Decatur is a city of 57,361 people in Alabama. 22% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $210,200. Median rent is $896 a month. There are 1,051 people per square mile. The foreign-born share is 9%.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $61,563, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.7
US median: 38.9
Less educated
22% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 30%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Decatur
What changed most since 1990
White share82.5% → 55.6%(−26.8 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Black share16.1% → 23.0%(+6.9 pts)US over the same years: +0.2 pts
Median home value (2024 dollars)$156,965 → $210,200(+34%)US over the same years: +67%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)26.3%(826)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)20.4%(640)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era36.9%(1,157)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.5%(171)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.3%(10)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 3,135 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Decatur, decade by decade
Decatur population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
48,796
$72,014
$156,965
20.5%
36.7
2000
53,929
$67,751
$161,581
23.7%
54.1
2010
55,683
$61,988
$180,684
22.5%
67.8
2020
57,938
$59,749
$170,897
23.0%
76.9
2024
57,361
$61,563
$210,200
22.4%
76.1
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
