Cahawba County was established ("erected") on February 7, 1818, named for the Cahawba River (now more commonly known asCahaba River). This name came from theChoctaw language word meaning "water above." On December 4, 1820, it was renamed as Bibb County.[4]
In the wake of theAmerican Civil War, the state legislature passed laws to create a new constitution that raised barriers to voter registration and effectively excludedFreedmen from the political process. Many residents resisted the objectives ofUnion occupation both during and afterReconstruction because they wanted to restore theAntebellum social and political norms. During this time of transition, Bibb, Dallas, andPickens counties held the third-highest number of lynchings in the state.[5] On June 18, 1919,Jim McMillan was lynched by a White mob. On November 7, 2000, Bibb County voted against a proposed amendment to Alabama's constitution to abolish the prohibition of interracial marriages.[6]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 626 square miles (1,620 km2), of which 623 square miles (1,610 km2) is land and 3.6 square miles (9.3 km2) (0.6%) is water.[7]
Bibb 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 the2020 census, the county had a population of 22,293. The median age was 40.5 years. 21.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 112.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 114.9 males age 18 and over.[25][26]
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[27]
There were 7,927 households in the county, of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 27.5% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[25]
There were 9,002 housing units, of which 11.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 74.8% were owner-occupied and 25.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.6%.[25]
As of thecensus[28] of 2010, there were 22,915 people, 7,953 households, and 5,748 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 37 people per square mile (14 people/km2). There were 8,981 housing units at an average density of 14.3 units per square mile (5.5 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 75.8%White, 22.0%Black orAfrican American, 0.3%Native American, 0.1%Asian, 0.1%Pacific Islander, 0.8% fromother races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Of the population, 1.8% wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 7,953 households, out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% weremarried couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.7% were non-families. Of all households, 24.5% were made up of individuals, and 9.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 115.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 127.5 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $41,770, and the median income for a family was $51,956. Males had a median income of $40,219 versus $28,085 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $19,918. About 9.4% of families and 12.6% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 18.4% of those under age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over.
From 1920 to 1970, the population of the rural county declined considerably. Many African Americans joined theGreat Migration to northern and western cities, to escape the violence and racial oppression ofJim Crow.[29]
Bibb County has a five-member County Commission, elected from single-member districts. Members take turns in serving as chairman of the commission, rotating the position every nine and a half months.[33]
Bibb County is reliably Republican at the presidential level. The last Democrat to win the county in a presidential election wasJimmy Carter, who won it by a majority in1980 despite narrowly losing the state of Alabama toRonald Reagan. The county strongly supported independent pro-segregation presidential candidates Strom Thurmond in 1948 and George Wallace in 1968.
^"Alabama Counties: Bibb County".Alabama Department of Archives and History. Montgomery, AL. December 13, 2011. Archived fromthe original on June 12, 2012. RetrievedApril 30, 2012.
