Coaling

Coaling is located in eastern Tuscaloosa County in the west-central region of the state. It has a mayor/city council form of government.

History

One of the earliest settlers in the Coaling area was Daniel Black, who came to the area around 1846. He amassed a significant amount of land, eventually donating part of it in the 1870s for a railroad right of way and for a new town site, which he named Coaling. Coaling’s first church was established in 1878 and its first post office opened in 1979.

Coaling was incorporated in September 1997. On April 27, 2011, 13 homes in Coaling were severely damaged by an EF-3 tornado. There were no fatalities, although several townspeople were hospitalized with injuries.

Demographics

According to 2020 Census estimates, Coaling recorded a population of 1,702. Of that number, 79.4 percent of respondents identified themselves as white, 10.3 percent as Hispanic, 12.6 percent as two or more races, and 8.0 percent as African American. The town’s median household income was $71,731, and the per capita income was $25,509.

Employment

According to 2020 Census estimates, the workforce in Coaling was divided among the following industrial categories:

  • Educational services, and health care and social assistance (24.7 percent)
  • Manufacturing (20.0 percent)
  • Professional, scientific, and administrative and waste management services (13.0 percent)
  • Transportation, warehousing, and utilities (10.7 percent)
  • Construction (8.6 percent)
  • Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing (5.8 percent)
  • Arts, entertainment, recreation, and accommodation and food services (4.7 percent)
  • Retail trade (3.8 percent)
  • Public administration (3.6 percent)
  • Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and extractive (2.0 percent)
  • Other services, except public administration (1.8 percent)
  • Wholesale trade (1.2 percent)

Education

Students in Coaling attend Tuscaloosa County Public Schools. There are no schools in the town itself.

Transportation

Coaling is served by U.S Highway 11, which runs east-west, and County Highway 59, which runs south. Interstates 59/20 lie just to the north of the city.

Events and Places of Interest

Coaling hosts an annual Christmas Chili Supper each December. The town park has a playground, pavilion, walking track, and baseball fields.

Additional Resources

Lambert, Alston. History of Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. Vol. 1. Centre, Ala.: Stewart University Press, 1977.

Tuscaloosa County Heritage Book Committee. The Heritage of Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. Clanton, Ala.: Heritage Publishing Consultants, 1999.

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