Here's a fun fact: The average number of counties in each state is 62. Delaware has the least amount with only three counties. Texas has the most, with 254.
With 67 counties, Alabama comes in right near the middle, tied with Florida (67) and just ahead of South Dakota (66).
Not all Alabama counties are created equal, of course. In fact, it would take all those living in the 34-least populated counties to make up the most-populated county - Jefferson County (659,521). In all, 29 of Alabama's counties have a population of less than 30,000.
Here are Alabama's counties ranked from most to least-populated:
- Jefferson County - 659,521
- Mobile County - 414,836
- Madison County- 356,967
- Montgomery County- 226,349
- Shelby County - 210,622
- Baldwin County- 208,563
- Tuscaloosa County - 206,102
- Lee County - 158,991
- Morgan County- 119,012
- Calhoun County - 114,611
- Houston County - 104,056
- Etowah County - 102,564
- Marshall County - 95,157
- Limestone County - 92,753
- Lauderdale County - 92,318
- St. Clair County - 88,019
- Cullman County - 82,471
- Elmore County - 81,799
- Talladega County - 80,103
- DeKalb County - 70,900
- Walker County - 64,967
- Russell County - 58,172
- Blount County - 57,704
- Autauga County - 55,416
- Colbert County - 54,216
- Jackson County - 52,138
- Coffee County - 51,226
- Dale County - 49,226
- Chilton County - 43,941
- Tallapoosa County - 40,727
- Dallas County - 40,008
- Escambia County - 37,728
- Covington County - 37,458
- Chambers County - 33,843
- Pike County - 33,286
- Lawrence County - 33,244
- Franklin County - 31,628
- Marion County - 29,998
- Geneva County - 26,614
- Barbour County - 25,965
- Cherokee County - 25,725
- Clarke County - 24,392
- Winston County - 23,805
- Randolph County - 22,652
- Bibb County - 22,643
- Monroe County - 21,530
- Pickens County - 20,324
- Butler County - 19,998
- Marengo County - 19,673
- Macon County - 18,963
- Henry County - 17,164
- Washington County - 16,756
- Fayette County - 16,546
- Hale County - 14,952
- Cleburne County - 14,924
- Lamar County - 13,918
- Crenshaw County - 13,913
- Clay County - 13,492
- Sumter County - 13,040
- Choctaw County - 12,993
- Conecuh County - 12,395
- Wilcox County - 10,986
- Coosa County - 10,581
- Bullock County - 10,362
- Lowndes County - 10,358
- Perry County - 9,574
- Greene County - 8,422
Welcome to Wednesday's Wake Up Call. Let's see what's going on:
Girl Scouts to award cyber security badges
Move over cookies. The Girl Scouts are going high tech.
Starting in 2018, Girl Scouts USA will be adding badges for young girls who master various cybersecurity topics. The badges are part of Girl Scout efforts to promote science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education for girls.
The scouting organization is teaming with cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks to create the curriculum, which will include such topics as identity protection and programming.
Girl Scouts of the USA has about 1.8 million members.
Judge approves pay for exotic dancers
A federal judge has approved a $6.5 million settlement in a case involving 28,000 current or former exotic dancers.
The class-action lawsuit accused Deja Vu-affiliated clubs of violating wage laws by treated dancers as independent contractors who were required to pay a fee to perform, instead of regular employees. The dancers will share in the proceeds from the settlement based on length of employment, though some will receive less than $200.
The lawsuit was filed in 2016 by a dancer in Michigan who said she wasn't paid minimum wage due to being classified as a contractor.
Deja vu operates clubs in 18 states.
Family sues waterpark over teen's death
The family of an Ohio teen who died last year is suing the North Carolina water park where she contracted a deadly amoeba.
Lauren Seitz, 18, died June 19, 2016 after she was exposed to Naegleria fowleri, an amoeba that can cause a rare and deadly brain infection. Her family's suit claims the water park, US National Whitewater Center, and its builder were negligent and reckless in their operations. Seitz and her friends were whitewater rafting when the raft overturned, exposing her face and nose to the water, the lawsuit says. She became ill after returning to Ohio and died 11 days later.
Water samples taken from the whitewater center after her death tested positive for the amoeba.
Until tomorrow.