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METRO AREA · 2000 CENSUS

Birmingham Metro

Birmingham, AL · 7 counties · 1,052,238 residents · 5,280 sq mi
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The short version

Birmingham is home to 1,052,238 people. 72% of homes are owner-occupied. Home values have risen by half since 1990, reaching $90,229. Headcount has barely moved since 1990. Median household income is $38,551, close to the national figure. 23% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $42,589
Mid-age
median age 36.0
US median: 35.2
Average education
23% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
1,052,238
+10%since 1990
from 956,844 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Population density
199 / sq mi
+10%since 1990
from 181 / sq mi in 1990
Median age
36.0
+6%since 1990
from 33.9 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Land area
5,280 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
934K1.0M1.1M1.1M1.2M19902000201020202024Birmingham
20241.2M
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 56.7%(70,482)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 97%(73,540)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.1%(75,042)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 196.8%(71,877)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 246.5%(68,801)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3414.3%(149,946)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4415.9%(167,329)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5414%(147,012)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 648.9%(93,646)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 746.9%(72,307)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 844.4%(46,219)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over1.5%(16,037)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$38,551
+12%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $26,135 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$20,642
+60%since 1990
from $12,901 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
13.6%
−1.8 ptssince 1990
from 15.4% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$90,229
+17%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $58,413 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$495
+7%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $352 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
72.1%
+2.4 ptssince 1990
from 69.7% in 1990
27.9% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic72.8%(696,942)
Black26.4%(252,410)
Hispanic / Latino0.4%(3,822)
Asian0.5%(4,451)
2000
White, non-Hispanic69%(726,196)
Black27.5%(289,082)
Hispanic / Latino1.8%(18,567)
Asian0.7%(7,774)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

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

Hispanic origin
Mexican3.8%(45,227)
Central American0.7%(8,274)
South American0.4%(5,244)
Puerto Rican0.4%(4,393)
Guatemalan0.3%(3,745)
Cuban0.2%(2,111)
Honduran0.2%(1,954)
Salvadoran0.2%(1,932)
Colombian0.2%(1,781)
Venezuelan0.2%(1,464)
Spaniard0.1%(1,189)
Chilean0.1%(747)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Dominican0%(461)
Ecuadorian0%(424)
Argentine0%(369)
Peruvian0%(365)
Panamanian0%(230)
Nicaraguan0%(168)
Bolivian0%(27)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.5%(6,017)
Chinese0.4%(4,348)
Vietnamese0.2%(1,969)
Korean0.1%(1,656)
Filipino0.1%(1,475)
Pakistani0.1%(749)
Japanese0.1%(691)
Taiwanese0%(308)
Malaysian0%(298)
Thai0%(264)
Nepalese0%(218)
+ 6 more asian origin groups with data
Laotian0%(46)
Burmese0%(18)
Hmong0%(15)
Kazakh0%(6)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.1%(1,045)
Samoan0%(189)
Chamorro0%(93)
Fijian0%(70)
Guamanian0%(32)
Tongan0%(12)
Ancestry
English12.8%(151,996)
American11.4%(134,486)
Irish7.4%(87,073)
German5.8%(68,201)
Scottish2.2%(26,338)
Italian2%(23,719)
Scotch-Irish1.3%(15,158)
Subsaharan African1.2%(13,846)
French1%(12,045)
Arab0.5%(5,865)
Dutch0.5%(5,811)
Polish0.5%(5,534)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh0.4%(4,827)
British0.3%(3,893)
Norwegian0.3%(3,491)
Swedish0.3%(3,095)
West Indian0.2%(2,557)
Lebanese0.2%(2,509)
Russian0.2%(2,140)
Greek0.2%(2,087)
Nigerian0.2%(1,645)
Hungarian0.1%(1,586)
Swiss0.1%(1,324)
Danish0.1%(1,267)
Jamaican0.1%(1,265)
French Canadian0.1%(1,130)
Moroccan0.1%(935)
Austrian0.1%(914)
Kenyan0.1%(913)
Finnish0.1%(859)
Portuguese0.1%(833)
Ukrainian0.1%(798)
Czech0.1%(763)
Palestinian0.1%(694)
Canadian0.1%(645)
Iranian0.1%(627)
Lithuanian0.1%(626)
Romanian0.1%(624)
Belgian0.1%(579)
Turkish0.1%(549)
Haitian0.1%(507)
Syrian0.1%(455)
Egyptian0.1%(449)
Croatian0%(437)
Guyanese0.1%(400)
Brazilian0%(373)
Slovak0%(360)
Bulgarian0%(306)
Jordanian0%(125)
Slovene0%(115)
Latvian0%(91)
Ethiopian0%(73)
Armenian0%(72)
Serbian0%(60)
Israeli0%(22)
Somali0%(22)
Iraqi0%(9)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
22.8%
+4.6 ptssince 1990
from 18.1% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
78.8%
+7.9 ptssince 1990
from 70.9% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
7.9%
+1.7 ptssince 1990
from 6.2% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
18.3 min
−16%since 1990
from 21.6 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married26.8%(105,240)
Married60.8%(238,276)
Widowed2.7%(10,486)
Divorced9.7%(37,963)
Women 15+
Never married22%(96,851)
Married54%(238,126)
Widowed12.2%(53,958)
Divorced11.8%(51,869)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
8.7%
−3.7 ptssince 2013
from 12.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
56.5%
−1.1 ptssince 2020
from 57.6% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
13.7%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 14.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
19.3%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 19.1% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
18.6%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 17.5% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.3%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 2.6% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
68.1%
−1.9 ptssince 2020
from 70.0% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
35.3%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 33.9% 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)23.9%(12,896)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)24.9%(13,436)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era32.1%(17,356)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.1%(2,236)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.1%(616)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 53,996 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
In this metro

Largest cities

BirminghamCENTRAL195,893Hoover93,550Vestavia Hills38,306Alabaster34,748Homewood28,118Trussville27,273Pelham25,664Bessemer24,984Helena23,388Mountain Brook21,661Calera18,992Chelsea17,716Gardendale16,425Hueytown16,159Center Point15,538Jasper14,585Pell City14,320Moody13,559Irondale13,545McCalla13,253Leeds12,831Clay10,198Forestdale9,742Fairfield9,483Pleasant Grove9,346Fultondale9,307Clanton9,289Meadowbrook9,117Brook Highland8,146Montevallo7,872

The 30 most populous of 114 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.

What's inside

7 component counties

Jefferson CountyCENTRAL665,742Shelby CountyCENTRAL238,552St. Clair CountyCENTRAL98,206Walker County65,140Blount County60,156Chilton County47,708Bibb County22,262
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Birmingham

Buffalo
Pop 1,155,653
Fresno
Pop 1,203,383
Tucson
Pop 1,074,685
Tulsa
Pop 1,069,273
Places similar to Birmingham
Head to head

Compare Birmingham side by side

BIRMINGHAM VS
Buffalo
Income$72,257+87%
Home value$225,816+150%
Population1,155,653−4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BIRMINGHAM VS
Fresno
Income$74,533+93%
Home value$389,401+332%
Population1,203,383same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BIRMINGHAM VS
Tucson
Income$70,315+82%
Home value$319,700+254%
Population1,074,685−10%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BIRMINGHAM VS
Tulsa
Income$69,648+81%
Home value$220,806+145%
Population1,069,273−11%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Birmingham, AL?

Birmingham, AL has about 1,052,238 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in Birmingham, AL?

The typical household in Birmingham, AL earns about $38,551 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Birmingham, AL expensive?

In Birmingham, AL, the median home is worth about $90,229, and the typical rent is about $495 a month.

How educated are people in Birmingham, AL?

About 22.8% of adults age 25 and over in Birmingham, AL hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Birmingham, AL?

About 13.6% of people in Birmingham, AL live below the federal poverty line.

Has Birmingham, AL grown since 1990?

Yes, Birmingham, AL has grown since 1990. The population has added about 95,394 residents, a change of about 10 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →