Mulga, Alabama

Mulga, Alabama
Town
Flag Seal
Location of Mulga in Jefferson County, Alabama.
Coordinates: 33°33′13″N 86°58′31″W
Country	United States
State	Alabama
County	Jefferson
Area [1]
• Total	0.87 sq mi (2.26 km^2)
• Land	0.87 sq mi (2.24 km^2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.01 km^2)
Elevation	574 ft (175 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	784
• Density	905.31/sq mi (349.67/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	35118
Area code(s)	205 & 659
FIPS code	01-52776
GNIS feature ID	0152567

Mulga is a town in western Jefferson County, Alabama, United States. It is north from the Birmingham suburb of Pleasant Grove. It includes the community of Bayview. Mulga was a company town operated by Birmingham Coal and Iron Company around the Mulga Mine and Mulga was also the name of an independent community in the area. The company town was incorporated in 1947.^[2]

At its 2010 census the population was 836, down from its peak population of 973 in 2000. Its communities were damaged by an F5 tornado on April 8, 1998. The town's name is possibly derived from the Creek word omalga meaning "all".

Coal has been mined in the area. Forty-one men died in a 1910 coal mine explosion.^[3] Steel industry was also active in the area and served by a dam. Rail service was established.

Geography

Mulga is located at 33°32′56″N 86°58′38″W (33.548891, -86.977254).^[4]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), all land.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1950	532		—
1960	482		−9.4%
1970	582		20.7%
1980	405		−30.4%
1990	261		−35.6%
2000	973		272.8%
2010	836		−14.1%
2020	784		−6.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[5] 2013 Estimate[6]

2020 census

Mulga racial composition^[7]

Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	645	82.27%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	104	13.27%
Native American	3	0.38%
Asian	1	0.13%
Other/Mixed	25	3.19%
Hispanic or Latino	6	0.77%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 784 people, 359 households, and 237 families residing in the town.

2000 census

As of the census^[8] of 2000, there were 973 people, 390 households, and 276 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,604.2 inhabitants per square mile (619.4/km²). There were 425 housing units at an average density of 700.7 per square mile (270.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 85.10% White, 13.16% Black or African American, 0.62% Native American, 0.31% Asian, and 0.82% from two or more races. 0.10% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 390 households, out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples living together, 16.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.2% were non-families. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.4% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $36,500, and the median income for a family was $41,382. Males had a median income of $31,438 versus $23,750 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,622. About 8.6% of families and 10.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.5% of those under age 18 and 14.0% of those age 65 or over.

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
2. "Mulga - Encyclopedia of Alabama". Encyclopedia of Alabama.
3. "The Engineering and Mining Journal 1910-05-07: Vol 89 Iss 19" (PDF).
4. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
5. "U.S. Decennial Census". Census.gov. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
6. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2013". Census.gov. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
7. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
8. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.

External links

• Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) documentation, filed under Birmingham, Jefferson County, AL:
  • HAER No. AL-72, "Mulga Commissary", 2 photos, 1 photo caption page
  • HAER No. AL-73, "Mulga Coal Mine", 1 photo, 1 photo caption page
  • HAER No. AL-74, "Mulga Community", 3 photos, 1 color transparency, 4 data pages, 1 photo caption page