |website=United States Census Bureau |date=1960}}</ref>

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Rainsville racial composition<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US0163336&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 11, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!Race
!Num.
!Perc.
|-
|[[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
|4,848
|88.07%
|-
|[[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
|29
|0.53%
|-
|[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
|91
|1.65%
|-
|[[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
|9
|0.16%
|-
|[[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
|269
|4.89%
|-
|[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
|259
|4.7%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 5,505 people, 1,894 households, and 1,303 families residing in the city.

===2010 census===
As of the 2010 census Rainsville had a population of 4,984.  The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 93.5% non-Hispanic white, 0.2% African American, 0.9% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.1% from some other race, 1.3% from two or more races and 3.8% Hispanic or Latino of any race.<ref>2010 general profile of population and housing characteristics for Rainsville from the US census</ref>

===2000 census===
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 4,499 people, 1,880 households, and 1,336 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|226.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 2,016 housing units at an average density of {{convert|101.5|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 97.11% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 0.09% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 0.44% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 0.09% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.09% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], 1.09% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.09% from two or more races. 2.18% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race.

There were 1,880 households, out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.0% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.6% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,505, and the median income for a family was $37,426. Males had a median income of $31,776 versus $19,618 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $14,806. About 11.9% of families and 14.4% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 13.4% of those under age 18 and 18.3% of those age 65 or over.

==Education==
Plainview High School, home of the Bears, and the [[DeKalb County School System (Alabama)|DeKalb County School System]] offices are located in Rainsville. As of December 2023, Plainview High School will be classified as a 4A school for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years. The current Principal is Chris Clark.

Cornerstone Christian Academy is located in Rainsville. The current head administrator is Seth Stone.

DeKalb County Technology Center, DCTC, Secondary Career Technical Education. DCTC is considered one of the top career technical education centers in the Southeastern United States, winning the Southern Regional Education Board's Pacesetter Award for excellence in career tech education in 2018 and 2020. In 2021, DCTC was recognized by Alabama Governor [[Kay Ivey]] for Best Practices in Work-Based Learning for Region 1. DCTC is home to 75 SkillsUSA and HOSA State Championships.

==Notable people==
* [[Lowell Barron]], member of the [[Alabama Senate]] from 1982 to 2010
* [[Jeremy Pruitt]], former head coach for the [[University of Tennessee]] [[Tennessee Volunteers football|football]] team 
* [[Nathaniel Ledbetter]], [[Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Portal|United States}}
*[http://www.rainsvillealabama.com City of Rainsville official website]

{{Coord|display=title|34.492258|-85.845316}}
{{DeKalb County, Alabama}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Alabama]]
[[Category:Cities in DeKalb County, Alabama]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1956]]
[[Category:1956 establishments in Alabama]]