History
Jeffersin County was established on December 13, 1819 by the Alabama legislature. It was known as within honor of Thomas Jefferson. A county is in the northerly-central part of the state, on the southern extension of the Appalachians, in the center of the iron, coal & limestone belt of the South. Jefferson County is bordered by Blount, Bibb, St. Clair, Shelby, Tuscaloosa, and Walker counties. It encompasses 1,119 square miles. A county courthouse was at Carrollsville from either either 1819-21, at Elyton from 1821-73, & since 1873 has been at Birmingham, which was known as for England's iron & steel center inside Warwickshire.

Government and Law
Jefferson County is one of the couple counties within Alabama that has a limited-form of home rule government. This limited ability of personal rule allows a county to become breathe to l& utilise zoning, maintenance sewage system & roads, electric pig, and to enforce taxation (except land tax). the county is governed by a 5-member commission by having legislative & executive duties. the Commissioners come elected by a vote of the dominion that it represent instead of an "at large" election equally was liquidate the past. From each one single county commissioner is one of a 5 single territorial dominion in the county. By commission vote it is given executive responsibilities for even a departments that fall into the categories of Roads & Transport & Community Development, Environmental Services, Health & Human being Services, Technology & L& Development, or Finance and General services. A commission elects its have President, world health organization chairs commission meetings & has extra executive duties. A todays commission President is Larry P. Langford.

Jefferson County is served per Jefferson County Sheriff's Department. A Sheriff is chosen within an "at large" election. A todays sheriff of Jefferson County is Mike Hale. A department fields astir 175 officers world health organization patrol a unincorporated areas of the county & municipalities that don't keep close at hand their have constabulary. It maintaaround clink in Birmingham & Bessemer that home inmates awaiting test & serving sentences.

A judicature of Jefferson County is unique inside a state because there are ii judicial courthouses in the county. This take place once the state legislative mass produced preparations to split hit the part of Jefferson county to produce a newly county by having Bessemer when its county courthouse. A idea was dropped however a extra courthouse & parallel positions remain. A independent courthouse is inside Birmingham & a 2nd, referred to as a courthouse annexe, is located in Bessemer. There are elected officials world health organization maintain agents in a wing like the Adjunct Tax Collector, Assistance Tax Assessor, & Assistant Da.

Taxation
Jefferswithin County has a 9% sales revenue enhancement in both dollar on anything from either groceries to article of clothing things (the greatest county nuisance tax rate in Alabama). Around January 2005, the controversial addition 1% sales taxation for the funding of construction of education facilities attend affect. This controversial taxation was passed when you took the regular each week of the Jefferson County Commission anonymously forswearing any public approval within October 2004. This addition 1% has led to county municipalities prefer Fairfield to have nuisance tax rates when high when 10% in the dollar when more municipalities & incorporated communities saw an increase in their nuisance tax rate from either 8% to 9%on every dollar. This taxation hwhen led also as a county's limited ability to self-govern has been under subject of abrogation per Alabama State Legislature when you took a 2005 regular legislative session though the abrogation of either (particular self-govern) is extremely unconvincing.

Geography
Based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,911 km² (1,124 mi²). 2,882 kilometer² (1,113 mi²) of these are l& and Xxix klick² (Eleven mi²) of these are water system. A sum locality is One.00% a river.

Demographics
When of the census² of 2000, there are 662,047 people, 263,265 households, and 175,861 families residing in the county. A population density is 230/km² (595/mi²). There are 288,162 housing units at an typical density of 100/km² (259/mi²). A racial makeup of the county is 58.10% White, 39.36% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.90% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.59% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. One.55% of the people are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 263,265 menage away from which Thirty.80% keep close at hand tikes under a age of Eighteen accept the children, 46.10% come married couples living together, 17.20% have a female homeowner sustaining there is no hubby present, & 33.20% come non-families. Xxviii.70% of completely menage come mass produced higher of people & Nine.90% use person dwelling alone world health organization is 65 years aged or even older. A typical menage size is Two.45 & a typical personal size is Trine.04.

In a county the people is spread retired by owning Twenty-four.80% under a age of Eighteen, Niner.60% from either 18 to Two dozen, Xxix.70% from either 25 to 44, Twenty-two.30% from either 45 to 64, & Thirteen.60% world health organization come 65 years aged or even older. A median age is 36 years. For each Centred females there are 89.Xx males. For each Hundred females age Xviii & complete, there are 84.L males.

the median income for a menage in the county is $36,868, & the median income for a personal is $45,951. Males have a median income of $35,954 versus $26,631 for females. A per capita income for the county is $20,892. Fourteen.80% of the people & Eleven.60% of families come in a image below the poverty line. Away from a number people, Twenty.20% of people under a age of 18 & 12.70% of people 65 & older come dwelling following a poverty level.

Cities and towns
Adamsville Argo (a portion - part of Argo is in St. Clair County) Bessemer Birmingham (a portion - part of Birmingham is inside Shelby County) Brighton Brookside Cahaba Heights Cardiff Center Point Chalkville Clay Concord County Line (a portion - part of County Line is inside Blount County) Edgewater Fairfield Forestdale Fultondale Gardendale Grayson Valley Graysville Helena (a share - part of Helena is within Shelby County) Homewood Hoover (a portion - part of Hoover is inside Shelby County) Hueytown Irondale Kimberly Leeds (a portion - part of Leeds is around Shelby County and part is in St. Clair County) Lipscomb Maytown McDonald Chapel Midfield Minor Morris Mount Olive Mountain Brook Mulga North Johns Pinson Pleasant Grove Rock Creek Sumiton (a portion - part of Sumiton is around Walker County) Sylvan Springs Tarrant Trafford Trussville (section - part of Trussville is in St. Clair County) Vestavia Hills (section - part of Vestavia Hills is around Shelby County) Warrior (a portion - part of Warrior is within Blount County) West Jefferson