Mount Vernon, Alabama Explained

Official Name:Mount Vernon, Alabama
Settlement Type:Town
Mapsize:250px
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Name1:Alabama
Subdivision Name2:Mobile
Area Footnotes:[1]
Area Total Km2:14.49
Area Total Sq Mi:5.59
Area Land Km2:14.20
Area Land Sq Mi:5.48
Area Water Km2:0.29
Area Water Sq Mi:0.11
Elevation Ft:30
Elevation M:9
Population As Of:2020
Population Footnotes:[2]
Population Total:1354
Population Density Km2:95.38
Population Density Sq Mi:247.04
Timezone:Central (CST)
Utc Offset:-6
Coordinates:31.0931°N -88.0111°W
Timezone Dst:CDT
Utc Offset Dst:-5
Postal Code Type:ZIP code
Postal Code:36560
Area Code:251
Blank Name:FIPS code
Blank Info:01-52608
Blank1 Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank1 Info:0158031
Unit Pref:Imperial

Mount Vernon is a town in Mobile County, Alabama, United States. It is part of the Mobile metropolitan area. It incorporated in 1959.[3] At the 2020 census the population was 1,354.[2]

Geography

Mount Vernon is located in the northeast corner of Mobile County at 31.0931°N -88.0111°W (31.093170, -88.011209).[4] U.S. Route 43 passes through the town to the west of its center. US 43 leads south to Mobile and north to Jackson.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 5.6sqmi, of which, or 2.02%, are water.[1] Cedar Creek, an east-flowing tributary of the Mobile River, passes through the southernmost part of the town. The Mobile River itself is 2miles to the east, with access from State Landing Road off Old Military Road.

Demographics

2020 census

Mount Vernon racial composition[5] !Race!Num.!Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)28621.12%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)1,00474.15%
Native American211.55%
Pacific Islander10.07%
Other/Mixed332.44%
Hispanic or Latino90.66%
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,354 people, 457 households, and 336 families residing in the town.

2010 census

At the 2010 census there were 1,574 people, 556 households, and 399 families in the town. The population density was 828.4sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 667 housing units at an average density of 351.1sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the town was 73.6% Black or African American, 23.4% White, 1.7% Native American, 0.1% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. 0.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[6] Of the 556 households 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 21.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 25.4% of households were one person and 10.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.31.

The age distribution was 23.9% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 19.9% from 25 to 44, 32.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% 65 or older. The median age was 42.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.9 males.

The median household income was $34,722 and the median family income was $46,111. Males had a median income of $41,250 versus $23,625 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,790. About 2.7% of families and 26.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 18.9% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 844 people, 333 households, and 228 families in the town. The population density was 446.4sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 395 housing units at an average density of 208.9sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the town was 45.38% White, 52.96% Black or African American, 0.95% Native American, 0.24% from other races, and 0.47% from two or more races. 0.12% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[7] Of the 333 households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.8% were married couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. 30.0% of households were one person and 16.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.19.

The age distribution was 26.2% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.1 males.

The median household income was $29,861 and the median family income was $36,786. Males had a median income of $30,347 versus $18,750 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,551. About 19.8% of families and 22.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.9% of those under age 18 and 21.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The city is served by the Mobile County Public School System. Elementary and middle schoolers go to North Mobile County K-8 near Axis CDP.[8] High schoolers go on to Citronelle High School in Citronelle.[9] [10]

The city's sole public school was the E.T.Belsaw/Mt. Vernon School, which covered grades Kindergarten through 8.[11] [12] In 2006 it had 321 students.[8] [13] From 2010 to 2016 several extracurricular programs at the school were discontinued. It had 98 students in 2016. Gwendolyn Pugh, Mount Vernon Town Councilor, stated that the enrollment drop was due to the extracurricular programs being removed.[14] The county board voted to close the school in 2016.[13]

Historic areas in and around Mt. Vernon

Mount Vernon was home to a historic psychiatric hospital, Searcy Hospital, formerly the site of the Mount Vernon Arsenal. The hospital closed in 2012.

A land marker used for surveying land known as "Ellicott's Stone" lies 6miles south of the town to the east of US 43.

Notable people

Gallery

Photographs taken in Mount Vernon as part of the Historic American Buildings Survey:

References

  1. Web site: 2021 U.S. Gazetteer Files. United States Census Bureau. April 21, 2022.
  2. Web site: Mount Vernon town, Alabama: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171). U.S. Census Bureau. April 21, 2022.
  3. Web site: Mobile Press-Register 200th Anniversary: Annexations triple city; Mobile adds cultural icons, gallows retired (1950-1959) . June 26, 2013.
  4. Web site: US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990. United States Census Bureau. April 23, 2011. February 12, 2011.
  5. Web site: Explore Census Data. December 14, 2021. data.census.gov.
  6. Web site: U.S. Census website. United States Census Bureau. August 4, 2015.
  7. Web site: U.S. Census website. United States Census Bureau. January 31, 2008.
  8. Web site: Idowu, Modupe. Officials decide future of two schools: Mae Eanes Belsaw-Mount Vernon. NBC 15. May 25, 2016. November 27, 2018. Mae Eanes will be merged with Williamson High School and Belsaw-Mount Vernon Elementary School will go to North Mobile K-8..
  9. "Citronelle High School Attendance Zone ." Mobile County Public School System. Retrieved on November 27, 2018.
  10. "2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Mount Vernon town, AL." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on November 28, 2018.
  11. "Schools." Town of Mount Vernon. Retrieved on July 29, 2016.
  12. A copy of the school's attendance boundary, as the file "Belsaw Mt. Vernon.pdf", is available from the Mobile County Public School System Student Support Services Department. This file was previously available online (see "Elementary Attendance Zone Maps(A-I)" "Belsaw Mt Vernon" but the link is broken)
  13. Web site: Devoe, Emily. Mobile County School Board Votes to Close Two Schools. WKRG. May 24, 2016. November 27, 2018.
  14. Web site: Johnson, Jason. School board closes Mae Eanes, Belshaw-Mt. Vernon schools. Lagniappe Weekly. May 25, 2016. November 27, 2018.
  15. Book: District of Columbia Police: A Retrospect of the Police Organizations of the Cities of Washington and Georgetown and the District of Columbia, with Biographical Sketches ... and Historic Cases. Pub. for the Benefit of the Policemen's Fund . 1894 . Gibson Bros., printers . 174.