ZIP Code 36303

Dothan is Alabama's eighth-largest city, with a population of 71,072 at the 2020 census. It is named after the biblical city where Joseph's brothers threw him into a cistern and sold him into slavery in Egypt. The city is the main transportation and commercial hub for a significant part of southeastern Alabama, southwest Georgia, and nearby portions of the Florida Panhandle. One-quarter of the U.S. peanut crop is harvested within 75 miles (121 km) of Dothan. Tornadoes are a frequent risk during the spring, summer, and fall; the city's tornado activity is slightly below the Alabama state average, but slightly above the average for the United States. The Southern Company constructed the Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Generating Station near the city between 1970 and 1981; this 1,776-megawatt facility generates about 13,000 gigawatt-hours (47,000 TJ) per year. It also hosts the annual National Peanut Festival at the Pe peanut Festival Fairgrounds. The town was the scene of a deadly altercation resulting from a dispute over a tax levied on wagons operating within city limits. The arrest of some of the alliance's men led to a riot that left two men dead and others seriously wounded. On November 11, 1885, the citizens voted to incorporate, naming their new city Dothsan at the suggestion of a local clergyman after discovering that "Poplar Head" was already registered with the U-S. post office for a town in northern Alabama.

History

Dothan is the primary city name, but also Kinsey are acceptable city names or spellings, Rehobeth on the other hand no longer accepted or obsolete and are no longer used as a designation. The official name is City of Dothan. The region that is now Dothan was part of the colony of British West Florida between 1763 and 1783. The first permanent white settlers consisted of nine families who moved into the area during the early 1830s to harvest the abundant timber. After the Civil War, a local Pony Express route was founded; together with other developments during the Reconstruction Era, the town began to grow. In 1889, a dispute over a tax levied on wagons operating within city limits led to a riot that left two men dead and others seriously wounded. The Southern Company constructed the Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Generating Station near the city between 1970 and 1981. Today, one-quarter of the U.S. peanut crop is harvested within 75 miles (121 km) of Dotha's city limits. It became a hub for the production and transport of peanuts and peanut-related products in the 1960s and 1970s. The city is home to the Alabama State Museum, which was founded in 1883. It is also the home of the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, which opened its doors in 1887. The Alabama State Library is located in the city's downtown area. It opened in 1891. It was the site of a World War II-era museum in the early 1900s, which is now the Alabama Museum of History and Science. It also hosts the National Museum of African-American History and Culture, which dates back to the 18th century. The museum is located on the campus of Alabama State University.

Geography

Dothan is in northwestern Houston County in southeastern Alabama. The city limits extend north into Henry County and northwest into Dale County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has an area of 89.7 square miles (232.4 km²) The city has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) with hot, humid summers and generally mild winters. Snowfall is extremely rare; a two-inch snowfall occurs about once every ten years, which results in a yearly average of 0.2 inches (5.1 mm) Tornadoes are a frequent risk during the spring, summer and fall; the city's tornado activity is slightly below the Alabama state average, but 79% above the United States average. The average high temperature in the city is 92 °F (33 °C) in the summer, and 59°F (15°C) high in winter. It has an average annual rainfall of 2.5 inches (7.5 mm) and an average yearly snowfall of 2 inches (8.5mm) Dothan has a high school graduation rate of 1.9%. The city's average annual unemployment rate is 0.7%. It has a low homicide rate of 3.3%. The average annual homicide rate is 1.2%. It is the highest in the state of Alabama, with the state average being 1.4%. It also has the highest homicide rate in the country, at 2.7 per cent. It is one of the few cities in Alabama with a population of more than 100,000.

Demographics

The state-recognized Cher-O-Creek Intra Tribal Indians were in Dothan. They descended from members of the Cherokee and Creek peoples who occupied this area and resisted removal to Indian Territory in the 1830s. As of the 2020 United States census, there were 71,072 people, 27,103 households, and 16,607 families residing in the city. The city's population is expected to rise to 71,000 by the end of the decade, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The state's population has grown to more than 70,000 people, the most in the state, since the early 1900s. The population is projected to reach 80,000 in the 2030s. It is expected that the city will have a population of more than 80,00 by the year's end, up from around 60,000 at the start of the century. The current population of the city is about 71,700 people, and the city's estimated population will rise to about 80,200 by the 2020 census. The U.N. estimates that the population will reach 90,500 by the mid-century, a rise of about 10,000 since the mid-'70s. In the city, there are about 16,000 families, the majority of whom are white. The majority of the residents are African-American, with about 70% of the population being African-Americans. The town's population was 71,100 as of the 2010 census, a growth of about 7,000 from the 1990s.

Government

Dothan is governed by a mayor and city council (called the "board of commissioners"), with a city manager employed to manage city affairs. The city is divided into six council districts, with one commissioner elected from each single-member district to a four-year term. A total of 999 full-time and 215 part-time employees work for Dothan's city agencies, including police, fire, clerical, judicial, finance, public works and utilities. As of 2017, the mayor was Mark Saliba and the city manager was Mike West. Larry H. Williams served as city fire chief and Steve Parrish was police chief. Dothsan is in Alabama's 2nd congressional district; its representative (as of 2021) is Barry Moore. It is divided among three different state senate districts (28, 29 and 31) and four state representative districts (85, 86, 87 and 93). The city's mayor is elected at-large for four years and serves as a member of the board of commissioners. The City Manager implements the board's policies and manages the city's day-to-day operations, including hiring, managing and firing the heads of city government departments. The mayor is Mark Salibai and the City Manager is Mike West, both of whom have been in their positions since 2007. The Mayor is elected for a term of four years, with a maximum term of five years. The Board of Commissioners is responsible for drafting all city ordinances and policies and appropriation of city funds.

Education

Most K-12 students in Dothan and Houston County attend local schools. Institutes of higher education include Fortis College, Troy University, Wallace Community College, Bethany Divinity College & Seminary, and the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine. Some students attend local private schools, such as Houston Academy, Providence Christian School, Northside Methodist Academy, Emmanuel Christian School and Westgate Christian School.

Infrastructure

Dothan Regional Airport is served by Delta Air Lines and Aero-One Aviation as of September 2017. The airport was established at the former Army airbase at Napier Field in 1965. Jet services began in 1968 with Southern Airways' acquisition of DC-9 aircraft, and continue today using the CRJ-200 regional passenger jet. Dothan does not have regularly scheduled public transportation, but offers dial-a-ride service through its nonprofit Wiregrass Transit Authority. All airport revenue is generated by rental and other user fees charged to patrons and tenants of the facility.The airport serves as the local National Weather Service's weather observation station. U.S. Routes 84, 231, and 431 run through the city along various parts of Ross Clark Circle (AL-210), the bypass encircling the city. Other highways that run through Dothsan include Alabama State Routes 52 and 53.Passenger trains no longer operate through the town, but Greyhound Bus Lines maintains a station in town. The city is home to the Alabama State Museum, which is located on the outskirts of the city in the town of Eufaula. It is also the home of the Alabama National Guard, which has a museum in the city's downtown area. The town is the site of the National Guard's Alabama Air National Guard Base, which was established in the early 1950s. The National Guard is based at the base until the end of the 20th century, when it was moved to a new base in Mobile.

Religion

The largest Christian denomination in Dothan is the Southern Baptist church. There are also Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, AME, Freewill Baptist, Episcopal, United Pentecostal, Assemblies of God, Seventh-day Adventist and various Evangelical churches. The city is also home to two mosques, two Wards of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, and an Antiochian Eastern Orthodox church. St. Columba Catholic Church serves Dothsan's Roman Catholics. Dothans also host a Reform Judaism synagogue, Temple Emanu-El, which became nationally famous in 2008 when the congregation offered Jewish families as much as $50,000 to relocate to Dothson to build up the community. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is based in the city, which is home to a number of military bases, including the National Guard, the Air Force, the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard. The Army Corps is also based in Dothsons' hometown, Dothon, and has a military base on the outskirts of the city. The Air Force National Guard also has a base in the town, which has a National Guard base, Air Force bases on the coast and the coast, as well as other military bases in the area. The town has a population of about 2,000 people, about half of whom are African-American. It is the largest city in the state, with the majority of its residents being African-Americans.

Sports

Dothan hosted minor league baseball teams from 1915 to 1917. Teams were known at varying times as the Boll Weevils, Browns, Rebels, Cardinals and Phillies. Major League affiliations were maintained in later years with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Philadelphia Phillies. Ballparks included Baker Field, City Park, Stadium Park, Jill Alexander Miracle Field and the Wiregrass Memorial Stadium. The city served host to the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 7, 1997. Dothan was selected as one of 11 Alabama sites for a course on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. In 200710, Dothsan was recognized as part of the "Playful City USA" initiative by KaBOOM!, created to honor cities that ensure that their children have great places to play. It was named one of the top 10 cities in the U.S. to play in the 2007 World Series of Badminton, which was held in New York City. It also played host to a World Series qualifier for the women's version of the game. The tournament was the first of its kind in the history of the tournament, which has since been won by the New York Yankees. The event was held at New York's Madison Square Garden, which also hosted the opening of the World Series in 2007. The final game of the series was held on July 28, 2007, with the Yankees taking on the Chicago Cubs. The game was the last of the seven-game series between the Yankees and the Red Sox, which concluded on July 31.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Dothan, Geneva County, Alabama = 62.4. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 100. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 98. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Dothan = 5.4 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 71,072 individuals with a median age of 38.5 age the population grows by 14.74% in Dothan, Geneva County, Alabama population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 791.10 residents per square mile of area (305.45/km²). There are average 2.4 people per household in the 27,206 households with an average household income of $40,888 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is of the available work force and has dropped -7.80% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 15.80%. The number of physicians in Dothan per 100,000 population = 325.9.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Dothan = 54.2 inches and the annual snowfall = 0.2 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 101. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 227. 91 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 35.9 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 30, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Dothan, Geneva County, Alabama which are owned by the occupant = 57.88%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 29 years with median home cost = $113,260 and home appreciation of 1.76%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $2.45 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,279 per student. There are 16.8 students for each teacher in the school, 396 students for each Librarian and 400 students for each Counselor. 6.65% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 15.67% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 8.21% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).