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CITY

Pelham

Alabama · 25,664 residents (2025 est.) · 38.7 sq mi
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The short version

Pelham is a city of 24,827 people in Alabama. The population has risen by half since 2000, adding 10,458 people. That is roughly 58% ahead of the Alabama median. 84% of homes are owner-occupied. That puts it in the top 7% of US cities for household income. About 47% of adults have finished a four-year degree.

At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $101,094, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.0
US median: 38.9
More educated
47% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 39%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Pelham

What changed most since 1990

  • Population9,765 → 24,827 (+154%)US over the same years: +35%
  • White share96.5% → 67.2% (−29.3 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
  • Black share2.4% → 11.3% (+8.9 pts)US over the same years: +0.2 pts

Among the 114 cities and towns in the Birmingham metro

  • 16th in household income$101,094
  • 13th in share with a bachelor's degree47.2%
  • 16th in home value$299,800
  • 23rd in diversity score64.1

Its weight in Shelby County

Pelham's population equals 11% of Shelby County's. Its number of households without a car equals 6.3% of the county's.

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
24,827
+73%since 2000
from 14,369 in 2000
25,664 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
641 / sq mi
+73%since 2000
from 371 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
40.0
+15%since 2000
from 34.8 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
38.7 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
8K13K17K22K26K19902000201020202024Pelham
202425K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.7%(1,421)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.3%(1,557)
US avg: 6%
10 to 147.4%(1,835)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.7%(1,675)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 244.4%(1,097)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413.7%(3,392)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.6%(3,135)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5410.9%(2,703)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6414%(3,479)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 749.7%(2,417)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 846.4%(1,600)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.1%(516)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$101,094
+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $54,808 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$45,743
+79%since 2000
from $25,611 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
63.6%
+19.9 ptssince 2009
from 43.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
6.7%
+2.1 ptssince 2000
from 4.6% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.379
+3%since 2010
from 0.369 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Other services12.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Information9.9%
US avg: 10.8%
Public administration8.4%
US avg: 4.8%
Retail trade7.5%
US avg: 9.9%
Finance & insurance6.9%
US avg: 5.9%
Wholesale trade5.4%
US avg: 6.9%
Transportation & warehousing4.3%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services3.6%
US avg: 0.9%
Professional, scientific, technical3.2%
US avg: 5.1%
Arts, entertainment, food2%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.5%
US avg: 1.6%
Manufacturing0.4%
US avg: 0.4%
Construction0.1%
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$299,800
+39%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $118,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,577
+45%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $595 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
83.9%
−4.1 ptssince 2000
from 88.0% in 2000
16.1% rent
Vacancy rate
2.0%
−2.1 ptssince 2009
from 4.1% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.61 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.62 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
12.7%
−5.8 ptssince 2009
from 18.5% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
49.3%
+14.0 ptssince 2009
from 35.3% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.0
+23%since 2009
from 2.4 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
59
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic86.8%(12,473)
Black4%(570)
Hispanic / Latino6.4%(923)
Asian1.7%(240)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic67.2%(16,691)
Black11.3%(2,796)
Hispanic / Latino13.9%(3,456)
Asian3.1%(780)
Other4.4%(1,104)
Diversity Score
64
+61%since 2009
from 40 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican6.9%(1,723)
Puerto Rican2.1%(514)
Chilean1%(260)
Colombian0.7%(171)
Cuban0.5%(119)
Salvadoran0.3%(63)
Honduran0.2%(43)
Spaniard0.1%(30)
Panamanian0.1%(23)
Asian origin
Vietnamese1.9%(460)
Asian Indian0.6%(150)
Pakistani0.4%(92)
Chinese0.3%(72)
Pacific Islander origin
Tongan0%(12)
Ancestry
English14.4%(3,578)
Irish12.4%(3,069)
American7.7%(1,918)
German5.7%(1,427)
Scottish2.7%(678)
Italian2.6%(651)
Scotch-Irish1.5%(380)
French1%(254)
Danish1%(253)
Welsh0.7%(181)
Polish0.7%(162)
+ 24 more ancestry groups with data
Dutch0.5%(132)
Arab0.4%(105)
Canadian0.4%(95)
Norwegian0.3%(78)
Hungarian0.3%(66)
British0.2%(51)
Austrian0.2%(43)
Lebanese0.2%(42)
Egyptian0.2%(38)
Bulgarian0.1%(34)
Greek0.1%(33)
Swedish0.1%(31)
Nigerian0.1%(30)
Russian0.1%(29)
Lithuanian0.1%(25)
Iranian0.1%(24)
Portuguese0.1%(21)
Swiss0.1%(15)
Palestinian0.1%(14)
Romanian0.1%(13)
Czech0%(12)
Syrian0%(4)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
47.2%
+12.5 ptssince 2000
from 34.8% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
96.9%
+7.9 ptssince 2000
from 89.0% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
17.0%
+7.3 ptssince 2000
from 9.7% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
28.6 min
+75%since 2000
from 16.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
74.9%
−9.0 ptssince 2009
from 83.9% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
5.6%
−4.7 ptssince 2009
from 10.3% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
18.7%
+14.9 ptssince 2009
from 3.8% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
0.1%
−1.4 ptssince 2009
from 1.5% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.1%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
1.5%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 1.4% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
2.0%
−3.9 ptssince 2011
from 5.9% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
70.3%
−3.3 ptssince 2011
from 73.7% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
84.9%
+7.6 ptssince 2020
from 77.3% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
11.9%
+2.3 ptssince 2009
from 9.6% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
48.3%
+8.6 ptssince 2009
from 39.7% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
47.0%
−2.3 ptssince 2009
from 49.3% in 2009
Female
53.0%
+2.3 ptssince 2009
from 50.7% in 2009
Foreign born
7.0%
−1.6 ptssince 2009
from 8.6% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
8.2%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 9.3% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
12.5%
+1.0 ptssince 2012
from 11.5% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
7.4%
−3.4 ptssince 2013
from 10.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
96.6%
+13.4 ptssince 2017
from 83.2% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
99.0%
+2.5 ptssince 2020
from 96.5% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
88.5%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 88.1% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
87.0%
+1.5 ptssince 2016
from 85.5% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
10.3%
−1.4 ptssince 2016
from 11.8% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married25.5%(2,322)
Married62.6%(5,694)
Widowed2.3%(206)
Divorced9.6%(872)
Women 15+
Never married28.9%(3,153)
Married52%(5,680)
Widowed5.6%(614)
Divorced13.5%(1,473)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
7.4%
−3.4 ptssince 2013
from 10.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
63.0%
−2.4 ptssince 2020
from 65.4% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
17.2%
−3.5 ptssince 2020
from 20.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
19.2%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 18.2% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
9.3%
+4.0 ptssince 2020
from 5.3% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.9%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 2.5% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
78.4%
−4.6 ptssince 2020
from 83.0% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
27.8%
+3.9 ptssince 2020
from 23.9% 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)15.4%(238)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)23.5%(364)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era38%(588)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War2.1%(33)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.7%(11)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,549 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

Pelham, decade by decade

Pelham population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
19909,765$101,413$215,76634.0%8.5
200014,369$99,841$216,41334.8%30.0
201021,352$97,279$240,24140.0%53.2
202024,318$96,076$240,59042.6%66.0
202424,827$101,094$299,80047.2%64.1

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.

Drill deeper

Places similar to Pelham

Groveland
Pop 25,526
Northdale
Pop 25,710
Bloomingdale
Pop 23,827
Hunters Creek
Pop 22,819
Places similar to Pelham
Head to head

Compare Pelham to nearby cities

PELHAM VS
Hoover
Income$109,253+8%
Home value$412,200+37%
Population93,550+265%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PELHAM VS
Meadowbrook
Income$141,862+40%
Home value$423,700+41%
Population9,117−64%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PELHAM VS
Chelsea
Income$115,337+14%
Home value$360,000+20%
Population17,716−31%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PELHAM VS
Helena
Income$115,139+14%
Home value$330,700+10%
Population23,388−9%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Pelham, Alabama?

Pelham, Alabama has about 24,827 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Pelham, Alabama?

The typical household in Pelham, Alabama earns about $101,094 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Pelham, Alabama expensive?

In Pelham, Alabama, the median home is worth about $299,800, and the typical rent is about $1,577 a month.

How educated are people in Pelham, Alabama?

About 47.2% of adults age 25 and over in Pelham, Alabama hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Pelham, Alabama?

About 6.7% of people in Pelham, Alabama live below the federal poverty line.

Has Pelham, Alabama grown since 1990?

Yes, Pelham, Alabama has grown since 1990. The population has added about 15,062 residents, a change of about 154 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →