Winston County, Alabama Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Winston County
U.S. county
Winston County courthouse in Double Springs
Location within the U.S. state of Alabama
Alabama's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Alabama
Founded	February 12, 1850
Named for	John A. Winston
Seat	Double Springs
Largest city	Haleyville
Area
• Total	632 sq mi (1,640 km²)
• Land	613 sq mi (1,590 km²)
• Water	19 sq mi (50 km²) 3.0%
Population (2020)
• Total	23,540
• Estimate (2023)	23,611
• Density	37.25/sq mi (14.381/km²)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	4th
County number 67 on Alabama license plates Highest county number in Alabama Widely known as "The Free State of Winston."

Winston County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,540. Its county seat is Double Springs. Known as Hancock County before 1858, the county is named in honor of John A. Winston, the fifteenth Governor of Alabama.

History
- National Register of Historic Places
Geography
- Adjacent counties
- National protected area
Demographics
Transportation
- Major highways
- Rail
Communities
See also

History

Winston County was established under the name Hancock County on February 12, 1850, from territory that was formerly part of Walker County (a county directly to the south of Winston County). It was originally named for John Hancock, Governor of Massachusetts and famous signer of the American Declaration of Independence, with its county seat at Houston. On January 22, 1858, the county was renamed Winston County to honor Alabama Gov. John A. Winston.

During the American Civil War, Winston County gained attention for its opposition to secession, a sentiment so strong that the county is sometimes referred to as the Free State of Winston. This area had few slaves and saw little benefit to secession. The county today plays on its reputation as the "Free State of Winston" to attract tourists. The county's opposition to the Confederacy is briefly mentioned in the novels To Kill a Mockingbird and Addie Pray.

In 1883, the county seat was moved from Houston to Double Springs to be near the center of the county, since Cullman County was created from the eastern part of Winston County.

The civil-rights judge Frank Minis Johnson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit was born in Delmar, in Winston County.

National Register of Historic Places

Winston County has four sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places: Archeological Site No. 1WI50, Feldman's Department Store, the Houston Jail, and the Winston County Courthouse.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 631 square miles (1,630 km²), of which 613 square miles (1,590 km²) is land and 1.9 square miles (4.9 km²) (3.0%) is water.

Adjacent counties

Lawrence County (north)
Cullman County (east)
Walker County (south)
Marion County (west)
Franklin County (northwest)

National protected area

William B. Bankhead National Forest (part)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	1,542	—
1860	3,576	131.9%
1870	4,155	16.2%
1880	4,253	2.4%
1890	6,552	54.1%
1900	9,554	45.8%
1910	12,855	34.6%
1920	14,378	11.8%
1930	15,596	8.5%
1940	18,746	20.2%
1950	18,250	−2.6%
1960	14,858	−18.6%
1970	16,654	12.1%
1980	21,953	31.8%
1990	22,053	0.5%
2000	24,843	12.7%
2010	24,484	−1.4%
2020	23,540	−3.9%
2023 (est.)	23,611	−3.6%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020

2020 census

**Winston County, Alabama – Racial and Ethnic Composition**
(*NH = Non-Hispanic*)
*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	Pop 2000	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	24,055	23,237	21,598	96.83%	94.91%	91.75%
Black or African American alone (NH)	93	115	131	0.37%	0.47%	0.56%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	107	139	83	0.43%	0.57%	0.35%
Asian alone (NH)	30	59	58	0.12%	0.24%	0.25%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	2	8	9	0.01%	0.03%	0.04%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	8	4	39	0.03%	0.02%	0.17%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)	176	283	807	0.71%	1.16%	3.43%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	372	639	815	1.50%	2.61%	3.46%
Total	24,843	24,484	23,540	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 23,540 people, 9,592 households, and 6,268 families residing in the county.

2010 census

At the 2010 census there were 24,484 people, 10,163 households, and 7,074 families living in the county. The population density was 40 people per square mile (15 people/km²). There were 13,469 housing units at an average density of 22 units per square mile (8.5 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.6% White, 0.5% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.5% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Nearly 2.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 10,163 households, 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. Nearly 27.1% of households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.38, and the average family size was 2.86.

The age distribution was 21.6% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 29.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% 65 or older. The median age was 43.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.8 males.

The median household income was $33,685 and the median family income was $39,784. Males had a median income of $38,074 versus $23,301 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,055. 15.4% of the population and 20.6% of families were below the poverty line. 31.4% of those under the age of 18 and 14.4% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.