Northport

Northport (formerly Kentuck and North Port) is a city of 23,000 located on 14.9 square miles north of Tuscaloosa on the opposite bank of the Black Warrior River in central Tuscaloosa County.

Demographics

As of the 2000 census, there were 19,435 people, 7,844 households, and 5,255 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,328.3 people per square mile. There were 8,509 housing units at an average density of 581.6/sq mi. The racial makeup of the city was 71% White and 26% Black or African American. 2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 7,844 households out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 83.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $40,206, and the median income for a family was $48,673. Males had a median income of $41,008 versus $26,340 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,163. About 11.6% of families and 13.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.4% of those under age 18 and 10.6% of those age 65 or over.

Culture

One of Northport's most notable cultural activities is the Kentuck Festival of the Arts. Each year in October, hundreds of artists gather at Kentuck Park to showcase their work in front of thousands of visitors. The festival celebrates folk and contemporary art as well as traditional crafts. Potters, quilters, and basketmakers offer educational craft demonstrations throughout the weekend. And musical entertainment and culinary offerings are available.

Another longstanding tradition of Northport is Art Night, which is held on the first Thursday of each month. Many of Northport's galleries open their doors after hours for this popular art demonstration. A trolley system runs between Downtown Northport and Downtown Tuscaloosa as a collaboration with Tuscaloosa's Art and Soul event.

Dickens Downtown is held the first Tuesday in December. This annual holiday event attracts many thousands of participants to come and see the period setting of 19th Century England.

Museums

Northport is known for its long history and heritage. The Northport Heritage Museum houses a premier collection of artifacts and photographs that documents the history of the city from 1816 until today.

Notable residents

• Frank Lary, professional baseball player
• Le'Ron McClain, professional football player

References

• Northport, Alabama (April 27, 2010) Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia - accessed April 28, 2010

External links

• City of Northport website