Chickasaw, Alabama

Chickasaw
City
Coordinates: 30°45′53″N 88°5′1″W / 30.76472°N 88.08361°W / 30.76472; -88.08361Coordinates: 30°45′53″N 88°5′1″W / 30.76472°N 88.08361°W / 30.76472; -88.08361
Country	United States
State	Alabama
County	Mobile
Area
• Total	4.5 sq mi (11.9 km2)
• Land	4.4 sq mi (11.5 km2)
• Water	0.1 sq mi (0.4 km2)
Elevation	30 ft (9 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	6,106
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	36611, 36671
Area code(s)	251
FIPS code	01-14392
GNIS feature ID	0116030
Website	www.cityofchickasaw.org

Chickasaw is a city in Mobile County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 U.S. Census the population is 6,106, a decline from 6,364 in 2000.^[1] It is included in the Mobile metropolitan statistical area.

Geography

Chickasaw is located at 30°45′54″N 88°05′01″W / 30.764987°N 88.083713°W / 30.764987; -88.083713.^[2] According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.6 square miles (12 km²), of which 4.4 square miles (11 km²) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²) (3.06%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census^[6] of 2000, there were 6,364 people, 2,747 households, and 1,747 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,436.3 people per square mile (554.7/km²). There were 2,989 housing units at an average density of 674.6 per square mile (260.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.89% White, 8.12% Black or African American, 1.35% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 1.08% from two or more races. 1.15% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 2,747 households out of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 15.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the city the population dispersal was 23.6% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 21.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 86.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $27,036, and the median income for a family was $33,125. Males had a median income of $29,074 versus $21,181 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,190. About 13.0% of families and 17.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.1% of those under age 18 and 13.9% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the census^[7] of 2010, there were 6,106 people, 2,430 households, and 1,612 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,387,7 people per square mile (531.0km²). There were 2,879 housing units at an average density of 654.3 per square mile (250.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 63.0% White, 33.6% Black or African American, .8% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.9% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. 2.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 2,430 households out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.2% were married couples living together, 22.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the city the population dispersal was 26.9% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.1 years. For every 100 females there were 86.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,061, and the median income for a family was $40,625. Males had a median income of $35,300 versus $25,369 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,105. About 18.9% of families and 20.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.0% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Chickasaw's public schools are within the Chickasaw City Schools district. The city voted to form its own school system in 2012.^[8]

History of schools

Chicksaw's public schools were previously operated by the Mobile County Public School System. One elementary school, Hamilton Elementary School, was within the Chickasaw city limits and serves Chickasaw residents. In addition two magnet high schools, Chickasaw School of Mathematics and Science and the Clark School of Mathematics, Science and Technology, were in the city.^[9] Residents zoned to Hamilton are also zoned to Chastang Middle School.^[10]

Several years prior to 2009 officials of Chickasaw, Satsuma, and Saraland contemplated forming the "Delta School District." Around 2009 Chickasaw officials considered starting a plan to secede from the Mobile County school system after Mobile County officials considered closing the Chickasaw magnets, which together have a combined total of 14% Chickasaw residents; the rest of the students came from other locations, including the unincorporated area of Grand Bay. Mobile County considered moving the magnets to Shaw High School in western Mobile.^[9]

Immediately after the split, the Chickasaw School of Mathematics and Science continued to be located in Chickasaw, but residents of Chickasaw were required to pay $2,200 per year per child in order to attend the school.^[11] In January 2013 the Mobile County school board decided to move the Mathematics and Science school to the former Howard Elementary School near Downtown Mobile.^[12]

History

USS Pivot (AM-276) launched at the Gulf Shipbuilding Company, Chickasaw, Alabama, on 11 November 1943. In the background can be seen the USS Pledge (AM-277).

Company town

The present site of Chickasaw was, in the early 20th century before the city now standing was incorporated, a company town, wholly owned by companies such as the Gulf Shipbuilding Corporation. It was the subject of a Supreme Court of the United States decision (Marsh v. Alabama, 326 U.S. 501 (1946)), which stated that despite being a privately owned town, because it functioned as a town open to the public, the right conferred by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution cannot be abridged.

Notable person

Ray Sawyer of the band Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show was born in Chickasaw in 1937.

Incorporation as a city

Chickasaw as a city was incorporated in 1946 as a shipbuilding town.

See also

• Bible belt

References

• information on metropolitan statistical areas and Mobile MSA

External links

• City of Chickasaw

Municipalities and communities of Mobile County, Alabama, United States
County seat: Mobile
Cities	Bayou La Batre Chickasaw Citronelle Creola Mobile Prichard Saraland Satsuma Semmes
Towns	Dauphin Island Mount Vernon
CDPs	Axis Belle Fontaine Bucks Calvert‡ Chunchula Grand Bay Gulfcrest Movico Theodore Tillmans Corner
Unincorporated communities	Alabama Port Cloverdale Coden Crawford Eight Mile Fernland Heron Bay Irvington Kushla Le Moyne Lloyds Mauvilla Mon Louis Pennsylvania St. Elmo Union Church Whistler Wilmer
Ghost town	Beaver Mills
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties