Wilcox County, Alabama facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wilcox County
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Wilcox County Courthouse in Camden
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Location within the U.S. state of Alabama
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 Alabama's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Alabama |
| Founded | December 13, 1819 |
| Named for | Joseph M. Wilcox |
| Seat | Camden |
| Largest city | Camden |
| Area | |
| • Total | 907 sq mi (2,350 km2) |
| • Land | 888 sq mi (2,300 km2) |
| • Water | 19 sq mi (50 km2) 2.1% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 10,600 |
| • Estimate
(2021)
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10,446  |
| • Density | 11.69/sq mi (4.512/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 7th |
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Wilcox County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,600. Its county seat is Camden.
Contents
History
Wilcox County was established on December 13, 1819. The county was named after Joseph M. Wilcox, a US Army lieutenant who was killed in Alabama during the Creek War.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 907 square miles (2,350 km2), of which 888 square miles (2,300 km2) is land and 19 square miles (49 km2) (2.1%) is water.
Major highways
State Route 5
State Route 10
State Route 21
State Route 25
State Route 28
State Route 41
State Route 89
State Route 162
State Route 164
State Route 221
State Route 265
Adjacent counties
- Dallas County (northeast)
- Lowndes County (east-northeast)
- Butler County (east-southeast)
- Monroe County (south)
- Clarke County (southwest)
- Marengo County (northwest)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1820 | 2,917 | — | |
| 1830 | 9,548 | 227.3% | |
| 1840 | 15,278 | 60.0% | |
| 1850 | 17,352 | 13.6% | |
| 1860 | 24,618 | 41.9% | |
| 1870 | 28,377 | 15.3% | |
| 1880 | 31,828 | 12.2% | |
| 1890 | 30,816 | −3.2% | |
| 1900 | 35,631 | 15.6% | |
| 1910 | 33,810 | −5.1% | |
| 1920 | 31,080 | −8.1% | |
| 1930 | 24,880 | −19.9% | |
| 1940 | 26,279 | 5.6% | |
| 1950 | 23,476 | −10.7% | |
| 1960 | 18,739 | −20.2% | |
| 1970 | 16,303 | −13.0% | |
| 1980 | 14,755 | −9.5% | |
| 1990 | 13,568 | −8.0% | |
| 2000 | 13,183 | −2.8% | |
| 2010 | 11,670 | −11.5% | |
| 2020 | 10,600 | −9.2% | |
| 2021 (est.) | 10,446 | −10.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020 |
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2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
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| White (non-Hispanic) | 2,866 | 27.04% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 7,425 | 70.05% |
| Native American | 11 | 0.1% |
| Asian | 7 | 0.07% |
| Pacific Islander | 5 | 0.05% |
| Other/Mixed | 174 | 1.64% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 112 | 1.06% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 10,600 people, 3,854 households, and 2,284 families residing in the county.
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 11,670 people living in the county. 72.5% were Black or African American, 26.8% White, 0.1% Native American, 0.1% of some other race and 0.4% of two or more races. 0.6% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).
Religion
As of the census of 2010:
- African Methodist Episcopal Church (2443)
- Southern Baptist Convention (2177)
- Nondenominational Protestant (477)
- The United Methodist Church (463)
- Pentecostalism (320)
- Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (262)
- Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (251)
- Churches of Christ (206)
Communities
City
- Camden (county seat)
Towns
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
Ghost town
Places of interest
Wilcox County is home to Roland Cooper State Park, Lake Dannelly, and Bridgeport Beach.
Economy
Major industries in the county include a paper mill operated by International Paper, based in Memphis, Tennessee, on the Alabama River near Pine Hill that employs roughly 400 people, and a copper tubing plant owned by Golden Dragon Copper Group of Xinxiang, China in Sunny South that opened in 2014; it employs approximately 300.
Education
All public schools in the county are operated by the Wilcox County School District. It is also served by one private school, Wilcox Academy, founded in 1970 as a segregation academy. The public schools are effectively all-Black.
Notable people
- William Q. Atwood, former slave who became a lumber baron based in Saginaw, Michigan
- Judy L. Bonner, 28th President of The University of Alabama
- Fred Cone, former running back in the NFL for the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys
- James Crawford (basketball), former professional basketball player who played in the Australian National Basketball League
- Laurance L. Cross, Presbyterian minister and Mayor of Berkeley, California
- Marie Foster, leader in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement
- Kenneth R. Giddens, Broadcaster and Voice of America executive
- John Cooper Godbold, United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- Kay Ivey, 54th governor of Alabama
- Philemon T. Herbert, former U.S. Representative from California
- Bill Lee (musician), American musician
- Noah Purifoy, visual artist and sculptor
- Benjamin M. Miller, 39th governor of Alabama
- Lucy Mingo, American quilt maker and member of the Gee's Bend Collective
- Estella Payton, co-star on the Woman's World cooking show that aired on WKRG-TV in Mobile, Alabama
- Joseph Smitherman, mayor of Selma, Alabama
- William J. Vaughn, American university professor, school principal, librarian and book collector
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Wilcox (Alabama) para niños
