Altoona is a town in

Etowah County Etowah County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census the population was 103,436. Its county seat is Gadsden. Its name is from a Cherokee word meaning "edible tree". In total area, it i ...

(and a small portion of Blount County) in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

. It is part of the

Gadsden Metropolitan Statistical Area Gadsden may refer to: Places *Gadsden, Alabama **Gadsden Depot, a United States Army Depot in the city of Gadsden, Alabama *Gadsden, Arizona *Gadsden, Indiana *Gadsden, South Carolina *Gadsden, Tennessee *Gadsden County, Florida *Gadsden Indepen ...

. At the 2020 census, the population was 948.

History

Altoona had its start in the year 1900 as a mining town, and was named for another

coal town A coal town, also known as a coal camp or patch, is a type of company town or mining community established by the employer, a mining company, which imports workers to the site to work the mineral find. The company develops it and provides residen ...

Altoona, Pennsylvania Altoona is a city in Blair County, Pennsylvania. It is the principal city of the Altoona Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The population was 43,963 at the time of the 2020 Census, making it the eighteenth most populous city in Pennsylvania. ...

. A post office has been in operation at Altoona since 1900. It incorporated in 1908.

Geography

Altoona is located in western Etowah County at (34.029259, -86.320687). The town extends west into Blount County. It is located in the Murphree Valley at the base of Altoona Mountain. Straight Mountain is a small, narrow ridge which runs nearly through the center of the town. Alabama State Route 132 (Main Street) leads southwest to Oneonta, the Blount County seat, and northeast towards Gadsden via U.S. Route 278. According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the town has a total area of , of which , or 0.23%, is water.

Demographics

Altoona first appeared on the 1910 U.S. Census as an incorporated town. See also Altoona precinct/division below.

2000 Census data

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 984 people, 397 households, and 271 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 437 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 95.43%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 2.54%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.10% Native American, 0.91% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.02% from two or more races. 2.54% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. There were 397 households, out of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.89. In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 78.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.2 males. The median income for a household in the town was $20,469, and the median income for a family was $28,750. Males had a median income of $30,250 versus $22,344 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $11,168. About 21.8% of families and 27.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 39.3% of those under age 18 and 16.3% of those age 65 or over.

Altoona Precinct/Division (1910-)

Altoona Precinct (Etowah County 32nd Precinct) first appeared on the 1910 U.S. Census. In 1960, it was changed to the Altoona Census Division as part of a general reorganization of counties. The census division only includes the Etowah County portion of the town of Altoona. The Blount County portion is in the Clarence Census Division.http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/cph-1-2.pdf, 2010 AL Census

References

External links

{{authority control Towns in Etowah County, Alabama Towns in Blount County, Alabama Towns in Alabama Populated places established in 1908 1908 establishments in Alabama