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COUNTY · 2010 ACS

Jefferson County

Alabama · 658,466 residents · 1,112 sq mi
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Jefferson County is a county of 658,466 people in Alabama. The foreign-born share is 4%. The typical home is worth $138,300, having risen by half since 2000. The median household earns $45,244, about 14% below the national median. About 29% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The population has held roughly steady since 2000.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $52,703
Mid-age
median age 37.1
US median: 37.2
Average education
29% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
658,466
−1%since 2000
from 662,047 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
37.1
+3%since 2000
from 36.0 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Land area
1,112 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
649K656K663K670K677K19902000201020202024Jefferson County
2024668K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2010
Under 56.7%(43,897)
US avg: 6.5%
5 to 96.4%(41,902)
US avg: 6.6%
10 to 146.4%(42,373)
US avg: 6.7%
15 to 196.8%(44,662)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 247%(46,405)
US avg: 7%
25 to 3414.2%(93,297)
US avg: 13.3%
35 to 4412.7%(83,593)
US avg: 13.3%
45 to 5414.5%(95,233)
US avg: 14.6%
55 to 6412.2%(80,661)
US avg: 11.8%
65 to 746.7%(44,273)
US avg: 7%
75 to 844.5%(29,627)
US avg: 4.2%
85 and over1.9%(12,543)
US avg: 1.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$45,244
−3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $36,868 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$26,529
+27%since 2000
from $20,892 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
27.8%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 27.3% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
Poverty rate
15.5%
+0.7 ptssince 2000
from 14.8% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.492
US average: 0.461
Workforce by industry, 2010
Information11.6%
US avg: 11.5%
Retail trade9.1%
US avg: 10.9%
Other services9%
US avg: 7%
Public administration7.1%
US avg: 4.9%
Wholesale trade6.6%
US avg: 7.2%
Finance & insurance4.8%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing3.9%
US avg: 3.1%
Professional, scientific, technical3.5%
US avg: 4.2%
Arts, entertainment, food2.9%
US avg: 2.4%
Education & health services1.3%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.6%
US avg: 1.9%
Manufacturing0.4%
US avg: 0.5%
Construction0.2%
US avg: 1.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$138,300
+24%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $88,100 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$748
+18%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $500 in 2000
US average: $853
Owner-occupied
64.9%
−1.5 ptssince 2000
from 66.5% in 2000
35.1% rent
Vacancy rate
13.2%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 13.0% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
Persons per household
2.47 people
+2%since 2009
from 2.41 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
Owner cost-burdened
27.9%
+1.2 ptssince 2009
from 26.7% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
Renter cost-burdened
47.7%
+2.0 ptssince 2009
from 45.8% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
Afford Score
3.1
+3%since 2009
from 3.0 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic57.4%(379,707)
Black39.2%(259,623)
Hispanic / Latino1.6%(10,284)
Asian0.9%(5,909)
Other0%
2010
White, non-Hispanic51.7%(340,213)
Black41.8%(275,511)
Hispanic / Latino3.9%(25,488)
Asian1.4%(9,085)
Other1%(6,740)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican2.6%(17,173)
Central American0.3%(1,783)
South American0.2%(1,166)
Salvadoran0.1%(677)
Puerto Rican0.1%(614)
Colombian0.1%(509)
Guatemalan0.1%(496)
Cuban0.1%(492)
Honduran0%(301)
Argentine0%(241)
Dominican0%(157)
Spaniard0%(151)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Peruvian0%(135)
Ecuadorian0%(112)
Panamanian0%(102)
Chilean0%(29)
Uruguayan0%(17)
Ancestry
American9.1%(60,075)
English9%(59,170)
Irish8.1%(53,452)
German6.8%(44,706)
Scotch-Irish2.7%(17,789)
Scottish2.4%(15,773)
Italian2.1%(14,083)
French1.7%(11,278)
Dutch0.9%(5,975)
Polish0.8%(5,097)
Welsh0.5%(3,338)
+ 48 more ancestry groups with data
British0.5%(3,269)
Arab0.4%(2,858)
Swedish0.4%(2,386)
Russian0.3%(1,663)
Norwegian0.2%(1,528)
Greek0.2%(1,324)
Lebanese0.2%(1,258)
West Indian0.1%(954)
Czech0.1%(850)
Swiss0.1%(723)
Austrian0.1%(678)
Danish0.1%(527)
Canadian0.1%(503)
Hungarian0.1%(493)
Kenyan0.1%(487)
Ukrainian0.1%(461)
Iranian0.1%(444)
Jamaican0.1%(434)
Finnish0.1%(425)
Moroccan0.1%(416)
Slovak0.1%(400)
Portuguese0%(313)
Belgian0%(290)
Nigerian0%(286)
Jordanian0%(269)
Croatian0%(244)
Lithuanian0%(198)
Romanian0%(197)
Egyptian0%(179)
Turkish0%(161)
Armenian0%(80)
Brazilian0%(72)
Slovene0%(66)
Iraqi0%(61)
Haitian0%(50)
Guyanese0%(46)
Latvian0%(46)
Israeli0%(45)
Syrian0%(37)
Ethiopian0%(34)
Serbian0%(29)
Bulgarian0%(17)
Ghanaian0%(15)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
28.8%
+4.2 ptssince 2000
from 24.6% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
86.6%
+5.7 ptssince 2000
from 80.9% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
Graduate degree
10.7%
+1.9 ptssince 2000
from 8.7% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
23.3 min
+53%since 2000
from 15.3 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
Drive alone to work
83.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 83.6% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
Carpooled to work
11.2%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 11.0% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
Public transit
1.1%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 1.1% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
Worked from home
2.3%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.3% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
Walked to work
1.2%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 1.3% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
Biked to work
0.1%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
No vehicle available
8.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 8.0% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07

Work & employment

Self-employed
13.4%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 13.8% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
Management & professional
35.8%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 35.1% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08

People & community

Male
47.3%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 47.4% in 2009
Female
52.7%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 52.6% in 2009
Foreign born
4.1%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 3.8% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
Veterans
10.4%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 10.5% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married39.2%(99,012)
Married47.5%(119,919)
Widowed3%(7,642)
Divorced10.2%(25,729)
Women 15+
Never married35.4%(102,232)
Married41.1%(118,653)
Widowed9.9%(28,495)
Divorced13.6%(39,177)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
9.4%
−3.4 ptssince 2013
from 12.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
54.3%
−1.5 ptssince 2020
from 55.8% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
13.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 13.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
18.8%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 18.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
20.8%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 19.7% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.4%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 2.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
65.4%
−2.2 ptssince 2020
from 67.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
36.7%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 35.4% 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)22.9%(6,724)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)24.2%(7,090)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era32.2%(9,451)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4%(1,168)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.3%(396)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 29,334 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
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Jefferson County to nearby counties

JEFFERSON COUNTY VS
Shelby County
Income$97,961+117%
Home value$326,100+136%
Population238,552−64%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
JEFFERSON COUNTY VS
Walker County
Income$56,509+25%
Home value$135,900−2%
Population65,140−90%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
JEFFERSON COUNTY VS
Blount County
Income$64,190+42%
Home value$175,200+27%
Population60,156−91%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
JEFFERSON COUNTY VS
St. Clair County
Income$77,463+71%
Home value$226,300+64%
Population98,206−85%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Jefferson County, Alabama?

Jefferson County, Alabama has about 658,466 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Jefferson County, Alabama?

The typical household in Jefferson County, Alabama earns about $45,244 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Jefferson County, Alabama expensive?

In Jefferson County, Alabama, the median home is worth about $138,300, and the typical rent is about $748 a month.

How educated are people in Jefferson County, Alabama?

About 28.8% of adults age 25 and over in Jefferson County, Alabama hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Jefferson County, Alabama?

About 15.5% of people in Jefferson County, Alabama live below the federal poverty line.

Has Jefferson County, Alabama grown since 1990?

Yes, Jefferson County, Alabama has grown since 1990. The population has added about 6,941 residents, a change of about 1 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 →