Oakman is a town in Walker County,

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

, United States. At the 2020 census the population was 771, down from 789 in 2010. Initially named Day (or Day's) Gap, it was renamed Oakman and incorporated in 1895.

Geography

Oakman is located at (33.713594, -87.386111). According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the town has a total area of , all of it land. It is the only town in Alabama with perfectly round city limits.

Demographics

Oakman first appeared on the 1890 census as the town of Day (or Day's) Gap. It changed its name in 1894 to Oakman and has remained since. As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 944 people, 386 households, and 265 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 449 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 79.66%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 19.60%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, and 0.74% from two or more races. 0.74% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. There were 386 households, out of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.02. In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.9% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males. The median income for a household in the town was $22,014, and the median income for a family was $31,964. Males had a median income of $25,221 versus $17,321 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $11,936. About 17.4% of families and 20.2% 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 ...

, including 22.6% of those under age 18 and 26.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Oakman High School serves 301 students in grades 9-12. Its mascot is the

Wildcat The wildcat is a species complex comprising two small wild cat species: the European wildcat (''Felis silvestris'') and the African wildcat (''F. lybica''). The European wildcat inhabits forests in Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus, while th ...

s, and the school colors are blue and white. It is a member of the Walker County Board of Education. In addition, approximately 500 students in grades Pre-K through 8 attend Oakman Elementary/Middle School.

Sports

In 2003 the Wildcats' varsity football team was the 2A Region 4 Champions, had an undefeated record in the regular season, and went to the 2nd round of State Playoffs. In 2005 they went to the 1st round of State Playoffs. In 2007 the Girls Softball Team won the 2A State Championship. In 1983 the Wildcats varsity football 1A team beat Oakgrove the 2A state champs that year.

References

External links

* {{authority control Towns in Walker County, Alabama Towns in Alabama Birmingham metropolitan area, Alabama