Gadsden is a city of 33,374 people in Alabama. 15% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. The poverty rate is 28.1%, above the 12.5% national rate. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $116,800. Households here earn about 37% less than in Alabama as a whole. Households take in $40,345 at the median, 51% less than the US figure.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $40,345, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 38.6
US median: 38.9
Less educated
15% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 31%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Gadsden
What changed most since 1990
Population42,523 → 33,374(−22%)US over the same years: +35%
Adults with a bachelor's degree10.7% → 15.5%(+4.8 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Homes owned by their occupants64.8% → 55.7%(−9.1 pts)US over the same years: +0.9 pts
Gadsden's population equals 32% of Etowah County's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 55% of the county's. Its number of households without a car equals 54% of the county's.
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)22.8%(331)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)19.4%(281)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era28.2%(410)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War8.5%(124)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1%(15)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 1,452 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
Gadsden, decade by decade
Gadsden 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
42,523
$46,050
$85,682
10.7%
53.2
2000
38,978
$45,219
$89,261
14.4%
63.1
2010
36,856
$40,835
$102,139
15.6%
69.1
2020
33,945
$41,284
$97,448
16.0%
76.4
2024
33,374
$40,345
$116,800
15.5%
76.9
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.
