Dothan, Alabama
Dothan is a city located in Houston County, Alabama. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 57,737. The city is the county seat of Houston County. Portions of the city are located in Dale County and Henry County.
Original inhabitants were the Alabama and Creek American-Indian tribes. The first Anglo settlers of the area called the community "Poplar Head". Later, when the town applied for a post office, it was discovered that a "Poplar Head" post office already existed in northern Alabama. A new name was sought. The town of Dothan was incorporated November 11, 1885. The name derives from a town mentioned in a Bible verse, Genesis 37:17 - "For I heard them say, let us go to Dothan."
In 1902 Dothan resident W. M. Cooper released a revision of B. F. White's popular tune book, The Sacred Harp.
Geography
Dothan is located at 31°13'38" North, 85°24'26" West (31.227225, -85.407258)1.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 224.9 km² (86.8 mi²). 224.3 km² (86.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.5 km² (0.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.23% water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 57,737 people, 23,685 households, and 16,034 families residing in the city. The population density is 257.4/km² (666.6/mi²). There are 25,920 housing units at an average density of 115.5/km² (299.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 67.33% White, 30.11% Black or African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.85% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.46% from other races, and 0.96% from two or more races. 1.32% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 23,685 households out of which 31.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% are married couples living together, 15.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% are non-families. 28.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.39 and the average family size is 2.94.
In the city the population is spread out with 25.4% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37 years. For every 100 females there are 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 83.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $35,000, and the median income for a family is $45,025. Males have a median income of $34,475 versus $22,572 for females. The per capita income for the city is $20,539. 15.6% of the population and 12.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 23.2% are under the age of 18 and 15.0% are 65 or older.
Economy
After the boll weevil brought about the local death of "King Cotton", Dothan-Houston County found a new crop - peanuts. Dothan is home to the National Peanut Festival established in 1938 and held each fall to honor peanut growers and celebrate the harvest. Approximately fifty percent of all peanuts produced in the United States are grown within a 100-mile radius of Dothan, Alabama.
