Monroeville, Alabama

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Monroeville is a city in Monroe County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 6,862. The city is the county seat of Monroe County^GR6.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 Notable Natives
4 To Kill a Mockingbird
5 External links

[edit] Geography

Monroeville is located at 31°31′5″N, 87°19′39″W (31.518075, -87.327543)^GR1.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 33.8 km² (13.1 mi²). 33.8 km² (13.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.08% is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 6,862 people, 2,687 households, and 1,870 families residing in the city. The population density was 203.0/km² (525.8/mi²). There were 3,016 housing units at an average density of 89.2/km² (231.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 53.09% White, 44.84% Black or African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 0.15% from other races, and 0.96% from two or more races. 0.90% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 2,687 households out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were married couples living together, 18.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 82.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,229, and the median income for a family was $36,476. Males had a median income of $35,600 versus $20,184 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,070. About 20.4% of families and 23.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.0% of those under age 18 and 19.2% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Notable Natives

The novelist Harper Lee was born here. The fictional town of Maycomb in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird was based on Monroeville. The writer Truman Capote also spent some of his childhood here, and the novelist Mark Childress was born here. Marie Rudisill, better known as "The Fruitcake Lady" on NBC's Tonight Show, was also born and raised here.

[edit] To Kill a Mockingbird

The town draws around 30,000 visitors annually - primarily due to its connection with Ms. Lee's novel. Each May the Monroe County Heritage Museum presents an amateur play based on the book. The volunteer cast, comprised mainly of locals, has included a forester, the owner of an air conditioning company, and a firefighter. The homegrown troupe has traveled far and wide with performances in such venues as Washington D.C., the city of Hull in England, and Jerusalem.^{[citation needed]}