Mountain Brook, Alabama
Mountain Brook | |
|---|---|
 The "Old Mill" on Shades Creek | |
 Seal | |
| Motto: "Find Peace. Find Mountain Brook." | |
 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Alabama |
| County | Jefferson |
| Incorporated | March 24, 1942 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-manager |
| • Mayor | Terry Oden (R) |
| Area | |
| • City | 12.2 sq mi (31.7 km2) |
| • Land | 12.2 sq mi (31.7 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 768 ft (140 m) |
| Population | |
| • City | 20,359 |
| • Density | 1,701/sq mi (656.8/km2) |
| • Metro | 1,140,300 |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes | 35213, 35223 |
| Area code | 205 |
| FIPS code | 01-51696 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0123503 |
| Website | http://www.mtnbrook.org/ |
Mountain Brook is a city in southeastern Jefferson County, Alabama, and a suburb of Birmingham. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 20,413. Mountain Brook is a particularly affluent city within the Birmingham metropolitan area and has appeared in several lists of America's wealthiest communities.[2] Mountain Brook has been listed as one of the 10 wealthiest communities in the United States based on a 2008 survey that calculates wealth above the regular census limit.[3] Mountain Brook is also well known for being the wealthiest city in the state of Alabama.
Mountain Brook was originally developed in 1929 by local developer Robert Jemison as an extensive residential subdivision, and was incorporated on May 24, 1942.[4] The plans, by Boston-based landscape architect Warren H. Manning, called for estate-sized lots along winding scenic roads and denser commercial development centering on three "villages" knowns as English Village, Mountain Brook Village and Crestline Village. Their subdivisions nearby Cherokee Bend, Brookwood Forest, Overton, and Crestline homes in real [4] nature preserves on the adjacent slopes protected the area from urban encroachment and bridle paths created a recreational network within the development.[4]
Mountain Brook is also the home of the first office park in the nation, built in 1955. This development featured the then novel concepts of ample free parking and low level office buildings with water fountains and landscaped grounds. Mountain Brook rebuilt a new city hall, that was completed in 2013. Also, a new fire and police station came along with the city hall.[5]
Most of the development of Mountain Brook preserved the existing trees. 92.03% of the city is under tree cover, one of the highest ratios in the nation.[6]
Mountain Brook is often referred to as "The Tiny Kingdom" due to its reputation as an enclave for the area's elite [7] and the disparity of wealth between it and City of Birmingham where nearly a quarter of the population lives below the poverty line, according to Census data.
Mountain Brook is the hometown of actors Wayne Rogers, Kate Jackson, and Courteney Cox, and former Green Bay Packers quarterback Bart Starr.
Geography
Mountain Brook is located at 33°29′13″N 86°44′26″W / 33.48694°N 86.74056°W (33.486972, -86.740465).[8]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.2 square miles (32 km2), all of it land.
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 8,359 | — | |
| 1960 | 12,680 | 51.7% | |
| 1970 | 19,474 | 53.6% | |
| 1980 | 19,718 | 1.3% | |
| 1990 | 19,810 | 0.5% | |
| 2000 | 20,604 | 4.0% | |
| 2010 | 20,413 | −0.9% | |
| 2013 (est.) | 20,359 | −0.3% | |
2013 Estimate[10] | |||
As of the census of 2000, there were 20,604 people, 7,954 households, and 5,974 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,684 people per square mile (649.9/km²). There were 8,268 housing units at an average density of 675.8 per square mile (260.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.64% White, 0.31% Black or African American, 0.04% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.12% from other races, and 0.22% from two or more races. 0.58% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
According to the 2005-2009 American Community Survey, of a population of 20,989, there were 20,729 whites, 7 blacks, 17 Cherokees, 61 Indian-Americans, 143 Chinese-Americans, and 32 people who identified as some other race.
There were 7,998 households out of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.0% were married couples living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.3% were non-families. 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.3% under the age of 18, 4.1% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $100,483, and the median income for a family was $156,647 (these figures had risen to $126,586 and $157,159 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $39,770 for females. The per capita income for the city was $59,085. None of the population was below the poverty line.
Government
Mountain Brook has a city council/mayor/city manager system of government. The city council consists of 5 members elected at large, and the council considers most issues and appoints the police chief, the fire chief, and the city manager (with the mayor). The Mayor elected in 2013 and is the current Mayor, Terry Oden has been Mayor over five years. Administrative business is handled by the city manager who is appointed by the mayor and city council. As of January 2008 the city manager is Sam Gaston. The Tree Commission and the Planning Commission consider specific issues and usually refer them to the city council.
Education
The city has its own school system, Mountain Brook School System which is consistently rated one of the best in the state.[11] The system includes four elementary schools (Mountain Brook Elementary, Cherokee Bend Elementary, Brookwood Forest Elementary, Crestline Elementary), one junior high school (Mountain Brook Junior High), and a high school (Mountain Brook High School). Many Mountain Brook Schools have been awarded the National Blue Ribbon for Excellence.
There are also two private elementary schools in Mountain Brook: Highlands School, on Old Leeds Road in Cherokee Bend, and N. E. Miles Jewish Day School on Montclair Road.
References
- ^ "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2014-06-07.
- ^ Census says Alabamians' incomes up 12 percent The Birmingham News (May 24, 2002). Retrieved on January 16, 2006.
- ^ Mountain Brook one of wealthiest communities in U.S. The Birmingham News (December 30, 2008). Retrieved on August 7, 2010.
- ^ a b c Barefield, Marilyn Davis (1989-12-01). A History of Mountain Brook, Alabama & Incidentally of Shades Valley. Southern University Press. ISBN 0-87651-990-7.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2012/09/post_789.html#incart_river_default
- ^ http://www.aces.edu/ucf/documents/MtnBrookArborist.pdf
- ^ Eskew, Glenn T. (1997-11-12). "Businessmen's Reform". But for Birmingham: The Local and National Movements in the Civil Rights Struggle. The University of North Carolina Press. p. 183. ISBN 0-8078-4667-8.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ United States Census Bureau. "Census of Population and Housing". Retrieved August 10, 2013.
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2013". Retrieved June 7, 2014.
- ^ "Best High Schools in Alabama". US News and World Report. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
External links
- City of Mountain Brook website
- City of Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce
- Emmet O'Neal Library
- Mountain Brook Schools
- Village Living News Magazine
33°29′13″N 86°44′26″W / 33.486972°N 86.740465°W
Municipalities and communities of Jefferson County, Alabama, United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |