1790-1960{{Cite web |title=Historical Census Browser |url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu |access-date=July 3,2014 |publisher=University of Virginia Library}}1900-1990{{Cite web |title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census:1900 to 1990 |url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/il190090.txt |access-date=July 3,2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}
1990-2000{{Cite web |title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties:1990 and 2000 |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27,2010 |access-date=July 3,2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}2010-2020{{Cite web |title=State &County QuickFacts |url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17/17003.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606150242/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17/17003.html |archive-date=June 6,2011 |access-date=July 3,2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}2020{{Cite web |title=2020 Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0500000US17003 |website=data.census.gov}}"}},"i":0}}]}" id="mwtg">.mw-parser-output .us-census-pop{border-spacing:1px;border:1px solid #a2a9b1;background-color:var(--background-color-neutral-subtle,#f8f9fa);padding:0.3em;font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .us-census-pop caption{background-color:lavender;color:black;padding-right:0.2em;padding-left:0.2em;font-size:110%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a2a9b1;border-bottom:none}.mw-parser-output .us-census-pop th[scope=col]{border-bottom:1px solid black}.mw-parser-output .us-census-pop td:nth-child(2){text-align:right;padding-left:0.5em;padding-right:0}.mw-parser-output .us-census-pop td.us-census-pop-estimate{padding-left:0}.mw-parser-output .us-census-pop td:nth-child(3){padding-left:0}.mw-parser-output .us-census-pop td:nth-child(4){padding-left:0.5em;text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .us-census-pop-footnote{border-top:1px solid black;font-size:85%;text-align:center}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .us-census-pop-right{float:right;clear:right;margin:0 0 1em 1em}.mw-parser-output .us-census-pop-left{float:left;clear:left;margin:0 1em 1em 0}.mw-parser-output .us-census-pop-center{float:none;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto}.mw-parser-output .us-census-pop-none{float:none;margin:0 1em 1em 0}}
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1820 | 626 | — | |
1830 | 1,390 | 122.0% | |
1840 | 3,313 | 138.3% | |
1850 | 2,484 | −25.0% | |
1860 | 4,707 | 89.5% | |
1870 | 10,564 | 124.4% | |
1880 | 14,808 | 40.2% | |
1890 | 16,563 | 11.9% | |
1900 | 19,384 | 17.0% | |
1910 | 22,741 | 17.3% | |
1920 | 23,980 | 5.4% | |
1930 | 22,542 | −6.0% | |
1940 | 25,496 | 13.1% | |
1950 | 20,316 | −20.3% | |
1960 | 16,061 | −20.9% | |
1970 | 12,015 | −25.2% | |
1980 | 12,264 | 2.1% | |
1990 | 10,626 | −13.4% | |
2000 | 9,590 | −9.7% | |
2010 | 8,238 | −14.1% | |
2020 | 5,240 | −36.4% | |
2023 (est.) | 4,695 | −10.4% | |
U.S. Decennial Census [17] 1790-1960 [18] 1900-1990 [19] 1990-2000 [20] 2010-2020 [21] 2020 [1] |
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 8,238 people, 3,329 households, and 2,093 families residing in the county. [22] The population density was 35.0 inhabitants per square mile (13.5/km2). There were 4,006 housing units at an average density of 17.0 per square mile (6.6/km2). [7] The racial makeup of the county was 60.9% white, 35.4% black or African American, 0.3% American Indian, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 1.4% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.9% of the population. [22] In terms of ancestry, 13.9% were German, 6.8% were Irish, 5.3% were English, and 4.7% were American. [23]
Of the 3,329 households, 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.6% were married couples living together, 18.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 37.1% were non-families, and 33.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.94. The median age was 41.1 years. [22]
The median income for a household in the county was $28,833 and the median income for a family was $44,699. Males had a median income of $35,880 versus $25,743 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,858. About 11.8% of families and 20.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.1% of those under age 18 and 14.7% of those age 65 or over. [24]
Between 2010 and 2020, the population of Alexander County decreased to 5,240. The 36.4% decline was the largest of any of the 3,138 U.S. counties. [25] Although the population of the county had been decreasing for decades, the closure of the Tamms Correctional Center in 2013 probably caused an acceleration of the decline in the 2010s. [14]
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 can be of any race.
Race | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|
White (NH) | 4,983 | 3,274 | 60.49% | 62.48% |
Black or African American (NH) | 2,908 | 1,612 | 35.3% | 30.76% |
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 25 | 22 | 0.3% | 0.42% |
Asian (NH) | 16 | 6 | 0.19% | 0.11% |
Pacific Islander (NH) | 6 | 0 | 0.07% | 0.0% |
Some Other Race (NH) | 5 | 8 | 0.06% | 0.15% |
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 140 | 236 | 1.7% | 4.5% |
Hispanic or Latino | 155 | 82 | 1.88% | 1.56% |
Total | 8,238 | 5,240 |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 5,240 people, 2,154 households, and 1,357 families residing in the county.
Here is a list of school districts with any territory in the county, no matter how slight, even if the schools and/or administrative offices are located in other counties: [28]
Community | Community type | Population | Total Area | Water Area | Land Area | Pop. Density | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cairo (seat) | city | 1,733 | 9.11 | 2.12 | 6.99 | 248.03 | |
East Cape Girardeau | village | 289 | 2.00 | 0.03 | 1.96 | 147.37 | |
McClure | village | 256 | 1.53 | 0.00 | 1.53 | 167.54 | |
Olive Branch | census-designated place | 650 | 9.45 | 0.01 | 9.45 | 68.80 | |
Tamms | village | 430 | 2.33 | 0.00 | 2.33 | 184.39 | |
Thebes | village | 208 | 2.31 | 0.57 | 1.75 | 119.20 | |
Alexander County | county | 5,240 | 253 | 17 | 236 | 21 |
Alexander County is unique among antebellum free state rural counties in having a postbellum political history largely determined by a significant black electorate. It is most similar in this respect to – though still substantially different from – some counties of the south and the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The county was thus solidly Republican until the New Deal, and gradually turned solidly Democratic up through the presidency of Bill Clinton.[ citation needed ]
In the twenty-first century, the county has shown a trend towards the GOP due to large-scale black emigration and a rapid swing of its Caucasian population toward Republican candidates.[ citation needed ] This became clear in 2016, when Donald Trump carried the county by 8.3 points—a hard swing from favorite son Obama's 13.6-point victory four years earlier, and the first time the county voted Republican since 1972. An even harder swing was taken in 2020, when he carried Alexander again by 14.2 points, even as the nation as a whole trended slightly leftward. Furthermore, Dick Durbin lost the county in the simultaneous U.S. Senate election, making it his first Senate election in which he failed to win the county and the first Senate election since 1972 in which a Republican won the county.[ citation needed ]
Despite the rightward swing taken by the county, the city and county seat of Cairo remains overwhelmingly Democratic.[ citation needed ]
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2024 | 1,341 | 58.92% | 904 | 39.72% | 31 | 1.36% |
2020 | 1,486 | 56.70% | 1,114 | 42.50% | 21 | 0.80% |
2016 | 1,496 | 53.05% | 1,262 | 44.75% | 62 | 2.20% |
2012 | 1,487 | 42.47% | 1,965 | 56.13% | 49 | 1.40% |
2008 | 1,692 | 42.87% | 2,189 | 55.46% | 66 | 1.67% |
2004 | 1,831 | 47.28% | 2,016 | 52.05% | 26 | 0.67% |
2000 | 1,588 | 39.48% | 2,357 | 58.60% | 77 | 1.91% |
1996 | 1,212 | 28.16% | 2,753 | 63.96% | 339 | 7.88% |
1992 | 1,301 | 29.83% | 2,566 | 58.83% | 495 | 11.35% |
1988 | 1,954 | 41.90% | 2,693 | 57.75% | 16 | 0.34% |
1984 | 2,574 | 47.08% | 2,872 | 52.53% | 21 | 0.38% |
1980 | 2,650 | 46.67% | 2,925 | 51.51% | 103 | 1.81% |
1976 | 2,349 | 41.52% | 3,246 | 57.37% | 63 | 1.11% |
1972 | 3,669 | 59.09% | 2,482 | 39.97% | 58 | 0.93% |
1968 | 2,540 | 36.63% | 2,929 | 42.24% | 1,465 | 21.13% |
1964 | 2,895 | 37.80% | 4,763 | 62.20% | 0 | 0.00% |
1960 | 4,143 | 47.96% | 4,477 | 51.83% | 18 | 0.21% |
1956 | 4,425 | 51.38% | 4,167 | 48.38% | 21 | 0.24% |
1952 | 5,219 | 54.63% | 4,305 | 45.06% | 29 | 0.30% |
1948 | 4,561 | 49.05% | 4,641 | 49.91% | 96 | 1.03% |
1944 | 4,792 | 49.73% | 4,767 | 49.47% | 78 | 0.81% |
1940 | 6,260 | 48.20% | 6,591 | 50.75% | 137 | 1.05% |
1936 | 5,553 | 43.89% | 6,972 | 55.10% | 128 | 1.01% |
1932 | 4,729 | 44.90% | 5,653 | 53.67% | 151 | 1.43% |
1928 | 5,666 | 61.24% | 3,558 | 38.46% | 28 | 0.30% |
1924 | 4,465 | 58.10% | 2,639 | 34.34% | 581 | 7.56% |
1920 | 5,287 | 61.92% | 3,167 | 37.09% | 85 | 1.00% |
1916 | 5,395 | 56.76% | 3,940 | 41.45% | 170 | 1.79% |
1912 | 2,003 | 41.79% | 1,936 | 40.39% | 854 | 17.82% |
1908 | 3,790 | 63.85% | 2,027 | 34.15% | 119 | 2.00% |
1904 | 3,203 | 63.11% | 1,686 | 33.22% | 186 | 3.67% |
1900 | 2,790 | 60.76% | 1,760 | 38.33% | 42 | 0.91% |
1896 | 2,802 | 60.35% | 1,813 | 39.05% | 28 | 0.60% |
1892 | 2,053 | 53.93% | 1,674 | 43.97% | 80 | 2.10% |
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