Lanett, Alabama


Lanett is a city in Chambers County, Alabama, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 6,468, down from 7,897 in 2000. Lanett, originally called Bluffton, is located in eastern Alabama, on the Chattahoochee River, southwest of Atlanta. The city's name is derived from Lafayette Lanier and Theodore Bennett, founders of the West Point Manufacturing Company.

Geography

Lanett is located on the eastern edge of Chambers County at 32°51'48.326" North, 85°11'58.862" West. Its eastern boundary is the Alabama–Georgia state line, with the town of West Point, Georgia, bordering Lanett to the east. Interstate 85 forms the southeast boundary of Lanett, with the city of Valley, Alabama, on the other side of the highway. The unincorporated community of Huguley is along Lanett's southwest border.
The Chattahoochee River forms the state line and eastern boundary of Lanett from I-85 north to the downtown area, at which point the state line turns north-northwest and becomes a land boundary between Lanett and West Point, Georgia.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Lanett has a total area of, all land.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 6,468 people, 2,723 households, and 1,746 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,040 people per square mile. There were 3,338 housing units at an average density of 538 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 57.5% Black or African American, 39.3% White, 0.2% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 1.4% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. 2.4% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 2,723 households out of which 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.6% were married couples living together, 25.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 22.3% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 22.6% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,220, and the median income for a family was $27,487. Males had a median income of $32,386 versus $24,794 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,178. About 22.7% of families and 28.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 48.0% of those under age 18 and 16.8% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people