Jasper, Alabama

Jasper is a city in and the county seat of Walker County, Alabama, United States. Its population was 14,352 as of the 2010 census. Named in honor of Sergeant William Jasper, an American Revolutionary War hero, Jasper was settled around 1815 and incorporated on August 18, 1886.

The first significant growth of the area was in 1886 when the Kansas City, Memphis and Birmingham Railroad and the Sheffield & Birmingham Railroads were completed through Jasper. The population grew from 200 people in 1886 to more than 3,000 in 1890. In a special edition in 1891, the Mountain Eagle stated there were six coal mines, two sandstone quarries, 400 coke ovens, one foundry and machine shop, two saw mills, one brick works, four hotels, and two banks.

Historic sites
Jasper has several sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the John Hollis Bankhead House, First United Methodist Church, Jasper Downtown Historic District, and Walker County Hospital.

Geography
Jasper is located at 33.84222°N, -87.27722°W (33.842347, -87.277174). According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 26.9 sqmi, of which 26.9 sqmi is land and 0.04% is water.

Demographics
In 2020, it was reported that of Alabama cities with populations of at least 10,000 people as of 2010, Jasper was among the five fastest to decline in population over the 2010s.

2000 census
At the 2000 census, there were 14,052 people, 5,728 households, and 3,809 families living in the city. The population density was 523.0 PD/sqmi. There were 6,473 housing units at an average density of 240.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 84.15% White, 13.98% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.7% some other race, and 1.4% two or more races. 4.4% of the population was Hispanic.

Of the 5,728 households 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were married couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 29.7% of households were one person and 13.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.38, and the average family size was 2.93.

The age distribution was 21.5% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% 65 or older. The median age was 41.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.3 males.

The median household income was $41,586 and the median family income was $54,059. Males had a median income of $51,548	versus $35,248 for females. The per capita income for the city was $27,927. About 14.8% of families and 16.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.5% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census
At the 2010 census, there were 14,352 people, 5,760 households, and 3,831 families living in the city. The population density was 533.5 PD/sqmi. There were 6,478 housing units at an average density of 241 per square mile (93/km$2$). The racial makeup of the city was 81.3% White, 13.4% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.l.

Of the 5,760 households 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 31.1% of households were one person and 14.6% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.33, and the average family size was 2.91.

The age distribution was 21.9% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% 65 or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.5 males.

The median household income was $33,044 and the median family income was $43,674. Males had a median income of $35,182 versus $22,868 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,491. About 10.2% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.3% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 14,572 people, 5,269 households, and 3,176 families residing in the city.

Arts and culture
Jasper is the location of the SyFy Channel's documentary show Town of the Living Dead. The city is home to the annual Foothills Festival in Historic Downtown Jasper Square, which features live music and food vendors. In the TV series Lost, Jasper is the hometown of James "Sawyer" Ford.

The 2020 documentary film Jasper Mall centers around the economically distressed Jasper Mall.

Schools

 * T.R. Simmons Elementary School (grades preK-1)
 * Memorial Park Elementary School (grades 2-3)
 * Maddox Intermediate School (grades 4-6)
 * Jasper Junior High (grades 7-8)
 * Jasper High School (grades 9-12)
 * North Highlands School (for students with disabilities across all grades)

Newspaper

 * Daily Mountain Eagle (daily)

Radio

 * WJLX/1240 kHz
 * WIXI/1360 kHz
 * WQJJ-LP/101.9 MHz
 * W268BM/101.5 MHz: rebroadcasts WJLX

On February 2, 2024, it was discovered that the 200-ft tower of WJLX had been stolen.

Television

 * W25FC-D/25

Notable people

 * Jason Aaron, comic writer
 * John H. Bankhead II, United States senator
 * Tallulah Bankhead, actress
 * Walter W. Bankhead, member of the 77th United States Congress
 * William Brockman Bankhead, speaker of the United States House of Representatives
 * Tom Bevill, member, United States Congress
 * Allen Branstetter, founding member of St. Paul and The Broken Bones
 * Ronnie Coleman, NFL player
 * Eric Dover, musician
 * Eric Esch, professional boxer, MMA fighter and kick boxer
 * Raymond D. Fowler, psychologist and professor emeritus at the University of Alabama
 * James Shepherd Freeman, admiral, United States Navy
 * James Stanley Freeman, businessman
 * Michael A. Grinston, 16th sergeant major of the U.S. Army
 * Polly Holliday, actress
 * Steven Jack Land, renewal theologian
 * George Lindsey, actor
 * Carter Manasco, member of the United States House of Representatives
 * Terry Owens, NFL player
 * Sandy Posey, singer
 * Jim Pyburn, professional baseball player
 * Greg Reed, member of the Alabama Senate, representing the 5th District
 * Michael Rooker, actor