{Infobox settlement
|official_name = Harvest, Alabama
|settlement_type =
CDPA census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
|image_skyline =
|imagesize =
Harvest is an unincorporated community and
census-designated placeA census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
in the northwestern part of
Madison CountyMadison County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is a major part of the Huntsville Metropolitan Area.It is also included in the merged Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. The county is named in honor of James Madison, fourth President of the United States of America, and the...
,
AlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and is included in the
Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical AreaThe Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area is the most populated sub-region of North Alabama, and is the second fastest growing region in the State of Alabama, with 510,088 living within the CSA...
. As of the 2010 census, the population of the community is 5,281.
History
Harvest was part of the
CherokeeThe Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
lands until about 1810. It had been a settled community for many thousands of years prior to this. Many families who formed the older settlement population are part Cherokee Indian. Later, a railroad was extended south from
Fayetteville, TennesseeFayetteville is a city in Lincoln County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 6,994 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lincoln County.-History:...
to the community of Capshaw 5 miles (8 km) southwest of present day Harvest. This railroad went bankrupt in the economic troubles that lead to the
Great DepressionThe Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
of the 1930s. Today, Old Railroad Bed Road runs along the old track bed.
On April 3, 1974 during the
Super OutbreakThe Super Outbreak is the second largest tornado outbreak on record for a single 24-hour period, just behind the tornado outbreak of April 25–28, 2011...
tornado event, two violent tornadoes including one F5 struck the community within 30 minutes of each other. Most of Harvest, along with nearby communities such as
TannerTanner is a small town in central southern Limestone County, Alabama, United States, and is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. It lies along the Tennessee River, next to the city of Athens....
was destroyed. 50 people were killed by the tornadoes.
Due to its location near
Redstone ArsenalRedstone Arsenal is a United States Army base and a census-designated place adjacent to Huntsville in Madison County, Alabama, United States and is part of the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area...
and affordable housing, Harvest has recently had a housing boom. In 1990 the population of Harvest was about 450, and today it is over 5,000.
On April 27, 2011 during the
April 25–28, 2011 tornado outbreakAn extremely large and violent tornado outbreak, the largest tornado outbreak ever recorded, and popularly known as the 2011 Super Outbreak, occurred from April 25 to 28, 2011. The outbreak affected the Southern, Midwestern, and Northeastern United States, leaving catastrophic destruction in...
Harvest suffered significant damage primarily north of Nick Davis Road, situated between Old Railroad Bed and Wall Triana. Damage extended west towards the Limestone Prison.
Geography
Harvest is located at 34°51′10"N 86°44′53"W (34.852827, -86.748047).
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the community has a total area of 12.4 square miles (32.1 km²), all of it land.
Capshaw MountainCapshaw Mountain is a mountain located in Harvest, Alabama. Capshaw Mountain forms a watershed that provides the water supply for the community. It extends upwards about 800 feet above the general elevation in the area...
is the only notable geological feature in the area. It extends upwards about 800 feet above the general elevation in the area. The top of this small mountain is the site of several very substantial communications towers used by local radio stations. Capshaw Mountain forms a watershed that provides the water supply for the community.
Demographics
As of the
censusA census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 3,054 people, 1,092 households, and 898 families residing in the community. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 245.8 people per square mile (94.9/km²). There were 1,146 housing units at an average density of 92.2 per square mile (35.6/km²). The racial makeup of the community was 76.56%
WhiteRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 18.76%
BlackRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or
African AmericanRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 1.28%
Native AmericanRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 1.11%
AsianRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.20% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.10% from two or more races. 0.98% of the population were
HispanicRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or
LatinoRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 1,092 households out of which 39.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.5% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.7% were non-families. 15.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the community the population was spread out with 28.6% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 34.3% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 102.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.5 males.
The median income for a household in the community was $61,319, and the median income for a family was $64,519. Males had a median income of $46,813 versus $30,114 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the community was $23,322. About 6.8% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.
Public services
The community is served by the Harvest-Monrovia Water and Sewer Authority. The water system maintains several large storage tanks and has a substantial new water treatment facility.
The Madison County Sheriff's Department administers law and order in Harvest.
The Harvest Volunteer Fire Department is a large volunteer fire department of approximately 40 members serving the residents of West Central
Madison CountyMadison County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is a major part of the Huntsville Metropolitan Area.It is also included in the merged Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. The county is named in honor of James Madison, fourth President of the United States of America, and the...
. The fire department has 3 stations that house 5 engines along with other assorted rescue vehicles. Harvest is assisted by Toney Fire to the north and Monrovia Fire to the south.
The
Huntsville Madison County Public LibraryThe Huntsville-Madison County Public Library is a public, Carnegie library in Huntsville, Alabama. Founded in 1818, when Alabama was still a part of the Mississippi Territory, it is the oldest continuing library in the state....
maintains a branch, the Monrovia Public Library, in the Monrovia Community Center on Allen Drake Dr. near Phillips Park. This branch library is part of a very well supported community library system in Madison County.
The Madison County School System runs several schools in Harvest.
Sparkman High SchoolSparkman High School is a public high school in Harvest, Alabama, United States. The school was named after senator and former vice presidential nominee John Sparkman. Sparkman is one of the largest schools in Northern Alabama and serves students in grades 9-12. The school's mascot is a Senator....
is the largest public high school in the county, with over 2300 students. A ninth grade "academy" was constructed in 2007 across the street from Sparkman. Middle school students in Harvest are zoned for either Monrovia Middle in the Monrovia community, or Sparkman Middle in Toney. There are also four elementary schools in Harvest/Monrovia- Harvest, Monrovia, Endeavor, and Legacy.
Economy
The economy of Harvest depends a great deal on residential construction. In 2003, over 650 new homes were built in Harvest and the adjacent Monrovia community. In addition, it is home to numerous small and medium sized businesses. Most residents work in the cities of
MadisonAs of the census of 2000, there were 29,329 people, 11,143 households, and 8,067 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,266.5 people per square mile . There were 12,121 housing units at an average density of 523.4 per square mile...
and
HuntsvilleHuntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
.
Retail trade is rapidly expanding as of 2008, with the construction of new stores and restaurants which coincide with continuing residential growth. The area's businesses serve a wide area, encompassing much of Northwest Madison County and Northeast Limestone County.