Talladega County, Alabama

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox U.S. county

Talladega County is one of the sixty-seven counties located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of Alabama.<ref name="aces">"ACES Winston County Office" (links/history), Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES), 2007, webpage: ACES-Talladega.</ref> As of the 2020 census, the population was 82,149.<ref name="QF">Template:Cite web</ref> Its county seat is Talladega.<ref name=aces/><ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref>

Talladega County is included in the Talladega-Sylacauga, AL Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Birmingham-Cullman-Talladega, AL Combined Statistical Area.

History

Prior to Euro-American settlement in this area, it was occupied by the Abihka tribe of the Creek Confederacy.<ref>Swanton, John R. The Indians of the Southeastern United States, as Smithsonian Institution Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 137. (Washington: United States Government Printing Office, 1946) p. 81</ref> The United States forced the Creek to agree to treaties by which they ceded their land to the US, ultimately resulting in Indian Removal to west of the Mississippi River, to Indian Territory.

Talladega County was established on December 18, 1832, from land ceded by the Creek Indians near the state's geographic center.<ref name=aces/> The county seat was established at Talladega in 1834.<ref name=aces/>

The name Talladega is derived from a Muscogee (Creek) Native American word Tvlvtēke, from the Muscogee etvlwa, meaning "town", and vtēke, or "border" – "Border Town" – a town indicating its location on the boundary between the lands of the Creek tribe and those of the Cherokee and Chickasaw.<ref>Jack Martin and Margaret McKane Mauldin, A Dictionary of Creek/Muskogee (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2000), s.vv. "Tvlvtēke," "Talladega."</ref>

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (3.1%) is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref> It is drained by Choccolocco Creek (archaic spelling: Chockolocko) and other streams.<ref>Template:Cite AmCyc</ref> The county is located within the Coosa River Valley and the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, with the state's highest point, Mount Cheaha, being located on its northeastern border with Cleburne County.

Adjacent counties

Calhoun County – north
Cleburne County – northeast
Clay County – east
Coosa County – south
Shelby County – southwest
St. Clair County – northwest

National protected area

Talladega National Forest (part)

Demographics

Template:US Census population

2020 Census

**Talladega County, Alabama – Racial and ethnic composition**
Template:Nobold
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop. 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop. 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	% 2000	% 2010	Template:Partial
White alone (NH)	53,399	53,079	50,732	66.48%	64.50%	61.76%
Black or African American alone (NH)	25,206	25,953	26,340	31.38%	31.54%	32.06%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	172	230	184	0.21%	0.28%	0.22%
Asian alone (NH)	159	329	395	0.20%	0.40%	0.48%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	20	6	27	0.02%	0.01%	0.03%
Other race alone (NH)	35	60	206	0.04%	0.07%	0.25%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	518	963	2,486	0.64%	1.17%	3.03%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	812	1,671	1,779	1.01%	2.03%	2.17%
Total	80,321	80,321	82,149	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 82,149 people, 30,602 households, and 20,515 families residing in the county.

2010 Census

As of the census<ref name="2010 census">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2010, there were 82,291 people, 31,890 households, and 22,191 families living in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 37,088 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 65.3% White, 31.7% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 1.0% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Nearly 2.0% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 31,890 households, out of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them; 47.2% were married couples living together, 17.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48, and the average family size was 2.98.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.4% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.1 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,948, and the median income for a family was $44,695. Males had a median income of $38,430 versus $27,404 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,713. About 15.3% of families and 18.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.1% of those under age 18 and 15.7% of those age 65 or over.

2000 Census

As of the census<ref name="GR8">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, there were 80,321 people, 30,674 households, and 21,901 families living in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 34,469 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 67.02% White, 31.55% Black or African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races, and 0.71% from two or more races. Nearly 1.01% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

In 2000, the largest ancestry groups in Talladega County were:

There were 30,674 households, out of which 32.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them; 52.40% were married couples living together, 15.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.60% were non-families. 25.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50, and the average family size was 3.00.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.00% under the age of 18, 9.00% from 18 to 24, 28.80% from 25 to 44, 23.90% from 45 to 64, and 13.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,628, and the median income for a family was $38,004. Males had a median income of $30,526 versus $21,040 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,704. About 13.90% of families and 17.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.70% of those under age 18 and 18.20% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The county is a Republican stronghold. However, Doug Jones, in his 2017 bid for the Senate managed to flip the county Democratic, due to sexual misconduct allegations against his opponent, Roy Moore. Donald Trump nevertheless won the county by wide margins against Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections respectively.

Education

Talladega County Schools is the local school district.

The Birmingham Supplementary School Inc. (BSS, バーミングハム日本語補習校 Bāminguhamu Nihongo Hoshūkō), a part-time Japanese school, has its office at the Honda Manufacturing of Alabama, LLC facility in unincorporated Talladega County, near Lincoln. It holds its classes at the Shelby-Hoover campus of Jefferson State Community College in Hoover. The school first opened on September 1, 2001.<ref>"About Birmingham Supplementary School" (Template:Webarchive). Birmingham Supplementary School. Retrieved on May 11, 2014. "Mailing Address 1800 Honda Drive Lincoln, AL 35096 c/o Honda Manufacturing of Alabama, LLC" and "Facility Jefferson State Community College, Shelby Campus 4600 Valleydale Road Birmingham, AL 35242 " Japanese page: "学校の概要" (Archive).</ref><ref>"2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Hoover city, AL." (Template:Webarchive). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on May 11, 2014.</ref><ref>"Shelby-Hoover Campus." Jefferson State University. Retrieved on May 11, 2014. Use the Google Maps function to see the buildings and where they are in relation to the city limits.</ref>