Linden is a city in and the county seat of Marengo County, Alabama, United States. The population was 1,930 at the 2020 census, The name commemorated the battle in 1800 at Hohenlinden, Bavaria, where the French defeated the armies of both Austria and Bavaria. The spelling was later shortened to just "Linden."
Geography
Linden is located in central Marengo County. It is south of Demopolis, the largest city in Marengo County, west of Thomaston, and north of Thomasville.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which , or 0.94%, are water.<br>2013 Estimate
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2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Linden had a population of 1,930 and 827 households, including 349 families. The median age was 44.1 years. 20.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 90.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 87.1 males age 18 and over.
Of the 827 households, 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them. Of all households, 32.6% were married-couple households, 21.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 40.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 35.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 838 || 43.4%
|-
| Black or African American || 1,036 || 53.7%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 0 || 0.0%
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| Asian || 1 || 0.1%
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| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0 || 0.0%
|-
| Some other race || 18 || 0.9%
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| Two or more races || 37 || 1.9%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 17 || 0.9%
|}
2010 census
At the 2010 census, there were 2,123 people, 877 households, and 555 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,013 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 51.1% White, 46.7% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.2% Asian, and 0.9% from two or more races. 2.0% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 877 households 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.7% were married couples living together, 21.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.7% were non-families. 34.3% of households were one person and 14.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.88.
The age distribution was 20.8% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 21.2% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 22.8% 65 or older. The median age was 42.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.0 males.
The median household income was $20,145 and the median family income was $35,714. Males had a median income of $30,833 versus $25,000 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,701. About 31.1% of families and 31.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 41.1% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.
2000 census
At the 2000 census, there were 2,424 people, 938 households, and 662 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,084 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 52.43% White, 46.20% Black or African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.33% Asian, and 0.87% from two or more races. 1.07% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 938 households 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1% were married couples living together, 22.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4% were non-families. 27.8% of households were one person and 14.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.98.
Media
The Linden Leader, a weekly newspaper, is based in Linden.
Education
The city runs its own citywide school system, Linden City Schools. It also had one private school, Marengo Academy, founded in 1969; one of many segregation academies as they are known, which cropped up in the South after segregation was made illegal. Marengo Academy closed in 2019.
Notable people
- Ralph Abernathy, civil rights leader
- William J. Alston, United States Representative to the Thirty-first Congress
- Frank Evans, professional baseball player in the Negro leagues
- Autherine Lucy Foster, civil rights trailblazer; first African-American student at the University of Alabama
- Sean Richardson, safety for the Green Bay Packers
- Roy Rogers, professional basketball player and coach