Alabama population: age, race, growth and how residents live

On July 1, 2025, 5,193,088 people lived in Alabama, more than at any census or annual estimate before: the peak year in the record is 2025. The state ranks 24th largest by population, larger than Mississippi; smaller than Florida, Georgia and Tennessee¹. Searches for Birmingham, Dothan, Madison County or Russell County figures are common, but this site covers states only; the numbers below describe Alabama as a whole.

Every census count since 1800

The census first reached what is now Alabama in 1800 and found 1,250 people. Four decades later there were 590,756, and Alabama ranked 12th of 31 among the present states counted that year, a position it held in 1850 (12th of 38⁹).

Source: Census Bureau, Historical Census Statistics on Population Totals by Race, 1790 to 1990; Census Bureau, 2020 Census apportionment results and historical resident population 1910-2020; Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. Census counts every ten years (April 1); estimates for July 1 after 2020.

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Year	Alabama
1800	1,250
1810	9,046
1820	127,901
1830	309,527
1840	590,756
1850	771,623
1860	964,201
1870	996,992
1880	1,262,505
1890	1,513,401
1900	1,828,697
1910	2,138,093
1920	2,348,174
1930	2,646,248
1940	2,832,961
1950	3,061,743
1960	3,266,740
1970	3,444,165
1980	3,893,888
1990	4,040,587
2000	4,447,100
2010	4,779,736
2020	5,024,279
2021	5,050,058
2022	5,076,868
2023	5,117,850
2024	5,163,055
2025	5,193,088

The population has risen at every census since, but many other states have grown faster, so Alabama's rank has drifted down: 17th of 51 in 1950, 22nd of 51⁹ in 1990 and 24th of 51 in 2020. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses Alabama grew 5.1%, 2.3 percentage points below the US figure (7.4%)⁶. Today's population is 1.7 times the 1950 count and 1.2 times¹ the 2000 count.

Since the April 2020 census base the state has gained 167,651 residents, a rise of 3.34%, 0.2 percentage points above the US figure (3.10%) and the 19th highest¹ growth rate among the states.

Movers make up for more deaths than births

Alabama is one of 20 states that recorded more deaths than births between April 2020 and June 2025. Between April 2020 and June 2025 it recorded 303,445 births and 331,008 deaths, a natural decrease of −27,563. Net migration more than covered the gap: 141,048 more people moved in from other states than left, the 8th highest net gain in the country, and 54,002¹ more arrived from abroad than left.

Births+303,445

Deaths−331,008

Net domestic migration+141,048

Net international migration+54,002

Residual (estimation adjustment)+164

Total change+167,651

Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. Each bar starts where the previous one ended. The residual is the part of the change the Census Bureau cannot assign to a component.

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Component	People
Births	303,445
Deaths	−331,008
Net domestic migration	141,048
Net international migration	54,002
Residual (estimation adjustment)	164
Total change	167,651

The shortfall of births was largest in the first two years after the census, −11,810 in the year to June 2021 and −9,012 in the year to June 2022, and has been small since: −2,188 in the year to June 2025. Births have held steady near 58,000 a year. Deaths fell from 69,137 to 59,868¹, but they still slightly exceed births.

The reason is a high death rate rather than a low birth rate. In the year to June 2025 Alabama's birth rate was 11.1 per 1,000 residents, 5% above the US figure (10.6 per 1,000 residents). Its death rate was 11.6 per 1,000 residents, 27% above the US figure (9.1 per 1,000 residents) and tied for 5th highest in the country. Only West Virginia, Mississippi, Maine and Arkansas¹ were higher.

West Virginia14.1

Mississippi12.1

Maine11.9

Arkansas11.8

Alabama11.6

Kentucky11.6

Oklahoma11.2

Tennessee11.1

Missouri10.9

Ohio10.7

Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. Period: July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025.

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State	Death rate per 1,000
West Virginia	14.1
Mississippi	12.1
Maine	11.9
Arkansas	11.8
Alabama	11.6
Kentucky	11.6
Oklahoma	11.2
Tennessee	11.1
Missouri	10.9
Ohio	10.7

Domestic migration is the steadier of the two inflows. It added 29,774 people in the year to June 2023 and 23,358 in the year to June 2025, the 7th highest figure that year and 78% of the state's growth. Net international migration rose to 22,102 in the year to June 2024, then fell to 8,946. Relative to population, Alabama's international inflow of 1.7 per 1,000 residents was 53% below the US figure (3.7 per 1,000 residents) and lower than every bordering state (Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee)¹.

Where Alabama's newcomers come from

The Census Bureau's survey of movers shows Alabama trading people mostly with its neighbors. In 2024, 119,767 (±9,844) people moved to Alabama from another state and 97,317 (±9,610¹⁰) moved the other way. Florida, Georgia and Tennessee sent the most arrivals; Georgia was also the most common destination for those who left. Net of the two directions, the largest gains were from California and Florida, followed by Illinois, though the survey's margins of error on single state pairs are wide.

Moved to Alabama from

Florida16,423 ±4,099

Georgia15,194 ±2,860

Tennessee11,339 ±2,639

Mississippi7,574 ±2,264

Texas7,428 ±2,159

California7,145 ±2,936

Illinois5,231 ±1,900

Virginia5,056 ±2,688

Left Alabama for

Georgia15,804 ±5,475

Florida11,110 ±3,108

Tennessee9,789 ±2,113

Mississippi8,215 ±3,035

Texas7,015 ±1,777

North Carolina4,757 ±1,604

Virginia3,719 ±1,903

Arizona3,139 ±2,909

Source: Census Bureau, State-to-State Migration Flows, 2024. People aged 1 and over who lived in another state a year earlier (and the reverse). Survey estimates: whiskers show the 90% margin of error.

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State	Moved in from	Moved out to
Florida	16,423 ±4,099	11,110 ±3,108
Georgia	15,194 ±2,860	15,804 ±5,475
Tennessee	11,339 ±2,639	9,789 ±2,113
Mississippi	7,574 ±2,264	8,215 ±3,035
Texas	7,428 ±2,159	7,015 ±1,777
California	7,145 ±2,936	–
Illinois	5,231 ±1,900	–
Virginia	5,056 ±2,688	3,719 ±1,903
North Carolina	–	4,757 ±1,604
Arizona	–	3,139 ±2,909

Tax records point the same way. On returns filed for 2022 and 2023, 102,902 people moved into Alabama and 86,565 moved out, a net gain of 16,337, the 8th highest¹¹ among the states.

Most residents are still from the state or the region. In 2025, 65.2% of Alabamians were born in Alabama, 8.8 percentage points above the US figure (56.4%), and another 17.6% were born elsewhere in the South. The Alabama-born share was down from 66.1% in 2024¹².

Alabama population by age

Alabama's age profile is close to the national one. The median age was 40.0 years (±0.2 years) in 2025, 0.5 years above the US figure (39.5 years); allowing for the margins of error the state ranks between 20th and 26th³ oldest. In 2005 the median was 37.4 years¹³.

MenWomenUnited States

MenWomen

85+

80–84

75–79

70–74

65–69

60–64

55–59

50–54

45–49

40–44

35–39

30–34

25–29

20–24

15–19

10–14

5–9

0–4

Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. Share of the total population in each age group. Vertical ticks: the United States.

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Age	Men (%)	Women (%)	US men (%)	US women (%)
0-4	2.90	2.80	2.76	2.65
5-9	3.01	2.88	2.96	2.83
10-14	3.09	2.97	3.08	2.95
15-19	3.37	3.31	3.31	3.16
20-24	3.43	3.41	3.43	3.28
25-29	3.25	3.40	3.46	3.37
30-34	3.03	3.19	3.41	3.38
35-39	2.97	3.20	3.38	3.40
40-44	2.91	3.15	3.21	3.27
45-49	2.82	3.04	2.93	3.03
50-54	2.88	3.09	2.83	2.96
55-59	2.89	3.12	2.86	3.02
60-64	3.06	3.37	2.96	3.21
65-69	2.83	3.27	2.75	3.08
70-74	2.32	2.78	2.26	2.64
75-79	1.74	2.20	1.71	2.08
80-84	0.98	1.37	1.00	1.32
85+	0.71	1.25	0.78	1.28

The change since 2020 is concentrated at the top of the pyramid. The number of residents 65 and older rose from 888,925 in 2020 to 1,009,814 in 2025, an increase of 120,889 (13.6%). Over the same years the number of children under 18 went from 1,110,206 to 1,117,927, an increase of 7,721 (0.7%). Older residents now make up 19.4% of the population, up from 17.7% in 2020; children make up 21.5%, down from 22.1% in 2020¹⁴.

The old-age dependency ratio, residents 65 and older for every 100 residents of working age, rose from 29.3 in 2020 to 32.9, 5% above the US figure (31.5)¹⁴.

Fewer men than women

Alabama has 93.0 males for every 100 females, 3% below the US figure (96.4). Among the states the ratio is tied for 4th lowest¹⁴. The American Community Survey counts 179,526 (±11,038¹⁵) more women and girls than men and boys.

United States96.4

Tennessee94.9

Florida94.8

Georgia93.5

Alabama93.0

Mississippi93.0

Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. Period: July 1, 2025.

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State	Males per 100 females
United States	96.4
Tennessee	94.9
Florida	94.8
Georgia	93.5
Alabama	93.0
Mississippi	93.0

Men in Alabama also live shorter lives. In 2022, the latest year of the CDC's state life tables, men could expect to live 70.8 years at birth, the 4th shortest in the country, while women could expect 77.0 years¹⁶.

Race and ethnicity: a Black share among the six highest

In the 2025 survey, non-Hispanic white residents made up 61.8% of Alabama, 6.8 percentage points above the US figure (55.0%). Non-Hispanic Black residents made up 24.9%, 13.2 percentage points above the US figure (11.7%)². Counting everyone who reports Black alone or with another race, the share is 27.0%, the 6th highest of any state and higher than Florida and Tennessee; lower than Georgia and Mississippi¹⁷.

Single group (adds to 100%)Alone or in combination with other races

White, not Hispanic61.8% 69.6%

Black, not Hispanic24.9% 27.0%

Hispanic or Latino (any race)6.4%

Two or more races, not Hispanic4.5%

Asian, not Hispanic1.7% 2.5%

Some other race, not Hispanic0.4%

American Indian and Alaska Native, not Hispanic0.3% 2.7%

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, not Hispanic0.0% 0.2%

Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B03002; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B02009. The dark bars are mutually exclusive and add to 100%. The light bars count everyone who reported the race, alone or with another race and of any ethnicity, so they overlap and add to more than 100%.

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Group	Share (single group)	MOE	Alone or in combination
White, not Hispanic	61.8%	±0.1	69.6%
Black, not Hispanic	24.9%	±0.2	27.0%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	6.4%	±0.1	–
Two or more races, not Hispanic	4.5%	±0.2	–
Asian, not Hispanic	1.7%	±0.1	2.5%
Some other race, not Hispanic	0.4%	±0.1	–
American Indian and Alaska Native, not Hispanic	0.3%	±0.1	2.7%
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, not Hispanic	0.0%		0.2%

Hispanic and Asian residents are smaller groups that are growing as a share. The Census Bureau's estimates put Hispanic residents of any race at 6.5% on July 1, 2025, up from 5.3% in 2020¹⁴; the largest Hispanic group is of Mexican origin (3.2%¹⁸ of all Alabamians in 2020–2024). The non-Hispanic Asian share was 1.7% in 2025, up from 1.5% in 2024, and the largest Asian groups are Asian Indian, Chinese and Korean residents. The non-Hispanic white share was down from 62.8% in 2024².

American Indian identity in Alabama is mostly reported together with another race. The 2020 Census counted 20,855 people who were American Indian alone and 100,594¹⁹ who were American Indian alone or in combination. The most common answer, alone or in combination, was the general response Cherokee; the most common specific tribes were the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and the Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama. The groups in the table overlap and should not be added up.

A rural state with average density

Alabama has 102.5 people per square mile, 6% above the US figure (96.7 people per square mile)²⁰, so its density is ordinary. How people are spread out is not. At the 2020 Census, 42.3% of residents lived in rural areas, 22.3 percentage points above the US figure (20.0%) and the 8th highest²¹ share among the states.

Vermont64.9%

Maine61.4%

West Virginia55.4%

Mississippi53.7%

Montana46.6%

Arkansas44.5%

South Dakota42.8%

Alabama42.3%

New Hampshire41.7%

Kentucky41.3%

Source: Census Bureau, 2020 Census urban and rural population by state. Period: April 1, 2020.

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State	Rural population (%)
Vermont	64.9%
Maine	61.4%
West Virginia	55.4%
Mississippi	53.7%
Montana	46.6%
Arkansas	44.5%
South Dakota	42.8%
Alabama	42.3%
New Hampshire	41.7%
Kentucky	41.3%

The housing stock reflects it. Mobile homes are 11.7% of housing units, 6.4 percentage points above the US figure (5.3%); single-family detached houses 68.8%, and buildings with 20 or more units only 4.9%²². Most workers drive: 80.1% of workers drove alone in 2025, and 0.3% took public transportation, a share tied for 4th lowest²³ among the states.

Low prices, lower incomes

The median Alabama household had income of $67,663 (±$1,147) in 2025, $17,117 (20%) below the US figure ($84,780). Given the margins of error the state ranks between 45th and 47th. The median was not statistically different from $68,413 in 2024 (in 2025 dollars)⁴.

Prices are low as well. The Bureau of Economic Analysis puts Alabama's overall price level at 88.8 (US = 100) for 2024, the 7th least expensive state. The gap is widest for housing: the price level for rents is 61.8, 4th least expensive²⁴.

Lower prices do not close the income gap. After adjusting for state price levels, personal income per person was $52,216 in 2024, $6,979 (12%) below the US figure ($59,195) and still the 4th lowest²⁴ in the country. Before the adjustment, the 2025 figure of $59,754 was the 3rd lowest²⁵.

The distribution leans toward the lower bands. 18.9% of households had income under $25,000, the 5th highest share, while 9.0%²⁶ had $200,000 or more.

AlabamaUnited States

Under $25,00018.9% 14.0%

$25,000–$49,99918.8% 15.4%

$50,000–$99,99929.3% 27.8%

$100,000–$199,99924.0% 28.0%

$200,000 or more9.0% 14.8%

Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B19001. Share of households in each band of income in the past 12 months, in 2025 dollars.

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Household income	Alabama	MOE	United States
Under $25,000	18.9%	±0.6	14.0%
$25,000–$49,999	18.8%	±0.6	15.4%
$50,000–$99,999	29.3%	±0.7	27.8%
$100,000–$199,999	24.0%	±0.6	28.0%
$200,000 or more	9.0%	±0.4	14.8%

The official poverty rate was 14.7% (±0.6 percentage points) in 2025, 2.9 percentage points above the US figure (11.8%), and not statistically different from 15.2% in 2024. Children are most affected: 19.8% of Alabamians under 18 lived in poverty, 5.0 percentage points above the US figure (14.8%) and tied for 5th highest among the states. The poverty rate for residents 65 and older was 12.0%, down from 13.0% in 2024⁵. On the Census Bureau's Supplemental Poverty Measure, which counts benefits and taxes and adjusts for local housing costs, Alabama's rate averaged 14.4% over 2023 to 2025, 1.4 percentage points above the US figure (13.0%)²⁷.

Food assistance reaches a large share of poor households. In fiscal year 2025 an average of 740,270 people received SNAP each month, 14.3%²⁸ of the population. The survey shows 51.2% of households below the poverty line receiving SNAP, 9.2 percentage points above the US figure (42.0%)²⁹.

Southern Baptist churches and the second-highest adherence rate

Alabama is one of the most churched states on the one measure available by state, the U.S. Religion Census, which counts the people that congregations list as their own. In 2020 they listed 63.6% of residents, the 2nd highest share after Utah and higher than every bordering state (Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee). Asked as "what percent of Alabama is Christian", the answer from this source is 62.7%³⁰: almost every adherent in the state belongs to a Christian congregation.

The Southern Baptist Convention alone counted 1,255,396 adherents, 25.0% of Alabamians, in 3,265 churches. Evangelical Protestant churches as a group reached 42.1%, the highest in the nation, and historically Black Protestant churches 7.7%, the 3rd highest share. Catholic parishes counted only 5.0%, the 3rd lowest³⁰ share.

The counts come from the churches, not from residents, and the study says some historically Black denominations are under-represented; see religion across the states.

Few adults in the labor force, few unemployed

Alabama combines one of the lowest unemployment rates with one of the lowest shares of adults working or looking for work. In 2025 the unemployment rate averaged 2.9%, the 5th lowest in the country. The labor force participation rate, the share of civilians 16 and older who have a job or are seeking one, was 57.6%, 4.8 percentage points below the US figure (62.4%). Only West Virginia (54.5%) and Mississippi (55.8%) were lower. The most recent monthly figure, for September 2026 and seasonally adjusted, is 56.8%³¹.

North Carolina59.5%

Arkansas58.7%

South Carolina58.4%

Kentucky58.3%

Louisiana58.2%

Florida57.8%

New Mexico57.7%

Alabama57.6%

Mississippi55.8%

West Virginia54.5%

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics. Period: 2025 (11-month avg, Oct 2025 missing).

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State	Labor force participation
North Carolina	59.5%
Arkansas	58.7%
South Carolina	58.4%
Kentucky	58.3%
Louisiana	58.2%
Florida	57.8%
New Mexico	57.7%
Alabama	57.6%
Mississippi	55.8%
West Virginia	54.5%

Unemployment counts only people looking for work, so a low rate can sit beside a small labor force. One related measure stands out: 16.7% of Alabamians report a disability, 3.0 percentage points above the US figure (13.7%) and the 8th highest³² share. The data do not show how much this contributes to the low participation rate.

Health and life expectancy

Life expectancy at birth in Alabama was 73.8 years in 2022, 3.7 years below the US figure (77.5 years) and tied for 4th shortest among the states; it was longer than Mississippi; shorter than Florida and Georgia; the same as Tennessee¹⁶. The infant mortality rate in 2024 was 7.1 per 1,000 live births, 28% above the US figure (5.5 per 1,000 live births)³³.

Adult obesity, self-reported in the CDC's 2024 survey, was 38.9%, tied for 4th highest among the states, and 14.0%³⁴ of adults smoked. The share of residents without health insurance, 8.4%, is not statistically different from the US figure (8.4%); among children the rate was 3.9%, 2.2 percentage points below the US figure (6.1%)³⁵.

Schooling of adults

Among Alabamians aged 25 and older, 31.1% (±0.6 percentage points) held a bachelor's degree or higher in 2025, 6.3 percentage points below the US figure (37.4%); the state ranks between 42nd and 44th. The share was up from 29.9% in 2024. The share with at least a high school diploma, 89.6%, is not statistically different from the US figure (90.6%)³⁶. In public schools, 88% of students who started high school in 2018–19 graduated within four years, 1.0 percentage points above the US figure (87%)³⁷.

AlabamaUnited States

Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2005-2019 and 2021-2025. ACS 1-year estimates; no standard 1-year release for 2020. Shaded band: 90% margin of error.

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Year	Alabama	United States
2005	21.4% ±0.4	27.2% ±0.1
2006	21.1% ±0.4	27.0% ±0.1
2007	21.4% ±0.4	27.5% ±0.1
2008	22.0% ±0.4	27.7% ±0.1
2009	22.0% ±0.4	27.9% ±0.1
2010	21.9% ±0.4	28.2% ±0.1
2011	22.3% ±0.4	28.5% ±0.1
2012	23.3% ±0.4	29.1% ±0.1
2013	23.5% ±0.4	29.6% ±0.1
2014	23.5% ±0.4	30.1% ±0.1
2015	24.2% ±0.4	30.6% ±0.1
2016	24.7% ±0.4	31.3% ±0.1
2017	25.5% ±0.4	32.0% ±0.1
2018	25.5% ±0.4	32.6% ±0.1
2019	26.3% ±0.5	33.1% ±0.1
2021	27.4% ±0.4	35.0% ±0.1
2022	28.8% ±0.5	35.7% ±0.1
2023	28.9% ±0.5	36.2% ±0.1
2024	29.9% ±0.5	36.8% ±0.1
2025	31.1% ±0.6	37.4% ±0.1

Homes and households

Most Alabama households own their home: 70.9%, 5.6 percentage points above the US figure (65.3%)³⁸. Homes cost much less than nationally. The median value of an owner-occupied home was $246,500 in 2025, $124,600 (34%) below the US figure ($371,100)³⁹, and median gross rent was $1,121, $436 (28%) below the US figure ($1,557)⁴⁰. Alabama also has many empty homes: 13.9% of housing units were vacant, a share tied for 5th highest⁴¹ in the country.

Family structure differs from the national pattern in a few measures. Families headed by a woman with no spouse present make up 14.0% of households, 1.9 percentage points above the US figure (12.1%)⁴². Among grandparents who live with their grandchildren, 46.5% are responsible for them, 16.5 percentage points above the US figure (30.0%)⁴³.

Veterans are a larger share of adults than nationally: 304,284 civilians aged 18 and older, or 7.5%, 1.6 percentage points above the US figure (5.9%)⁴⁴.

"American" ancestry and a small immigrant population

When asked about their ancestry in the 2020–2024 survey, more Alabamians answered simply "American" than any other origin: 653,721 people, or 12.8% of the population. That is the highest share of any state, ahead of Kentucky and Tennessee⁴⁵. English, Irish and German ancestry follow.

Immigrants are a small part of the population. 236,556 residents, 4.6%, were born outside the United States in 2025, 10.1 percentage points below the US figure (14.7%). About half of them were born in Latin America (50.7%) and a third in Asia (32.6%¹²). Only 6.8% of residents aged five and older speak a language other than English at home, most of them Spanish (4.2%⁴⁷).