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New Albany is located at 38°18'7" North, 85°49'17" West (38.301935, -85.821442) 1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 38.3 km² (14.8 mi²). 37.9 km² (14.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.4 km² (0.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.15% water.
New Albany was founded in July 1813 by three brothers from New York. Joel, Abner, and Nathaniel Scribner arrived at the Falls of the Ohio and named the town for Albany, NY. The site was originally part of George Rogers Clark’s grant from the Virginia legislature. In 1819, three years after Indiana was admitted as a state, New Albany became the seat of government for Floyd County. The steamboat industry was the engine of of the city’s economy during the mid-19th century. At least a half-dozen shipbuilders were in operation, and turned out a multitude of steamboats, including the Robert E. Lee. Shipbuilding was accompanied by a wide range of ancillary business, including machine shops, foundries, cabinet and furniture factories, and silversmith shops. Its second largest business was the American Plate Glass Works. By 1850, New Albany was the largest city in Indiana. During the Civil War, New Albany was a stop in the Underground Railroad. In the early 20th century, New Albany became a center of plywood and veneer, and its largest employer was the New Albany Veneering Company. By 1920, New Albany was the largest producer of plywood and veneer in the world.
New Albany's Main Street features a magnificent collection of late 19th century mansions from the city's heyday as a shipbuilding center. The centerpiece is the Culberson Mansion, a four-story, Victorian masterpiece, which is today an Indiana state memorial. Situated only 10 minutes from downtown Louisville, New Albany benefits from the "best of both worlds": a small town atmosphere with easy access to the ammenities of a large metropolitan area. Fifteen minutes to the southwest of New Albany is Caesar's, one of the largest floating gambling casinos in the United States.
As of the census 2 of 2000, there are 37,603 people, 15,959 households, and 10,054 families residing in the city. The population density is 992.4/km² (2,571.1/mi²). There are 17,098 housing units at an average density of 451.2/km² (1,169.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 90.00% White, 6.93% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.67% from other racesThe United States Census Bureau uses the federal government's definitions of race when performing a census. These definitions have and may change between each census. The racial categories are officially described as follows:¹ The categories represent a s, and 1.62% from two or more races. 1.36% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 15,959 households out of which 29.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% are married couplesMarriage is a relationship that plays a key role in the definition of many families. Precise definitions vary historically and between and within cultures, but it has been an important concept as a socially sanctioned bond between people who (usually) are living together, 16.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 37.0% are non-families. 30.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.31 and the average family size is 2.88.
In the city the population is spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37 years. For every 100 females there are 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 84.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $34,923, and the median income for a family is $41,993. Males have a median income of $31,778 versus $24,002 for females. The per capita income for the city is $18,365. 13.7% of the population and 11.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 21.6% of those under the age of 18 and 9.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.