Coffee County, Alabama

Last updated

Coffee County
County
Coffee County Courthouse.jpg
Original Coffee County Courthouse (Elba)
Seal of Coffee County, Alabama.png
Seal
Map of Alabama highlighting Coffee County.svg
Location within the U.S. state of Alabama
Alabama in United States.svg
Alabama's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 31°24′12″N85°59′12″W / 31.403333333333°N 85.986666666667°W / 31.403333333333; -85.986666666667
CountryFlag of the United States.svg United States
StateFlag of Alabama.svg Alabama
FoundedDecember 29, 1841
Named after John Coffee
Seat Elba (de facto)
Enterprise (annex) [1]
Largest cityEnterprise
Area
 • Total
680 sq mi (1,800 km2)
 • Land679 sq mi (1,760 km2)
 • Water1.5 sq mi (4 km2)  0.2%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
53,465
 • Estimate 
(2024)
56,358 Increase2.svg
 • Density79/sq mi (30/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 1st
Website www.coffeecounty.us
  • County Number 19 on Alabama Licence Plates

Coffee County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population was 53,465. [2] Its name is in honor of General John Coffee.

Contents

Coffee County comprises the Enterprise, Micropolitan Statistical Area, which was originally Enterprise–Ozark micropolitan area in 2010 censuses before being split off. [3] It was originally included in the Dothan-Enterprise-Ozark, Combined Statistical Area in its 2012 statistics but the area in its recent years has been separated from the Dothan metropolitan area and Ozark micropolitan area in later censuses and is its own primary statistical area now. [4] [5] Despite the census change of the statistics by the United States Census Bureau, the county still remains culturally connected alongside the two core based areas as it is commonly described as part of what is called the Wiregrass region together and also it shares its locations of United States Army base, Fort Rucker. The county seat is mostly known as Elba, although Enterprise contains a second county courthouse as well. [6]

History

The land in Coffee County was originally part of Dale County, which was incorporated in 1824. Coffee County was formed from the western part of Dale County on December 29, 1841. [7] It was named after John R. Coffee, [8] a soldier in the Creek War of 1813—14. The first county seat was in Wellborn. After the courthouse was destroyed by fire in 1851, the county seat was moved to Elba.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 680 square miles (1,800 km2), of which 679 square miles (1,760 km2) is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km2) (0.2%) is water. [9] The county is located in the Wiregrass region of southeast Alabama.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1850 5,940—
1860 9,62362.0%
1870 6,171−35.9%
1880 8,11931.6%
1890 12,17049.9%
1900 20,97272.3%
1910 26,11924.5%
1920 30,07015.1%
1930 32,5568.3%
1940 31,987−1.7%
1950 30,720−4.0%
1960 30,583−0.4%
1970 34,87214.0%
1980 38,53310.5%
1990 40,2404.4%
2000 43,6158.4%
2010 49,94814.5%
2020 53,4657.0%
2024 (est.)56,358 [10] 5.4%
U.S. Decennial Census [11]
1790–1960 [12] 1900–1990 [13]
1990–2000 [14] 2010–2020 [2]

2020 Census

Coffee County, Alabama – Racial and ethnic composition
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.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2000 [15] Pop 2010 [16] Pop 2020 [17] % 2000% 2010% 2020
White alone (NH)32,97136,13435,75975.60%72.34%66.88%
Black or African American alone (NH)7,9508,2578,64318.23%16.53%16.17%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)3866024050.89%1.21%0.76%
Asian alone (NH)4096298920.94%1.26%1.67%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)4051570.09%0.10%0.11%
Other race alone (NH)58521950.13%0.10%0.36%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)6181,0432,6271.42%2.09%4.91%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)1,1833,1804,8872.71%6.37%9.14%
Total43,61549,94853,465100.00%100.00%100.00%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 53,465 people, 19,924 households, and 13,747 families residing in the county.

2010 census

As of the census [18] of 2010, there were 49,948 people, 19,849 households, and 13,837 families residing in the county. The population density was 74 people per square mile (29 people/km2). There were 22,330 housing units at an average density of 33 units per square mile (13 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 74.7% White, 16.7% Black or African American, 1.3% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 3.2% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. 6.4% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

The largest self-reported ancestry groups in Coffee County were English (59.9%), German (4.4%), Irish (3.3%), "American" (3.1%), (1.8%), Scottish (1.2%) and Portuguese (1.0%).

There were 19,849 households, out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.3% were non-families. 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.2% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.3 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,253, and the median income for a family was $54,929. Males had a median income of $41,635 versus $29,082 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,797. About 14.1% of families and 17.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.4% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Coffee County is reliably Republican at the presidential level. The last Democrat to win the county in a presidential election is Jimmy Carter, who won it by a majority in 1976.

United States presidential election results for Coffee County, Alabama [19]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
1844 14231.07%31568.93%00.00%
1848 19252.46%17447.54%00.00%
1852 11330.54%23964.59%184.86%
1856 00.00%70370.02%30129.98%
1860 00.00%20.16%1,27299.84%
1868 808.67%84391.33%00.00%
1872 9811.68%74188.32%00.00%
1876 252.91%83597.09%00.00%
1880 637.62%76492.38%00.00%
1884 394.27%87595.73%00.00%
1888 70.62%1,12499.38%00.00%
1892 472.42%99251.06%90446.53%
1896 1146.77%1,49488.72%764.51%
1900 53533.82%99863.08%493.10%
1904 22613.15%1,10664.34%38722.51%
1908 34118.08%1,30569.19%24012.73%
1912 683.76%1,27770.67%46225.57%
1916 42617.21%2,02981.95%210.85%
1920 67327.95%1,72171.47%140.58%
1924 32316.61%1,59782.11%251.29%
1928 1,03639.17%1,60960.83%00.00%
1932 953.20%2,86896.73%20.07%
1936 1103.33%3,17896.16%170.51%
1940 1456.12%2,22693.88%00.00%
1944 1153.88%2,84696.02%30.10%
1948 1135.25%00.00%2,03994.75%
1952 69915.13%3,91984.83%20.04%
1956 97318.47%4,16379.02%1322.51%
1960 1,38123.54%4,47076.19%160.27%
1964 4,91080.19%00.00%1,21319.81%
1968 6826.33%1,0719.95%9,01383.72%
1972 9,07680.06%2,16019.05%1000.88%
1976 4,68337.02%7,84462.00%1240.98%
1980 6,76050.45%6,14045.82%4993.72%
1984 10,55869.84%4,37028.91%1901.26%
1988 8,89066.57%4,31932.34%1461.09%
1992 7,59148.87%5,77637.19%2,16613.94%
1996 7,80555.12%5,16836.50%1,1868.38%
2000 9,93864.39%5,22033.82%2761.79%
2004 13,01973.90%4,48025.43%1170.66%
2008 14,91974.12%5,07925.23%1300.65%
2012 14,66673.99%4,92524.85%2301.16%
2016 15,87576.44%4,22120.33%6713.23%
2020 16,89975.87%5,07622.79%3001.35%
2024 17,49578.39%4,60120.61%2231.00%

Communities

Cities

Towns

Unincorporated communities

Education

School districts include: [20]

Fort Rucker residents are within the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) system, [20] for elementary school. Students on-post in Fort Rucker beyond the elementary level may attend non-DoDEA schools for secondary levels, with an on-post family choosing one of the following three options: Enterprise City, Daleville City School System, or Ozark City Schools. [21]

Notable people

The county is referred to in Joe David Brown's 1971 novel Addie Pray, which inspired the movie Paper Moon.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Coffee County, Alabama. "History of Coffee County". Archived from the original on October 27, 2011. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
  2. 1 2 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Table 1. Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2009 (CBSA-EST2009-01)". 2009 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. March 23, 2010. Archived from the original (CSV) on March 26, 2010. Retrieved March 24, 2010.
  4. ↑ www.2census.gov. United States Census Bureau https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/econ/ec2012/csa/EC2012_330M200US222M.pdf . Retrieved December 14, 2021.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. ↑ "OMB Bulletin No. 20-01: Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas" (PDF). United States Office of Management and Budget. March 6, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Alabama Counties: Coffee County". Alabama Department of Archives and History. Montgomery, AL. April 9, 2010. Archived from the original on March 5, 2012. Retrieved April 30, 2012.
  8. ↑ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp.  86.
  9. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  10. ↑ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
  11. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  13. ↑ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 24, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  15. ↑ "P004 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Coffee County, Alabama". United States Census Bureau .
  16. ↑ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Coffee County, Alabama". United States Census Bureau .
  17. ↑ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Coffee County, Alabama". United States Census Bureau .
  18. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved July 18, 2015.
  19. ↑ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections" . Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  20. 1 2 "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Coffee County, AL" (PDF). United States Census Bureau . Retrieved July 5, 2022. - Text list - "Fort Rucker School District" refers to the DoDEA schools.
  21. ↑ "Fort Rucker Education". Military One Source . Retrieved July 5, 2022. - From a .mil site.
  22. ↑ "MOORE, Barry". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved July 1, 2025.

31°24′12″N85°59′12″W / 31.40333°N 85.98667°W / 31.40333; -85.98667

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