Alabama

State

Add Comparison

2022 Population

5.03M

0.609% 1-year growth

US Senator

N/ATommy Tuberville

Republican Party

US Senator

N/AKatie Britt

Republican Party

2022 Median Age

39.3

0% 1-year change

2022 Poverty Rate

15.7%

0.397% 1-year decrease

2022 Median Household Income

$59,609

8.49% 1-year growth

2022 Median Property Value

$179,400

14.2% 1-year growth

2022 Employed Population

2.1M

1.8% 1-year growth

About

In 2022, Alabama had a population of 5.03M people with a median age of 39.3 and a median household income of $59,609. Between 2021 and 2022 the population of Alabama grew from 5M to 5.03M, a 0.609% increase and its median household income grew from $54,943 to $59,609, a 8.49% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Alabama are White (Non-Hispanic) (64.6%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (26.2%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (2.58%), White (Hispanic) (1.63%), and Other (Hispanic) (1.58%).

5.39% of the households in Alabama reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

97.9% of the residents in Alabama are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Alabama are The University of Alabama (10,025 degrees awarded in 2022), Auburn University (8,117 degrees), and University of Alabama at Birmingham (6,377 degrees).

In 2022, the median property value in Alabama was $179,400, and the homeownership rate was 69.7%.

Most people in Alabama drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Alabama was 2 cars per household.

Alabama borders Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

About the photo: Birmingham, AL

Photo by Trish Hartmann

United States

Population & Diversity

Alabama is home to a population of 5.03M people, from which 97.9% are citizens. As of 2022, 3.51% of Alabama residents were born outside of the country (177k people).

In 2022, there were 2.46 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (3.25M people) in Alabama than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.32M Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 130k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

The most common non-English languages spoken as the primary langauge in households in Alabama are Spanish (160,709 households), Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) (10,373 households), and Korean (9,993 households).

Population & Diversity

Population by Location

Sex

RACE/ETHNICITY

The 3 PUMAS with the highest resident population

In 2022 there were 5,028,092 residents in Alabama.

The Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMA) with the highest resident population were Lauderdale, Colbert & Franklin Counties PUMA, AL (180,852 people), Limestone County PUMA, AL (107,704 people), and Morgan & Lawrence Counties--Decatur City PUMA, AL (156,100 people).

The following map shows all of the states in Alabama colored by the resident population.

Residents by Gender and Age

RACE/ETHNICITY

2,584,761

Women

51.4%

2,443,331

Men

48.6%

The resident population of United States in 2022 was 5,028,092 inhabitants, with 48.6% men, and 51.4% women.

The visualization shows the distribution of the residents by gender and age in the United States.

With the upper buttons you can add a filter by race.

Citizenship

97.9%

2022 Citizenship

98%

2021 Citizenship

As of 2022, 97.9% of Alabama residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.5%. In 2021, the percentage of US citizens in Alabama was 98%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Alabama compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Alabama

White (Non-Hispanic)
3.25M ± 2.13k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
1.32M ± 3.59k
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
130k ± 3.64k

4.62%

Hispanic Population

232k people

4.62% of the people in Alabama are hispanic (232k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Alabama as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

Mexico
45,935 ± 5,238 people
Guatemala
15,043 ± 3,007 people
India
10,012 ± 2,454 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Alabama was Mexico, the natal country of 45,935 Alabama residents, followed by Guatemala with 15,043 and India with 10,012.

Foreign-Born Population

3.51%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

177k people

3.47%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

173k people

As of 2022, 3.51% of Alabama residents (177k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.6%. In 2021, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Alabama was 3.47%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Alabama compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Non-English Households

Most Common Non-English Languages

Spanish
160,709 households (3.39%)
Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese)
10,373 households (0.219%)
Korean
9,993 households (0.211%)

5.39% of the households in Alabama reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language, which is lower than the national average of 21.7%. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

In 2022, the most common non-English language spoken in households in Alabama was Spanish. 3.39% of the households in Alabama reported speaking Spanish at home as the primary shared language between all members living in the household.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
98,794 ± 1,885
Gulf War (2001-)
80,330 ± 2,641
Gulf War (1990s)
53,410 ± 1,720

Alabama has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.23 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Alabama employs 2.1M people. The largest industries in Alabama are Restaurants & Food Services (133,129 people), Construction (128,326 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (121,879 people), and the highest paying industries are Securities, commodities, funds, trusts & other financial investments ($124,992), Software publishing ($121,383), and Sugar & confectionery products ($113,963).

Males in Alabama have an average income that is 1.43 times higher than the average income of females, which is $50,264. The income inequality in Alabama (measured using the Gini index) is 0.458, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Workforce Diversity

Measure

RACE/ETHNICITY

973,711

Women

48.2%

1,045,629

Men

51.8%

The workforce of Alabama in 2020 was 2,019,340 people, with 48.2% woman, and 51.8% men.

The visualization shows the distribution of the workforce by gender and age in Alabama.

With the upper buttons you can see the distribution of the average salary and add a filter by race.

Workforce and Wage by Location

Measure

RACE/ETHNICITY

In 2022 there were 2,103,957 people working in Alabama. The Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMA) that concentrated the largest workforce were Lauderdale, Colbert & Franklin Counties PUMA, AL (76,240 people), Limestone County PUMA, AL (50,166 people), and Morgan & Lawrence Counties--Decatur City PUMA, AL (63,996 people).

The following map shows all of the PUMAs in Alabama colored by workforce or average wage.

With the upper buttons you can see the yearly change and add a filter by race.

Occupations

2.1M

2022 Value

1.8%

1 Year growth

± 1.8%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Alabama grew at a rate of 1.8%, from 2.07M employees to 2.1M employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Alabama, are Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (59,291 people), Registered nurses (56,952 people), and Cashiers (52,745 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Alabama.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Alabama (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

2.1M

2022 Value

1.8%

1 Year growth

± 1.8%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Alabama grew at a rate of 1.8%, from 2.07M employees to 2.1M employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Alabama, are Restaurants & Food Services (133,129 people), Construction (128,326 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (121,879 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Alabama, though some of these residents may live in Alabama and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$48,103

Median earning men ± $593

$32,917

Median earning women ± $268

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2022 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($69,476), Public Administration ($65,772), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($59,613).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2022 are Public Administration ($48,553), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($45,317), and Wholesale Trade ($40,650).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for N/A.

Y-Axis

N/A%

Year-over-year N/A

Employment change between N/A N/A and N/A N/A

As of N/A N/A, there are N/A people employed in N/A. This represents a N/A% N/A in employment when compared to N/A N/A.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during N/A, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall N/A in employment by N/A%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in N/A.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

75,708
Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance
56,956
Finance & Insurance, and Real Estate, Rental & Leasing
44,162
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Civics

The most partisan county was N/A with N/A% of the vote going to N/A running for the N/A Party.

Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt are the senators currently representing the state of Alabama. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Alabama is currently represented by 7 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Popular Vote by County

N/A

Popular Vote for N/A

N/A% for the N/A

In the N/A presidential election, the most partisan county in Alabama was N/A with N/A% of the vote going to N/A running for the N/A Party.

The following map shows the counties in Alabama colored by their party leaning.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Alabama

N/ATommy Tuberville

Senator from Alabama

Assumed office on January 3, 2021

N/AKatie Britt

Senator from Alabama

Assumed office on January 3, 2023

Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt are the senators currently representing Alabama.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Alabama over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Alabama

Alabama is currently represented by 7 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Alabama have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2022, universities in Alabama awarded 81,128 degrees. The student population of Alabama in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 122,475 male students and 172,956 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Alabama are White (51,670 and 65.5%), followed by Black or African American (16,574 and 21%), Hispanic or Latino (3,223 and 4.09%), and Unknown (3,139 and 3.98%).

The largest universities in Alabama by number of degrees awarded are The University of Alabama (10,025 and 12.4%), Auburn University (8,117 and 10%), and University of Alabama at Birmingham (6,377 and 7.86%).

The most popular majors in Alabama are General Studies (6,617 and 8.16%), Registered Nursing (6,386 and 7.87%), and General Business Administration & Management (6,026 and 7.43%).

The median tuition costs in Alabama are $17,424 for private four year colleges, and $9,206 and $19,287 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2022 in Alabama, the percentage of applicants admitted was 68%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 21.4%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 295,431 (41.5% men and 58.5% women).

The map shows the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

The line chart below shows the annual evolution of the indicator by gender.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2022 there were 295,431 students enrolled in Alabama, 41.5% men and 58.5% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 174,656 records, of which 56.7% were women and 43.3% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
2,576 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
2,480 degrees awarded
General Psychology
1,475 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Alabama was General Business Administration & Management with 2,576 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Alabama according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

The University of Alabama
10,025 degrees awarded
Auburn University
8,117 degrees awarded
University of Alabama at Birmingham
6,377 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was The University of Alabama with 10,025 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 34,187 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Alabama, which is 0.728 times less than the 46,941 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 51,670 degrees mean that there were 3.12 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 16,574 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 2-year ($20,393) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,689) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Public, 2-year ($1,600) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Measure

In 2022, 0.905% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.822% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population of Alabama in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (1.23M), Some college (913k), and Secondary Education (625k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Alabama was $179,400 in 2022, which is 0.636 times smaller than the national average of $281,900. Between 2021 and 2022 the median property value increased from $157,100 to $179,400, a 14.2% increase. The homeownership rate in Alabama is 69.7%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.8%.

People in Alabama have an average commute time of 25.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Alabama is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Alabama is $59,609. In 2022, the county with the highest Median Household Income in Alabama was Shelby County, AL with a value of $90,618, followed by Limestone County, AL and Madison County, AL, with respective values of $80,146 and $78,058.

In 2023, 13.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Alabama. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 1.64%.

Housing

Property

$179,400

Median Property Value 2022

±$1,216

$1.35M

Median Property Taxes

±$9,215

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Alabama the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Alabama compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

69.7%

Homeownership

2022

67.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2022

In 2022, 69.7% of the housing units in Alabama were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 69.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Alabama compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

In 2022, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Alabama was Shelby County, AL with a value of $90,618, followed by Limestone County, AL and Madison County, AL, with respective values of $80,146 and $78,058.

The following map shows all of the counties in Alabama colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$59,609

Median Household Income

± $377

1.93M

Number of Households

± 11,525

In 2022, the median household income of the 1.93M households in Alabama grew to $59,609 from the previous year's value of $54,943.

The following chart displays the households in Alabama distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

0.458

2022 Wage GINI in Alabama

0.458

2021 Wage GINI in Alabama

In 2022, the income inequality in Alabama was 0.458 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0777% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Alabama was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Alabama in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Alabama across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2022

Drove Alone (82.8%)
Carpooled (8.11%)
Worked At Home (6.66%)

In 2022, 82.8% of workers in Alabama drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (8.11%) and those who worked at home (6.66%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

25.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Alabama have a shorter commute time (25.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.7 minutes). Additionally, 2.14% of the workforce in Alabama have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Alabama compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Alabama distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Alabama have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 13.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Alabama. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 1.64%.

The map show the severe housing problems rate in the counties of California. The graph underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

15.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Alabama (769k out of 4.89M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Alabama is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2023, 22.7% of the children was living in poverty in Alabama. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 4.9%.

The map show the children in poverty rate in the counties of California. The graph underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the percentage of children in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

90.5% of the population of Alabama has health coverage, with 45.3% on employee plans, 16.1% on Medicaid, 13% on Medicare, 13.7% on non-group plans, and 2.27% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Alabama see 1520 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.0658% increase from the previous year (1519 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2054 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 797 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,520 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Alabama

Primary care physicians in Alabama see an average of 1,520 patients per year. This represents a 0.0658% increase from the previous year (1,519 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Alabama in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2022, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24% under 18 years, 21% between 18 and 34 years, 37.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.5% were men and 52.5% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

9.55%

Uninsured

45.3%

Employer Coverage

16.1%

Medicaid

13%

Medicare

13.7%

Non-Group

2.27%

Military or VA

Between 2021 and 2022, the percent of uninsured citizens in Alabama declined by 1.59% from 9.7% to 9.55%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Alabama changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 66.8 in Alabama.

The map shows the distribution of the indicator in the counties of Alabama and the graphic underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the indicator in Alabama.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2023, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 39.3% in Alabama.

The map shows the distribution of the indicator in the counties of Alabama and the graphic underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the indicator in Alabama.

Clinical Care

Indicator

In 2023, the percentage of population under age 65 without health insurance was 11.8% in Alabama.

The map shows the distribution of the indicator in the counties of Alabama and the graphic underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the indicator in Alabama.

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