Mountain Brook is a city in southeastern Jefferson County, Alabama, United States, and a suburb of Birmingham. Its population at the 2010 census was 20,413. It is one of the state's most affluent places.
History
The city was originally developed in 1929 by real-estate businessman Robert Jemison, Jr., as an extensive residential subdivision along the ridges known as Red Mountain and Shades Mountain. It was incorporated on May 24, 1942. 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 picturesque "villages": English Village, Mountain Brook Village and Crestline Village. Most of Mountain Brook's development preserved the existing trees: 92.03% is under tree cover, one of the highest ratios in the nation. Residential sections such as Cherokee Bend, Brookwood Forest, Overton, and Crestline have houses in a forest setting, with a recreational network of bridle paths. This has protected the area from urban encroachment. Mountain Brook is the location of the first office park in the U.S., built in 1955. It featured the then novel concepts of ample free parking and low-profile office buildings surrounded by waterspouts and landscaped grounds. A new city hall, including a fire and police station, was completed in 2013.
Geography
The city is located at . According to the U.S. Census Bureau, it has a total area of, all land.
Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 20,413 people, 7,731 households, and 5,864 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,673.2 people per square mile. There were 8,266 housing units at an average density of 675.8 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 97.2% White, 1.0% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from other races, and 0.6% from two or more races. 1.0% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 7,731 households out of which 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.2% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.1% were non-families. 22.0% 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 2.64 and the average family size was 3.12. The population was spread out with 29.3% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 20.8% from 25 to 44, 29.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.9 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 was $130,721, and the median income for a family was $164,750. Males had a median income of $124,224 versus $54,420 for females. The per capita income for the city was $76,763. 1.8% of families and 3.7% of individuals were below the poverty line, including 2.1% of individuals under 18 and 2.5% of those 65 and over. According to a list compiled in 2008 by Stephen Higley, it is the ninth wealthiest community in the United States. It is often referred to as "The Tiny Kingdom" due to its high concentration of the region's business and professional leaders, and the disparity of wealth between it and Birmingham where according to census data nearly a quarter of the population lives below the poverty line.
Government
Mountain Brook has a city council/mayor/city manager system of government. The city council, consisting of five members elected at large, considers most issues and appoints the police chief and fire chief. The mayor is Stewart Welch, III, first elected in 2016. The city manager is Sam Gaston, appointed by the council and mayor in January 2008. The Tree Commission and the Planning Commission consider specific issues and usually refer them to the council.
Education
The Mountain Brook School System is consistently rated one of the best in the state. It includes the following six schools, all of which except Mountain Brook Elementary have been awarded the Blue Ribbon:
In , Joan Didion writes, "It is said that the dead center of Birmingham society is the southeast corner of the locker room at the Mountain Brook country club." She adds, "it is hard to make the connection between this Birmingham and that of Bull Connor." During his 1970 gubernatorial campaign, George Wallace derisively referred to Mountain Brook as "where the rich folks live in the suburbs up across the mountain from Birmingham."
