Mentone, Alabama
Encyclopedia
DeKalb County, Alabama
As of the 2010 Census DeKalb County had a population of 71,109. The median age was 37.5. The racial and ethnic makeup of the population was 81.6% non-Hispanic white, 1.5% African American, 1.4% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander , 9.9% from some other race, 2.2% reporting two or...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the 2000 census, the population was 451.
Mentone is home to many private summer camp
Summer camp
Summer camp is a supervised program for children or teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as campers....
s, including Camp Desoto for girls, Camp Riverview for girls, Camp Laney for boys, Alpine Camp for boys, Camp Skyline Ranch for girls, Lookout Mountain Camp for boys, and others. The town is also well-known as a center for arts and crafts, with numerous shops and several great restaurants. During the summer, the population more than doubles. During the winter, it is famous for being the only place with snow skiing in Alabama, at Cloudmont Ski and Golf Resort.
In April 2003, it was the town nearest the epicenter
Epicenter
The epicenter or epicentre is the point on the Earth's surface that is directly above the hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or underground explosion originates...
of a magnitude 4.6 earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
. The surprise quake alarmed residents in the dark hours of the morning and was felt across several states, but caused no injuries and only minor damage even in the town. Mentone is in the ridge and valley region of the far southwestern Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
, an area that generally goes several decades between significant earthquakes, and has never had a major one in recorded history.
Geography
Mentone is located at 34°34′20"N 85°34′49"W (34.572360, -85.580283).According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.7 square miles (12.2 km²), of which, 4.7 square miles (12.2 km²) of it is land and 0.21% is water.
The elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
is 1708 feet (520.6 m) or 521 meters above mean sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 451 people, 201 households, and 127 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 95.8 people per square mile (37.0/km²). There were 350 housing units at an average density of 74.3 per square mile (28.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.34% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 1.11% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.67% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.88% from two or more races. 0.22% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 201 households out of which 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.1% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 21.3% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $24,625, and the median income for a family was $28,750. Males had a median income of $27,411 versus $17,656 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $13,561. About 13.5% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.0% of those under age 18 and 14.0% of those age 65 or over.
The town is also the vacation home to renowned jazz trumpeter Ken Watters, and his wife Pam.