Albany is a home rule-class city in Clinton County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 1,760 as of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Clinton County. It is located on U.S. Route 127, about north of the Tennessee border.

History

The community of Albany grew up around a tavern established by Benjamin Dowell in the early 19th century. In 1837, residents voted to make the location the seat of county government. It is generally accepted that the town, formally incorporated on January 27, 1838, was named after Albany, New York, but a local legend holds that, during the vote to determine the location of the county seat, patrons of Dowell's tavern shouted "All for Benny!", then "all Benny," which led to the town being called Albany. The city lies at an elevation of at the foot of the western edge of the Cumberland Plateau. Albany Rock, the peak of a western spur of the plateau, rises northeast of the city to an elevation of .

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which , or 0.23%, is water.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Albany had a population of 1,760. The median age was 43.9 years. 21.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 23.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 84.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 85.1 males age 18 and over.

0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 809 households in Albany, of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 28.9% were married-couple households, 24.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 39.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 43.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. of 2000, there were 2,220 people, 1,018 households, and 561 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,165 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.38% White, 0.05% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 0.50% Pacific Islander, 0.18% from other races, and 0.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.11% of the population.

There were 1,018 households, out of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.5% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.8% were non-families. 41.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.5% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $14,558, and the median income for a family was $22,652. Males had a median income of $21,389 versus $16,685 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,919. About 28.9% of families and 35.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 49.8% of those under age 18 and 36.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Schools

All schools in the city are operated by the Clinton County School District

  • Early Childhood Center
  • Albany Elementary School
  • Clinton County Middle School
  • Clinton County High School

Libraries

Albany has a lending library, the Clinton County Public Library.

Notable people

  • Thomas Bramlette, Union Democratic governor of Kentucky, 1863–1867
  • Garlin Murl Conner, a soldier in the United States Army during the Second World War. Assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division and served in North Africa and Europe; he may have been "the greatest soldier of our time."
  • Sam C. Ford, the 12th governor of Montana
  • Jeff Hoover, former Speaker of the House, Kentucky House of Representatives.
  • Preston H. Leslie, Democratic governor of Kentucky and territorial governor of Montana

References

Further reading

  • Albany/Clinton County visitors' guide