Center Point

From Bhamwiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
City of Center Point
Center Point seal.jpg
Incorporated 2002
Population 15,887
Mayor Bobby Scott Jr
School district Jefferson County Schools
Government

Center Point City Council
Center Point Fire District
Jefferson County Sheriff's Office

Web site cityofcenterpoint.org
Center Point locator map.png
Locate with Google Maps

Center Point (incorporated 2002) is a suburban city of 15,887 in northern Jefferson County. Center Point citizens voted to become a city on March 12, 2002 with 84% of the vote. On March 28 it was officially incorporated.

Government

Center Point's mayor is Tom Henderson, still serving as the city's first mayor since being elected on April 23, 2002. As of 2004 the five-member City Council consisted of Wink Chapman, Linda Kennemur, Roger Barlow (council president), Raymond Olan, and John Terry Leesburg. Center Point City Hall is located at 2209 Center Point Parkway.

The city is serviced by the separate Center Point Fire District, and police protection is provided by contract deputies from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department. In 2021 the city commissioned a feasibility study from the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama which determined that there was not enough revenue available to support its own police department.

Center Point High School, Erwin Middle School and Center Point Elementary School are part of the Jefferson County School System.

Center Point's ZIP code is 35215.

History

The early history of the area that is now Center Point begins with native American inhabitation in the vicinity of Barber Springs, the head of Five Mile Creek. The Roebuck, Reed and Truss families settled in the area beginning in 1816. In 1871 Dave Franklin dug a well and built a homestead, and later a grocery at a convergence of roads near the springs. By the early 1900s a blacksmith shop and post office had rounded out the community, now commonly called "Center Point" or "Centerpoint" for its location at the gathering of roads.

In 1924 Center Point Elementary School was constructed with rocks gathered from throughout the community by residents. In 1957 a new water supply was tapped by Cullen Scott and a large tank erected.

By the 1960s, the rapid growth of the Birmingham District had reached this area. The residential growth in the area was so dramatic that its population of over 60,000 by the 1970s gave Center Point the distinction of being the most populous unincorporated place in the United States.

An first attempt at incorporation failed in 1990. In 2000 another group formed as the Center Point Action Committee, led by Wink Chapman. The group spent a year gathering signatures on a petition to call for a vote on incorporation. On March 12, 2002 84% of Center Point residents voted to incorporate and it was made official on March 28. Tom Henderson became the first mayor on April 23.

In 2024 then-Mayor Bobby Scott Jr outlined plans for the city to form a police department.

Demographics

The Center Point's area's population has declined since its peak in the 1980s to 2000s. Since incorporating, the number of residents has dropped from 16,921 in the 2010 census to 15,887 in the Census Bureau's 2022 estimate.

In 2020 the Census Bureau counted 16,406 residents, of which 12,134 (74%) were Black or African American and 2,799 (17%) were White. 937 residents reported being Hispanic or Latino of any race.

As of the 2010 census, there were 16,921 residing in the city's 7,221 housing units. The population density was 2,761.5/mi², with housing units at an average density of 1,178.5/mi². The racial makeup of the city was 63% Black or African American and 33% White. 4.8% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

In 2000, before the city was incorporated, the community had 8,826 households, of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.7% were married couples living together, 15.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.1% were non-families. 23.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the community the population was spread out with 26.6% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 89.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.8 males.

The median income for a household in the community was $40,929, and the median income for a family was $46,427. Males had a median income of $35,500 versus $25,544 for females. The per capita income for the community was $18,160. About 7.7% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.2% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those ages 65 or over.

The Jefferson County Board of Equalization evaluated 4,915 homes in Center Point and determined that their average market value for 2007 was $109,424, a 6.5% increase since 2006.

Historical population

year     pop.    %change

1970 | 15,674 |          |
1980 | 23,317 |  +48.8%  |
1990 | 23,658 |   -2.8%  |
2000 | 22,784 |   +0.6%  |
2010 | 16,921 |  -25.7%  |
2020 | 16,406 |   -3.0%  |
2021 | 16,122 |   -1.7%  | 
2022 | 15,887 |   -1.5%  |

Notable residents

References

  • Center Point History - accessed 28 September 2006
  • "Center Point, Alabama" (June 28, 2006) Wikipedia - accessed September 28, 2006
  • Koplowitz, Howard (September 7, 2021) "Center Point can’t fund its own police department, feasibility study finds." The Birmingham News
  • Gann, Heather (February 28, 2024) "Center Point mayor says city may form its own police force in 2024." AL.com

External links

Jefferson County Seal.png Jefferson County
Topics

Communities | County Commission | Courts | Schools | Sheriff

Cities

Adamsville | Bessemer (seat) | Birmingham (seat) | Brighton | Brookside | Cardiff | Center Point | Clay | Fairfield | Fultondale | Gardendale | Graysville | Homewood | Hoover | Hueytown | Irondale | Kimberly | Leeds | Lipscomb | Maytown | Midfield | Morris | Mountain Brook | Mulga | North Johns | Pinson | Pleasant Grove | Sylvan Springs | Tarrant | Trafford | Trussville | Vestavia Hills | Warrior | West Jefferson