Panola, Sumter County, Alabama

Panola is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Sumter County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 144. Panola is 6 miles (9.7 km) north-northeast of Geiger. Panola has a post office with ZIP code 35477.^[3] The community's name comes from the Choctaw word ponola, which means "cotton".^[4]

Panola, Alabama
Unincorporated community Census designated place
Panola, Alabama
Coordinates: 32°57′02″N 88°16′08″W / 32.95056°N 88.26889°W / 32.95056; -88.26889
Country	United States
State	Alabama
County	Sumter
Area ^[1]
• Total	0.72 sq mi (1.86 km^2)
• Land	0.72 sq mi (1.86 km^2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km^2)
Elevation	180 ft (50 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	71
• Density	98.89/sq mi (38.20/km^2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP code	35477
Area code(s)	205, 659
GNIS feature ID	124400^[2]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
2010	144		—
2020	71		−50.7%
U.S. Decennial Census^[5]

2020 census

Panola, Sumter County, Alabama – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2010^[6]	Pop 2020^[7]	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	3	2	2.08%	2.82%
Black or African American alone (NH)	141	65	97.92%	91.55%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	0	0	0.00%	0.00%
Asian alone (NH)	0	0	0.00%	0.00%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	0	0	0.00%	0.00%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	0	0	0.00%	0.00%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH)	0	3	0.00%	4.23%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	0	1	0.00%	1.41%
Total	144	71	100.00%	100.00%

As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 71 people living in the CDP.

Education

Sumter County School District operates public schools, including Sumter Central High School.

North Sumter Junior High School was previously in operation near, but not in, the Panola CDP.^[8][9] The Sumter County school board voted to close the school in 2018.^[10]

Notable people

• Bill Bruton (1925 – 1995), Major League Baseball center fielder who was the National League stolen base champion in 1953, 1954, and 1955
• Boston Blackie (1943 – 1993), Chicago blues musician

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
2. "Panola". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
3. United States Postal Service (2012). "USPS – Look Up a ZIP Code". Retrieved February 15, 2012.
4. Read, William A. (1984). Indian Place Names in Alabama. Tuscaloosa: The University of Alabama Press. p. 51. ISBN 0-8173-0231-X.
5. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
6. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Rac – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Panola CDP, Alabama". United States Census Bureau.
7. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Rac – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Panola CDP, Alabama". United States Census Bureau.
8. "2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Panola CDP, AL." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on January 15, 2019.
9. "." Sumter County School District. November 14, 2012. Retrieved on January 15, 2019. "Panola Parkway Hwy 34 Panola, Alabama 35477"
10. Robinson, Perry (April 10, 2018). "Board votes to close North Sumter Junior High School". WTOK. Retrieved January 15, 2019.