Calhoun County, Alabama: Map

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Calhoun County is a county in the U.S. state of Alabama

. Its name is in honor of John C. Calhoun, famous member of the United States Senate from South Carolina

. As of 2000 the population was 112,249. It is included in the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area

. Its county seat is Anniston

History

Benton County was established on December 18, 1832, named for Thomas Hart Benton, a member of the United States Senate from Missouri

, with its county seat at Jacksonville

. Benton, a slave owner, was a political ally of John C. Calhoun, another slaveholder and a U.S. senator from South Carolina

. Through the 1820s-1840s, however, Benton's and Calhoun's political interests diverged, with Calhoun increasingly using secession as a weapon to maintain and expand slavery throughout the United States. Benton, on the other hand, was slowly coming to the conclusion that slavery was wrong and that preservation of the union was paramount. On January 29, 1858, Alabama supporters of slavery, objecting to Benton's change of heart, renamed Benton County as Calhoun County. The county seat was moved to Anniston after years of controversy and a State Supreme Court ruling in June 1900. An F4 tornado struck here on Palm Sunday March 27, 1994. It destroyed Goshen United Methodist Church twelve minutes after the National Weather Service of Birmingham issued a tornado warning for northern Calhoun, southeastern Etowah, and southern Cherokee.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 612 square miles (1,586 km²), of which, 608 square miles (1,576 km²) of it is land and 4 square miles (10 km²) of it (0.63%) is water.

Major highways

Rail

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 112,249 people, 45,307 households, and 31,307 families residing in the county. The population density was 184 people per square mile (71/km²). There were 51,322 housing units at an average density of 84 per square mile (33/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 78.88% White, 18.54% Black or African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.59% from other races, and 0.96% from two or more races. 1.56% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 45,307 households out of which 29.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.20% were married couples living together, 13.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.90% were non-families. 26.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the county the population was spread out with 23.60% under the age of 18, 10.40% from 18 to 24, 27.80% from 25 to 44, 24.10% from 45 to 64, and 14.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 91.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,768, and the median income for a family was $39,908. Males had a median income of $30,847 versus $21,076 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,367. About 12.40% of families and 16.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.60% of those under age 18 and 12.70% of those age 65 or over.