Montgomery

Montgomery is the capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama and the county seat of Montgomery County. Named for Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River, on the coastal Plain of the Gulf of Mexico. In the 2020 census, Montgomery's population was 200,603. It is the second most populous city in Alabama, after Huntsville, and is the 119th most populous in the United States. In February 1861, Montgomery was chosen the first capital of the Confederate States of America, which it remained until the Confederate seat of government moved to Richmond, Virginia, in May of that year. It was a major center of events and protests in the Civil Rights Movement, including the Montgomery bus boycott and the Selma to Montgomery marches. It has a large military presence, due to Maxwell Air Force Base; public universities Alabama State University, Troy University (Montgomery campus), and Auburn University at Montgomery; two private post-secondary institutions, Faulkner University and Huntingdon College; high-tech manufacturing, including Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama; and many cultural attractions, such as the Alabama Shakespeare Festival and the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts. The city was one of the first cities in the nation to implement SmartCode Zoning. The first Europeans to travel through central Alabama were Hernando de Soto and his expedition, who in 1540 recorded going through Ikanatchati and camping for one week in Towassa. In 1785, Abraham Mordecai, a war veteran from a Sephardic Jewish family of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, established a trading post.

History

Montgomery is the primary city name, but also Mafb Gun Annx, Maxwell AFB Gunter Annex are acceptable city names or spellings, Gunter AFB, Mtgy on the other hand no longer accepted or obsolete and are no longer used as a designation. The official name is City of Montgomery. Montgomery is built on the site of two Alibamu towns: Ikanatchati and Towassa. The first Europeans to travel through central Alabama were Hernando de Soto and his expedition in 1540. The name Montgomery came from Richard Montgomery, a Revolutionary War general. In 1846, Montgomery began to influence state politics, and it would also play a prominent role in the Confederate States of America. The state capital was moved from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to Montgomery on January 28, 1846. The city was designated as the county seat at the 1822 Court of Court at the present location of Court Square, one of the largest slave markets in the South. The town of Montgomery was incorporated as the city of Montgomery on December 3, 1819, and became the state capital on February 4, 1861. It is located on the east bank of the Alabama River, near the junction of the Mobile and Tallahassee rivers, and the Alabama and Mississippi Turnpike. It has a population of about 100,000 people, making it the largest city in the state, with a population growth rate of 0.7% to 0.9% since the mid-20th century. The population of Montgomery is about 50,000, with most of its residents living in or near the city limits of Montgomery and its surrounding areas. The majority of the city's residents are African-American; the majority of its population is white, with the exception of a small minority of Native Americans.

Geography

Downtown Montgomery lies along the southern bank of the Alabama River, about 6 miles (10 km) downstream from the confluence of the Coosa and Tallapoosa rivers. The most prominent feature of Montgomery's skyline is the 375 ft (114 m) RSA Tower, built in 1996 by the Retirement Systems of Alabama. Downtown also contains many state and local government buildings, including the Alabama State Capitol. The National Memorial for Peace and Justice opened in downtown Montgomery on April 26, 2018. South of downtown, across Interstate 85, lies Alabama State University's campus in Colonial Revival architectural style from 1906 until the beginning of World War II. Surrounding ASU are the Garden District and Cloverdale Historic District, and are in Late Victorian and Gothic Revival styles. Huntingdon College is on the southwestern edge of Cloverdale. The city's east side is the fastest-growing part of the city. Development of the Dalraida neighborhood, along Atlanta Highway, began in 1909, when developers Cook and Laurie bought land from the Ware plantation. The Shoppes at Eastchase are the city's two largest shopping malls, as well as many big-box stores and residential developments. This area is also home of Wynton M. Blount Cultural Park, which contains the Alabama Shakespeare Festival and Fine Arts Museum of Fine Arts. This is also the home of the Montgomery Biscuits minor league baseball stadium and Riverfront Park. This region of Montgomery has been recognized nationally for its continuing downtown revitalization in the early 2000s.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 205,764. The city population was spread out, with 24.9% under the age of 18, 11.7% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. Non-Hispanic Whites were 36.1% of the population in 2010, down from 66% in 1970. East Montgomery (Taylor Rd and East), the non-Hispanic White population is 74.5%, 8.3%. African American, Latino 3.2%, other non-white races carry 2.7%. As of the 2020 U.S. census, there were 200,603 people, 78,225 households, and 45,031 families residing in the city. The median income was $41,380, and the median income for a family was $53,125. About 18.2%. of families and 21.6%. of the residents were below the poverty line, including 34.8%. of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over. The population density varies in different parts of the City; East Montgomery has the highest population density, while West Montgomery is the lowest, with the lowest population density. There were 81,486 households, out of which 29% had children under the Age of 18 living with them. For every 100 females, there are 88.6 males. For each 100 females aged 18 and over, there is 84.5 males.

Economy

Montgomery's Gross Metropolitan Product is $12.15 billion, representing 8.7% of the gross state product of Alabama. As of January 2011, Montgomery's largest employers were Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base (12,280 employees) and the state of Alabama (9,500) The living wage for the city is US$8.02 per hour (or $16,691 per year) for an individual and $25.80 per hour for a family of four. The city also draws in workers from the surrounding area; Montgomery's daytime population rises 17.4% to 239,101. The largest sectors of non-agricultural employment were: Government, 24.3%; Trade, Transportation, and Utilities, 17.3% (including 11.0% in retail trade); Professional and Business Services, 11.9%; Manufacturing, 10.9; Education and Health Services, 9.2%; Financial Activities, 6.0%, Natural Resources, Mining and Construction, 5.1%; Information, 1.4%; and Other services 4.0%. Unemployment for the same period was 5.7%, 2.5% higher than October 2007. According to Pennsylvania State University's Living Wage Calculator, the living wage in Montgomery is $7.45 per hour ($25.36 for afamily of four) The city has a high unemployment rate of 5.9%. The city's unemployment rate is 5.8%. The average household income in Montgomery in 2011 was $8.2 million.

Health care

Montgomery serves as a hub for healthcare in the central Alabama and Black Belt region. Hospitals located in the city include Baptist Medical Center South on South East Boulevard and Jackson Hospital off interstate 85. Montgomery is also home to two medical school campuses: Baptist Medical Centre South (run by University of Alabama at Birmingham) and Jackson hospital (run by Alabama Medical Education Consortium). The city is home to one of the largest African-American populations in the United States, with more than 1.5 million African-Americans living in Montgomery. The city has a population of 1.6 million people, making it the second-largest city in Alabama after Birmingham. It has a total population of 2.2 million. The population of Montgomery is about 1.7 million, with the majority of its residents living in or near the city's downtown area. It is the second largest city in the state, after Huntsville, Alabama, with 1.8 million people. It also has the third-largest population in the nation, after Atlanta and Birmingham. The state has the fourth-largest economy in the country, with a GDP of $28.2 billion. It was the first city to join the Interstate Highway System in the 1950s, and has since become a major hub for the state's economy. Montgomery has the fifth-largest hospital system in the U.S. after Atlanta, Birmingham, and Huntsville. In 2010, the city had the highest number of hospital beds per capita, with 2.3 million people living in it.

Law and government

Montgomery operates under a Mayorcouncil government system. The current mayor is Steven Reed, who was elected as the city's first African-American mayor in a runoff election which was held on October 8, 2019. The city is served by a nine-member city council, elected from nine single-member districts of equal size population. As the seat of Montgomery County, the city is the location of county courts and the county commission, elected separately. Montgomery is the capital of Alabama, and hosts numerous state government offices, including the office of the Governor, the Alabama Legislature, and the Alabama Supreme Court. At the federal level, Montgomery is part of Alabama's 2nd, 7th, and 3rd Congressional district, currently represented by Barry Moore, Terri Sewell, and Mike Rogers, respectively. In 2022 Montgomery's violent crime rate was 514 per 100,000, earning only a crime score rating of 9/100. For property crimes, Montgomery's average is similar to Alabama's other large cities, but higher than the overall state and national averages. In 2012, Montgomery had over 320 shooting victims and over 77 homicide victims in 2021. In 2011, Montgomery recorded over 300 homicide victims and more than 100 shooting victims in 2012. In 2013, the number of shooting victims reached a record high of over 320, with over 77 victims in each of the last two months of that year. In 2014, the total number of homicide victims reached over 77, with more than 50 victims in the first two weeks of the month.

Recreation

Montgomery has more than 1,600 acres of parkland. The department also operates 24 community centers, a skate park, two golf courses. An environmental park is under construction along West Fairview Avenue close to Interstate 65. The city also has 65 playgrounds, 90 baseball/softball fields, 24 soccer fields including the Emory Folmar Soccer Facility, and one riverboat. It also has two tennis centers (Lagoon Park and O'Conner) and two community centers (Cramton Bowl Stadium and Multiplex) The city's parks and recreation department is part of the City of Montgomery, which has a population of more than 2,000. It is the largest city in the state in terms of park land. The parks department also has a community center, skate park and a tennis center. It has a riverboat, which is used for community events and as a training facility. The park department also runs a golf course, tennis center, community centers and a multiplex. It operates 24 golf courses and 24 community center facilities. A riverboat is also under construction near Interstate 65 close to the city's downtown. It will be called the Riverboat Park and will be open by the end of the year. It's expected to have a capacity of about 1,500 people. The riverboat will be used for public events and for training and other activities. It was built in the early 1990s. The City's parks department was formed in the 1950s to help develop the city.

Culture

Montgomery Zoo holds more than 500 animals, from five continents, in 40 acres (0.16 km²) of barrier-free habitats. The Hank Williams Museum contains one of the largest collections of Williams memorabilia in the world. The Museum of Alabama serves as the official state history museum and is located in the Alabama Department of Archives and History building downtown. The 1800-seat state-of-the-art Montgomery Performing Arts Center opened inside the newly renovated convention center downtown in 2007. The Alabama Shakespeare Festival presents year-round performances of both classic plays and performances of local interest, in addition to works of William Shakespeare. The 1200-seat Davis Theatre for the Performing arts, on the Troy University at Montgomery campus, opened in 1930 and was renovated in 1983. It houses the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra, Alabama Dance Theatre and Montgomery Ballet. The Symphony has been performing in Montgomery since 1979. The Montgomery Biscuits play in the Class AA Southern League. They are affiliated with the Tampa Bay Rays, and play at Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium. The city hosted the NCAA Division II National Baseball Championship from 2004 until 2007. Montgomery will be host to the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football championship starting in 2014. The Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic women's golf event is held at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Capitol Hill in nearby Prattville. Locals artists Trust Company were signed to Geffen Records in 2002. Hot Rod Circuit formed in Montgomery in 1997 under the name Antidote, but achieved success with Vagrant Records after moving to Connecticut.

Education

Most of the city of Montgomery and Montgomery County are served by the Montgomery Public Schools system. As of 2007, there were 32,520 students enrolled in the system, and 2,382 teachers employed. Montgomery is one of the only cities in Alabama to host three public schools with International Baccalaureate programs. The city is home to Alabama's oldest law library, the Supreme Court and State Law Library, founded in 1828. The public Troy University maintains a 3,000 student population campus in downtown Montgomery that houses the Rosa Parks Library and Museum. Alabama State University is the second largest HBCU in Alabama enrolling nearly 5,000 students from 42 U.S. states and 7 countries. Several two-year colleges have campuses in Montgomery, including H. Councill Trenholm State Technical College and Virginia College. Maxwell Air Force Base is the headquarters for Air University, the United States Air Force's center for professional military education. For high school Maxwell AFB residents are zoned to Carver High, while residents of the Gunner Annex are zoning to Robert E. Lee High School. Residents may attend magnet schools. The Montgomery City-County Public Library operates eleven public libraries in locations throughout the city and county. Montgomery's Baptist Medical Center South also hosts a branch of the University of Alabama Birmingham medical school on its campus on the Eastern Boulevard. It is also home to several private colleges: Faulkner University, which has an enrollment of 3,500, and Huntingdon College, which is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Montgomery, Montgomery County, Alabama = 77. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 87. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 69. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Montgomery = 5.5 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 200,603 individuals with a median age of 34.7 age the population grows by 1.46% in Montgomery, Montgomery County, Alabama population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,254.89 residents per square mile of area (484.52/km²). There are average 2.37 people per household in the 81,867 households with an average household income of $41,861 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 10.10% of the available work force and has dropped -8.45% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 13.00%. The number of physicians in Montgomery per 100,000 population = 255.3.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Montgomery = 48.4 inches and the annual snowfall = 0.2 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 111. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 211. 91 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 41.9 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 26, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Montgomery, Montgomery County, Alabama which are owned by the occupant = 56.07%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 33 years with median home cost = $104,940 and home appreciation of -6.63%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $3.22 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,120 per student. There are 15.5 students for each teacher in the school, 350 students for each Librarian and 348 students for each Counselor. 5.15% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 19.36% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 12.25% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).