CITY · 1990 CENSUS

Gadsden

Alabama · 42,523 residents · 37.4 sq mi

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The short version

Gadsden is home to 42,523 people in Alabama. Median home value sits at $35,700. At a median age of 37.5, this is an older place than the country as a whole. 11% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Households take in $19,187 at the median, 36% less than the US figure. Renters pay $270 a month at the median.

At a glance

Lower income

below the US median

US median: $30,130

Older

median age 37.5

US median: 33.0

Less educated

11% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

Stable housing

home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

42,523

+9%vs 2000

vs 38,978 in 2000

1990 – 2025

Median age

37.5

−4%vs 2000

vs 39.0 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Land area

37.4 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

202433K

Age distribution, 1990

Under 56.3%(2,680)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 96.7%(2,841)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 145.9%(2,526)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 197.2%(3,069)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 246.6%(2,797)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3414%(5,961)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4412.5%(5,332)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 549.5%(4,043)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 6410.9%(4,636)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 7411.5%(4,911)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 846.9%(2,925)

US avg: 4%

85 and over1.9%(802)

US avg: 1.2%

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$19,187

+2%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $24,823 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$10,772

−31%vs 2000

vs $15,610 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

20.4%

−2.4 ptsvs 2000

vs 22.9% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$35,700

−4%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $49,000 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$270

−1%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $361 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

64.8%

+1.2 ptsvs 2000

vs 63.6% in 2000

35.2% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic61.6%(24,016)

Black33.8%(13,188)

Hispanic / Latino2.7%(1,039)

Asian0.5%(206)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic70.5%(29,983)

Black28.1%(11,936)

Hispanic / Latino0.6%(237)

Asian0.8%(351)

Other0.6%(253)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin

Central American4.1%(1,374)

Mexican4%(1,331)

Guatemalan3.1%(1,029)

Puerto Rican1%(324)

Honduran0.7%(221)

South American0.5%(158)

Colombian0.4%(144)

Salvadoran0.4%(124)

Cuban0.2%(70)

Dominican0.1%(28)

Ecuadorian0%(14)

Asian origin

Filipino0.3%(92)

Chinese0.1%(45)

Japanese0%(5)

Pacific Islander origin

Native Hawaiian0.1%(37)

Samoan0%(6)

Ancestry

English7.6%(2,529)

American7.1%(2,359)

Irish6%(2,012)

German2.5%(840)

Scottish2.3%(779)

Italian1.7%(572)

Scotch-Irish0.8%(261)

Subsaharan African0.7%(240)

Dutch0.4%(145)

Polish0.3%(97)

Arab0.3%(92)

French0.3%(88)

+ 24 more ancestry groups with data

Ukrainian0.2%(83)

Norwegian0.2%(79)

Swedish0.2%(69)

British0.2%(66)

Portuguese0.2%(57)

West Indian0.2%(55)

Austrian0.1%(43)

Syrian0.1%(40)

Canadian0.1%(38)

Palestinian0.1%(28)

Trinidadian & Tobagonian0.1%(25)

Welsh0.1%(18)

Latvian0%(14)

French Canadian0%(11)

Danish0%(9)

Lithuanian0%(9)

Swiss0%(9)

Iranian0%(8)

Israeli0%(8)

Romanian0%(7)

Russian0%(7)

Hungarian0%(6)

Brazilian0%(5)

Greek0%(1)

RANKED:Largest English population · Largest American population · Largest Irish population · Largest Central American population · Largest Mexican population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

10.7%

−3.7 ptsvs 2000

vs 14.4% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

61.5%

−8.8 ptsvs 2000

vs 70.3% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

4.4%

−1.9 ptsvs 2000

vs 6.3% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

15.6 min

+18%vs 2000

vs 13.2 min in 2000

US average: 21.9

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)

Men 15+

Never married44.8%(5,525)

Married36.8%(4,531)

Widowed5%(616)

Divorced13.4%(1,653)

Women 15+

Never married35.2%(5,055)

Married32.7%(4,694)

Widowed12.7%(1,828)

Divorced19.4%(2,791)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

16.8%

−2.0 ptssince 2013

from 18.8% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

36.3%

−3.1 ptssince 2020

from 39.4% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

13.1%

−0.4 ptssince 2020

from 13.5% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

20.9%

−2.0 ptssince 2020

from 22.9% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

32.3%

+4.4 ptssince 2020

from 27.9% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

1.4%

−1.5 ptssince 2020

from 2.9% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

48.1%

−4.1 ptssince 2020

from 52.2% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

48.5%

+4.0 ptssince 2020

from 44.5% in 2020

US average: 36.7%

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.

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