Fascinating maps illustrate areas of poverty, affluence in Alabama

The New York Times undertook a project recently called “Mapping Poverty in America.” The Times used data from the U.S. Census Bureau to create an interactive map that allows us to see what percentage of people live below the poverty line in different areas of the country — even down to the neighborhood level.

I was reminded of the map on Tuesday when Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley delivered his State of the State address.

Gov. Bentley spent a good bit of time discussing poverty in Alabama and his vision to help the state break the crippling cycle of government dependence that is so pervasive in some corners of the state.

“The poorest county in the United States of America is located just 73 miles from where we sit tonight,” Bentley said from the Old House Chambers of the Alabama Capitol. “If we were to drive a little over an hour from this historic hall we would find ourselves in Wilcox County where the median household income is below that of any other county in this nation. 11-thousand of our fellow Alabamians live in Wilcox County where the unemployment rate is chronically in double digits and consistently ranks above the national average.”

That compelled me to take a look at Alabama’s “poverty map.”

What I found was disturbing and fascinating all at once. Some areas of the state are mired in poverty, with 60%, 70% even 80% of people living below the poverty line. Interestingly, those areas would sometimes be mere blocks away from some of the most affluent neighborhoods in the state with little to no poverty at all.

Take a look at the maps for yourself below (click the images to enlarge). If you’d like to zoom in to your neck of the woods to see what percentage of people live below the poverty line near you, check out The New York Times’ interactive map.

ALABAMA

Here’s the State of Alabama with Wilcox County, the most impoverished county in America according to Gov. Bentley, highlighted.

WILCOX COUNTY

Here’s a closer look at Wilcox Co., with the most impoverished area highlighted.

BIRMINGHAM

Here’s a look at the entire Birmingham Metropolitan area:

In Birmingham, University Blvd. runs right through the poorest part of downtown between 2nd Ave. S and 10th Ave. S.

An area south of the city that contains the upscale Ross Bridge neighborhood is the most affluent part of the metro area, with just around 2.3% living below the poverty line. Much of the Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills and Homewood areas are below 5%.

MONTGOMERY

The area of Montgomery just south of Maxwell Air Force Base is the most impoverished part of the city, with a 64.1% poverty rate.

Carter Hill Rd. forms the northern and eastern border of the most affluent area of Montgomery, with Narrow Lane Rd. on the west. Just to the east, Vaughn Rd. runs through the center of an only slightly less affluent area.

MOBILE

A wedge between Michigan Ave. and I-10, with Duvall St. running right through the middle, makes up the most impoverished area of Mobile. Just on the other side of I-10 the poverty rate is almost four times lower.

And here’s a look at the most affluent area of Mobile.

HUNTSVILLE

In The Rocket City, an area just west of the city’s center has about 66% of its population living below the poverty line.

Huntsville is a little more difficult to map because the population is much more spread out than it is in other Alabama cities. Airport Road SE runs right through the center of the most affluent area of Huntsville, just south of the city center.