Sumiton

City of Sumiton
Incorporated	1952
Population	2,444
Mayor	Petey Ellis
School district	Walker County Schools
Government	Sumiton City Council Sumiton Fire Department Sumiton Police Department
Web site	thecityofsumiton.com
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Sumiton, formerly known as Bald Eagle and Summit, is a city 1,969 on 5.3 square miles in southeastern Walker County, straddling the Jefferson County line and U.S. Highway 78. Its name makes reference to the town's high elevation.

The community grew as a mining town with access to the St Louis & San Francisco Railway. Its post office opened in 1924 and the first school opened in 1940. It absorbed the nearby communities of Commercial and Democrat before incorporating in 1952.

Sumiton has a mayor/council form of government headed by mayor Petey Ellis. The city hosts an annual Sumiton Frog Festival in October. The Sumiton Senior Center also serves as a community storm shelter.

Sumiton is the home of Bevill State Community College. Students in Sumiton attend Sumiton Elementary School, Sumiton Middle School, within the Walker County Schools system. The private Sumiton Christian School also enrolls students from grades K-12.

Demographics

year    pop.   change   %change

1950 | 1,334 |        |          |
1960 | 1,287 |    -47 |  -3.52%  |
1970 | 2,374 | +1,087 |  +84.5%  |
1980 | 2,815 |   +441 |  +18.6%  |
1990 | 2,604 |   -211 |   -7.5%  |
2000 | 2,665 |    +61 |   +2.3%  |
2010 | 2,520 |   -145 |  -5.4%   |
2020 | 2,444 |    -76 |  -3.0%   |

As of the census of 2020, there were 2,444 people, 993 households, and 574 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 89% White and 5% Black or African American.

At the 2010 census, there were 2,520 people, 1,002 households, and 696 families living in the city. The population density was 475.5 per square mile. There were 1,134 housing units at an average density of 214.0 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 93% White and 4% Black or African American.

Of the 1,002 households 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 27.1% of households were one person and 12.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.02.

The age distribution was 22.7% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% 65 or older. The median age was 41.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males.

The median household income was $34,036 and the median family income was $45,028. Males had a median income of $43,500 versus $27,813 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,162. About 15.4% of families and 18.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.4% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.

Notable residents

• Harlan Mathews, former U.S. Senator for Tennessee
• Jimi Westbrook, musician, Little Big Town

References

• Walker County Heritage Book Committee (1999) The Heritage of Walker County, Alabama. Heritage Publishing Consultants
• "Sumiton, Alabama" (January 26, 2023) Wikipedia - accessed January 26, 2023