Each number represents a decline from the July 2007 data when Marion County had
a population of 31,214--a number which has been in recession ever since.
An interpretation of these numbers reveals that the total population of the
county has declined by 5.3 percent since 2000.
Population decline was not a Marion County trend alone as each neighboring county also lost residents over
the seven-year period.
The largest decline could be found in Lamar County as the population has
decreased by 9.2 percent since 2000.
There are only 14,447 now living in Lamar County--down from 15,904 in 2000.
The second largest fall in population was recorded in Fayette County where the
number has fallen by a 4.6 percent rate. Only 17,648 live in Fayette, according
to the 2007 numbers, as compared to 18,495 in 2000.
The remaining three local population decline rates were relatively the same with
the Walker County loss being the largest at 2.7 percent.
The population has fallen from 70,713 in 2000 to only 68,816 in July 2007.
Franklin County’s numbers have decreased from 31,223 in 2000 to only 30,439 in 2007.
Winston County suffered a population loss of 2.5 percent, as the numbers living
in the Free State of Winston fell from 24,843 in 2000 to 24,240 in July 2007.
Closer look at Marion County
Information provided by the U.S. Census Bureau also offers an insight into
details representing Marion County
’s population.
Almost 95 percent of those living in Marion County are white, as compared to
only 4 percent who are black and 1.6 percent Hispanic or Latino.
The American Indian and Asian population combined to represent less than 1
percent of Marion County
’s residents.
More than 2 percent of the Marion County residents also reported speaking a
language other than in English within their home.
Some 63.2 percent of the county’s residents graduated from high school while only 8 percent hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.
The average commute to work was 23.6 minutes in Marion County--a number
including those who work in the county as well as those who commute outside the
area.
There were some 12,697 households in the county in with an average of 2.39
living in each home. The median household income was $28,781--some $8,291 lower
than the Alabama average.
In Marion County, some 17.9 percent of residents are reportedly living below the
poverty level--some 1.8 percent higher than the Alabama rate of 16.1 percent.
Alabama’s aging population
The Census report also revealed details about the demographics of Alabama as a
whole.
For example, the median age for the state is 37.4 years. This is up from 35.8 in
2000.
The study also showed that 84 percent of residents in the state drive alone to
work, up slightly from 83 percent in 2000.
Only 11 percent of drivers in Alabama carpool to work.
