Albany is the county seat of Dougherty County. As of the census of 2000, there are 76,939 people, 28,620 households, and 18,889 families residing in the city.
Albany is located at (31.582273, -84.165557).
The total area is 0.59% water. Albany lies in a belt of rich farmland in the East Gulf coastal plain on the banks of the Flint River.
According to the Bureau of Census, the Albany, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) had an estimated population of 162,800 in 2004. (The MSA consists of Dougherty, Terrell, Lee, Worth, and Baker Counties.) The population density is 535.0/km2 (1,385.5/mi2).
There are 32,062 housing units at an average density of 222.9/km2 (577.3/mi2).
The racial makeup of the city is 33.21% White, 64.80% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.45% from other races, and 0.71% from two or more races. 1.23% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 28,620 households out of which 32.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.6% are married couples living together, 25.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% are non-families. 28.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.54 and the average family size is 3.14.
In the city the population is spread out with 27.8% under the age of 18, 13.0% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 31 years. For every 100 females there are 85.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 79.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $28,639, and the median income for a family is $33,843. Males have a median income of $30,204 versus $22,268 for females. The per capita income for the city is $15,485. 27.1% of the population and 21.5% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 37.7% of those under the age of 18 and 18.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Although Albany has expanded considerably in the past few decades, it is still able to retain the population and environment of a Southern town. Today, although the city is still surrounded by pecan groves, pine trees, farms and plantations, almost none of the population is employed in agriculture. Health care, education and the Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany are the largest employers. Manufacturing, transportation, and retail trade are also important foundations of Albany's economy and the city acts as a hub for commerce in southwest Georgia.
The area where Albany is located was formerly inhabited by the Creek Indians. They called it Thronateeska after the flint found near the river. The Creeks used this flint to make arrowheads and other tools.
Connecticut businessman Nelson Tift settled along the Flint River in October, 1836 and named the new town after Albany, New York because they both sit at the navigable head of a river. Surrounded by a prosperous farming region which produced large amounts of cotton, Albany was in a prime location for transportation of cotton by steamboats on the river, over which Tift built a toll bridge. Albany later became a railroad hub and there is an exhibit on trains at the Thronateeska Heritage Center, which is located at the old railroad station.
In 1841 the Flint river flooded the city.
On April 11, 1906, the Carnegie Library opened downtown. It functioned as a library until 1985. In 1992 it reopened as the headquarters of the Albany Area Arts Council.
In 1911 the first airmail flight in the U.S. was inaugurated and the first airmail stamp was struck, both in Albany.
In 1912 the U.S. Postoffice and Courthouse building opened downtown.
In 1925 the Flint river again flooded the city.
In 1937 Chehaw park was established as a part of a New Deal program.
On February 10, 1940, a severe tornado killed eighteen people and caused wide scale damage.
In 1951 the Marine Corps established a large base on the eastern outskirts of the city.
In 1960 the population reached 50,000.
The Albany Movement played a prominent role in the Civil Rights Movement. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Ralph David Abernathy, were arrested with approximately 250 other protesters on December 16, 1961 while attempting to desegregate government buildings. The Albany Civil Rights Movement Museum is located in the former Mt. Zion Baptist Church.
In 1994 there was another severe flood, caused by Tropical Storm Alberto, killing 4 people and displacing 22,000.
Source:
AlbanyGeorgia.com
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