In 2010, thecenter of population of Alabama was located in Chilton County, near the city ofJemison, an area known as Jemison Division.[2]
The county is known for itspeaches and its unique landscape. It is home to swamps, prairies, and mountains due to the foothills of theAppalachians which end in the county, theCoosa River basin, and its proximity to theBlack Belt Prairie that was long a center of cotton production.
Baker County was established on December 30, 1868, named forAlfred Baker, with itscounty seat atGrantville. The county was created from Autauga, Bibb, Perry and Shelby County. Residents of the county petitioned the Alabama legislature for the renaming of their county; it was not something forced upon them. On December 17, 1874, the petitioners accepted the suggestion ofChilton County, even though the Chief Justice had not lived within its boundaries.[3] In 1871, the county seat was moved to what is now Clanton after the Grantville courthouse burned. Clanton, which was a site along the Louisville and Nashville Railroad when chosen the county seat, was named for James H. Clanton, Confederate Brigadier General.[4]
In 1942, the U.S. Navy commissioned a new vessel, the USSChilton, in honor of Chilton County.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 701 square miles (1,820 km2), of which 693 square miles (1,790 km2) is land and 7.9 square miles (20 km2) (1.1%) is water.[5]
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 45,014. The median age was 40.1 years. 23.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.5 males age 18 and over.[11][12]
14.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 85.5% lived in rural areas.[13]
There were 17,302 households in the county, of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 26.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[11]
There were 19,438 housing units, of which 11.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 76.5% were owner-occupied and 23.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.1%.[11]
Chilton 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.
As of thecensus,[18] of 2000, there were 39,593 people, 15,287 households, and 11,342 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 57 people per square mile (22 people/km2). There were 17,651 housing units at an average density of 25 units per square mile (9.7 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 86.71%White, 10.61%Black orAfrican American, 0.28%Native American, 0.18%Asian, 0.02%Pacific Islander, 1.51% fromother races, and 0.69% from two or more races. Nearly 2.91% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 15,287 households, of which 34.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.10% weremarried couples living together, 10.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.80% were non-families. Nearly 22.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57, and the average family size was 3.00.
25.70% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.10% from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 23.40% from 45 to 64, and 12.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.90 males.
Themedian household income was $32,588 and the median family income was $39,505. Males had a median income of $31,006 versus $21,275 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $15,303. About 12.60% of families and 15.70% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 19.40% of those under age 18 and 18.20% of those age 65 or over.
The County Commission is made up of seven members elected bycumulative vote (CV). "Chilton County adopted cumulative voting in 1988 as part of the settlement of a vote dilution lawsuit brought against its previous election system. According to the 1990 Census, African Americans constituted 9.9% of the county's voting age population." Although passage of theVoting Rights Act of 1965 enabled African Americans to register and vote, in Chilton County no African American was elected to the County Commission until the first cumulative voting election, held in 1988.[21]
African Americans in Alabama had been essentiallydisenfranchised by the 1901 state constitution, which required payment of apoll tax and qualification by aliteracy test in order to register to vote. Discriminatory in practice as administered by white officials, this system excluded most blacks from the state's political system for decades in the 20th century before Congress passed theVoting Rights Act of 1965. After that, African Americans were able finally to register and vote in the county and state for the first time since the late 19th century.[21]
In counties in which there is a minority population and members are electedat-large or by single-member districts, minorities may be unable to elect representatives in a system dominated by the majority. The adoption of cumulative voting in Chilton County has enabled the minority to elect candidates of their choice by pooling their votes. Bobby Agee was elected as a Chilton County Commissioner in 1988 and again in the second cumulative voting election in 1992.[21] Cumulative voting depends on a multi-seat election, whetherat-large or by district. "The cumulative options provide a minority of voters an opportunity to concentrate their support for a candidate or candidates more effectively than they can under the more traditional voting rules used in this country."[21] In 2014, the county commission had an African-American commissioner among its seven members. However, in 2018, the county commissioners were all white males.[22]
The commission hires a County Administrator to handle daily management of county business.
Chilton County is reliably Republican at the presidential level. The last Democrat to win the county in a presidential election isJimmy Carter, who won it by a majority in1976.
United States presidential election results for Chilton County, Alabama[23][24]
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