Monroeville is a city in
Monroe County,
Alabama,
United States. At the 2000 census the population was 6,862. The city is the
county seat of
Monroe County.
Geography
Monroeville is located at (31.518075, -87.327543).
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.1 square miles (33.8 km²), of which, 13.1 square miles (33.8 km²) of it is land and 0.08% is water.
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 6,862 people, 2,687 households, and 1,870 families residing in the city. The
population density was 525.8 people per square mile (203.0/km²). There were 3,016 housing units at an average density of 231.1/sq mi (89.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 53.09%
White, 44.84%
Black or
African American, 0.38%
Native American, 0.58%
Asian, 0.15% from
other races, and 0.96% from two or more races. 0.90% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
There were 2,687 households out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were
married couples living together, 18.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 82.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,229, and the median income for a family was $36,476. Males had a median income of $35,600 versus $20,184 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $17,070. About 20.4% of families and 23.0% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 29.0% of those under age 18 and 19.2% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Monroeville is home to
Alabama Southern Community College. Alabama Southern is a state-supported, fully accredited, comprehensive two-year college serving southwest Alabama with its main campuses in Monroeville and
Thomasville.
Literary fame
Author
Harper Lee was born and raised in Monroeville. In her book
To Kill a Mockingbird, the fictional town of
Maycomb is modeled on her hometown. The novel received the 1961
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
Truman Capote, a childhood neighbor and friend of Harper Lee, grew up in Monroeville. Capote is said to be the inspiration for the character Dill in
To Kill a Mockingbird.
Mark Childress, novelist, and
Cynthia Tucker, syndicated
columnist and winner of the 2007
Pulitzer Prize for Commentary, were also born in Monroeville.
As of 2006, an estimated 30,000 tourists visited Monroeville annually because of its association with
To Kill a Mockingbird. Each May the Monroe County Heritage Museum stages an amateur play based on the book. The all-volunteer cast has been invited to perform in
Washington, D.C.,
Kingston-upon-Hull, and
Jerusalem. In 1997 the Alabama Legislature designated Monroeville and Monroe County the "Literary Capital of Alabama."
Notable natives
