METRO AREA · 2020 ACS
Birmingham Metro
Birmingham, AL · 7 counties · 1,180,631 residents · 5,280 sq mi
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With 1,180,631 people, Birmingham is a metro area. The foreign-born share is 4%. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $167,436. 69% of homes are owner-occupied. 128,393 more people live here than in 2000. The median household earns $59,161, about 11% below the national median.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 39.2
US median: 38.8
Average education
31% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01
Population & growth
Land area
5,280 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
20241.2M
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55.7%(67,631)
5 to 96.2%(72,967)
10 to 146.6%(77,689)
15 to 196.5%(77,265)
20 to 246.4%(76,057)
25 to 3413.1%(154,942)
35 to 4412.8%(151,377)
45 to 5412.5%(148,023)
55 to 6413.1%(155,070)
65 to 7410.3%(121,235)
75 to 844.8%(57,204)
85 and over1.8%(21,171)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$59,161
+2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $38,551 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
39.0%
+9.9 ptssince 2009
from 29.1% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information11%
Retail trade10.2%
Other services8.3%
Wholesale trade6.6%
Public administration6.6%
Finance & insurance6%
Professional, scientific, technical4%
Transportation & warehousing3.2%
Education & health services1.9%
Arts, entertainment, food1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.1%
Manufacturing0.7%
Construction0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$167,436
+23%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $90,229 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
2.8
+1%since 2009
from 2.8 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-Hispanic69%(726,196)
Black27.5%(289,082)
Hispanic / Latino1.8%(18,567)
Asian0.7%(7,774)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic60.9%(719,404)
Black28%(330,585)
Hispanic / Latino5.7%(66,972)
Asian1.6%(19,471)
Other2.3%(26,824)
55
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Mexican2.9%(33,515)
Central American0.5%(5,689)
Puerto Rican0.4%(4,834)
South American0.3%(3,112)
Guatemalan0.2%(2,103)
Salvadoran0.2%(1,592)
Cuban0.1%(1,371)
Honduran0.1%(1,241)
Venezuelan0.1%(1,000)
Colombian0.1%(735)
Spaniard0.1%(695)
Panamanian0%(418)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Ecuadorian0%(410)
Peruvian0.1%(393)
Dominican0%(328)
Argentine0%(234)
Chilean0%(197)
Costa Rican0%(151)
Nicaraguan0%(142)
Bolivian0%(19)
Paraguayan0%(4)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.4%(4,737)
Chinese0.3%(3,388)
Vietnamese0.2%(2,085)
Filipino0.2%(1,711)
Korean0.1%(1,225)
Pakistani0.1%(747)
Japanese0.1%(552)
Taiwanese0%(399)
Nepalese0%(320)
Thai0%(305)
Bangladeshi0%(206)
Malaysian0%(89)
+ 4 more asian origin groups with data
Ancestry
American13.3%(152,931)
English8.4%(97,216)
Irish8.2%(94,064)
German5.9%(68,186)
Scottish2.1%(24,189)
Italian2.1%(23,976)
Scotch-Irish1.5%(17,554)
Subsaharan African1.5%(16,976)
French1.4%(16,488)
Dutch0.7%(7,778)
British0.7%(7,748)
Polish0.6%(7,068)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh0.6%(6,876)
Swedish0.3%(3,467)
Norwegian0.3%(3,436)
Greek0.3%(2,953)
Lebanese0.3%(2,585)
Russian0.2%(2,206)
West Indian0.2%(2,130)
Hungarian0.1%(1,628)
Danish0.1%(1,548)
French Canadian0.1%(1,336)
Swiss0.1%(1,056)
Finnish0.1%(1,047)
Czech0.1%(817)
Jamaican0.1%(719)
Canadian0.1%(713)
Palestinian0.1%(706)
Ukrainian0.1%(676)
Nigerian0.1%(670)
Portuguese0.1%(665)
Lithuanian0.1%(661)
Austrian0.1%(605)
Belgian0.1%(562)
Slovak0.1%(559)
Moroccan0.1%(553)
Romanian0%(487)
Arab0.1%(469)
Iranian0%(445)
Brazilian0%(355)
Egyptian0%(351)
Kenyan0%(334)
Croatian0%(321)
Haitian0%(314)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(276)
Ethiopian0%(245)
Syrian0%(227)
Turkish0%(172)
Latvian0%(166)
Armenian0%(148)
Iraqi0%(135)
Serbian0%(128)
Bulgarian0%(111)
Slovene0%(68)
Israeli0%(63)
Macedonian0%(48)
Australian0%(37)
Jordanian0%(31)
Ghanaian0%(25)
Cape Verdean0%(17)
Guyanese0%(11)
Barbadian0%(5)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
89.3%
+10.5 ptssince 2000
from 78.8% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
70.1%
US average: 73.3%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
90.0%
US average: 91.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married34.5%(158,082)
Married52.3%(239,585)
Widowed3.2%(14,587)
Divorced10%(45,761)
Women 15+
Never married29.9%(150,779)
Married47.2%(237,574)
Widowed9.9%(50,101)
Divorced13%(65,277)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
14.1%
US average: 13.7%
VA health care
2.6%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
70.0%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
33.9%
US average: 35.2%
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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)18.2%(11,928)
Gulf War (1990s)21.2%(13,925)
Vietnam era34.2%(22,465)
Korean War8.1%(5,289)
World War II2.6%(1,708)
Share of the 65,673 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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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
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
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BIRMINGHAM VS
Buffalo
Income$72,257+22%
Home value$225,816+35%
Population1,155,653−4%
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BIRMINGHAM VS
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BIRMINGHAM VS
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BIRMINGHAM VS
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Income$69,648+18%
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Birmingham, AL?
Birmingham, AL has about 1,180,631 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Birmingham, AL?
The typical household in Birmingham, AL earns about $59,161 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 $167,436, and the typical rent is about $913 a month.
How educated are people in Birmingham, AL?
About 31.3% 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 13.7% 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 223,787 residents, a change of about 23 percent over that period.
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024