Formerly the location of a large Native American trading center, Aliquippa grew to become a center for steel manufacturing by the early 20th century, similar to other towns in the area. With the closure of most large employers by the 1980s, Aliquippa has since become an economically distressed community.[4]
Aliquippa was founded by the merger of three towns: Aliquippa, Woodlawn,[5] and New Sheffield.[6][7] There is no known direct connection between SenecaQueen Aliquippa and the city; rather, "Aliquippa" was one of several Indian names selected arbitrarily by the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad in 1878 for stations along its route.[7] The oldest church within the current boundaries of Aliquippa is Mt. Carmel Presbyterian Church (formerly White Oak Flats Presbyterian Church), established about 1793 in the New Sheffield region on Brodhead Road.[7]
Aliquippa is best known as the location of a productive steel mill that the Jones and Laughlin Steel Company constructed there along the Ohio River beginning in 1905. Employment at the facility sustained a population of 27,023 in 1940.[7] The mill closed in 1984 during the collapse of the steel industry during the 1980s, and was demolished in 1988. This major economic loss alongside suburbanization caused a major population loss through the end of the 20th century. Many of the city's businesses have left since the closing of the mill. This has left the city economically depressed, with the crime rate dramatically rising over time.
Aliquippa was formally chartered as a city in 1987 by the Aliquippa Borough Council. The B.F. Jones Memorial Library is a historical landmark of the community.
This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: Newer demographic information is available from the 2020 Census report. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (September 2021)
The city's population peaked in the 1930s. Since then, it has declined by two-thirds to just over 9,000 people, from a high on 27,116 in the 1930 census.
As of the 2010 census, the city had 9,438 people. The racial makeup of the city was 57.6% White, 38.6% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.4% Asian, and 2.8% were two or more races. 1.3% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.[13]
As of the 2000 census,[12] there were 11,734 people, 5,124 households, and 3,176 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,867.7 inhabitants per square mile (1,107.2/km2). There were 5,843 housing units at an average density of 1,428.0 per square mile (551.4/km2). The racial makeup was 62.59% White, 35.52% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.18% from other races, and 1.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.00% of the population.
There were 5,124 households, out of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.7% were married couples living together, 21.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.0% were non-families. Of all households 35.0% were made up of individuals, and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.5% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 22.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,113, and the median income for a family was $34,003. Males had a median income of $27,954 versus $21,358 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,718. About 17.7% of families and 21.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.3% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over.
