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METRO AREA · 1990 CENSUS

Decatur Metro

Decatur, AL · 2 counties · 131,556 residents · 1,270 sq mi
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The short version

Decatur is home to 131,556 people. 74% of homes are owner-occupied. Median home value sits at $56,663. 13% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Renters pay $318 a month at the median. There are 14,311 fewer people here than in 2000.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $30,130
Mid-age
median age 33.3
US median: 33.0
Less educated
13% 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
131,556
−10%vs 2000
vs 145,867 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
104 / sq mi
−10%vs 2000
vs 115 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
33.3
−8%vs 2000
vs 36.4 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
1,270 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
129K137K145K153K160K19902000201020202024Decatur
2024158K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 56.8%(9,006)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 97.4%(9,790)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.6%(9,984)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 197.4%(9,692)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 246.7%(8,871)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3416.8%(22,093)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4414.8%(19,458)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 5411.7%(15,368)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 649%(11,886)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 747%(9,165)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 843.8%(5,017)
US avg: 4%
85 and over0.9%(1,226)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$26,724
−3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $36,311 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$12,104
−35%vs 2000
vs $18,577 in 2000
US average: $14,340
Poverty rate
13.9%
+0.9 ptsvs 2000
vs 13.0% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$56,663
−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $78,481 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$318
+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $413 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
74.0%
−1.5 ptsvs 2000
vs 75.5% in 2000
26.0% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic81.9%(119,483)
Black11.7%(16,996)
Hispanic / Latino2.8%(4,012)
Asian0.4%(524)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic86.6%(113,865)
Black11.2%(14,751)
Hispanic / Latino0.4%(533)
Asian0.2%(253)
Other2%(2,687)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

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

Hispanic origin
Mexican5.7%(8,940)
Central American1.6%(2,448)
Guatemalan1.5%(2,324)
Puerto Rican0.4%(670)
Cuban0.3%(397)
Peruvian0.2%(302)
Spaniard0.1%(231)
Honduran0.1%(72)
Chilean0%(65)
Dominican0%(48)
+ 3 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Chinese0.2%(283)
Vietnamese0.1%(180)
Korean0.1%(179)
Filipino0%(76)
Japanese0%(61)
Laotian0%(60)
Thai0%(39)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(19)
Ancestry
American16.6%(26,128)
English12.8%(20,257)
Irish8.5%(13,410)
German6.4%(10,126)
Scottish2.1%(3,345)
Italian1.5%(2,382)
Scotch-Irish1.1%(1,696)
French0.8%(1,194)
Dutch0.6%(891)
British0.5%(768)
Polish0.5%(731)
Arab0.6%(707)
+ 34 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh0.4%(703)
Norwegian0.3%(462)
Swedish0.3%(424)
Finnish0.2%(209)
Portuguese0.1%(176)
West Indian0.1%(174)
Greek0.1%(171)
Ukrainian0.1%(164)
Russian0.1%(153)
Czech0.1%(130)
Swiss0.1%(106)
Danish0.1%(90)
Jamaican0.1%(67)
Haitian0%(65)
Slovak0%(59)
Lebanese0%(58)
Hungarian0%(53)
Armenian0%(40)
Nigerian0%(36)
Iranian0%(29)
Canadian0%(26)
Romanian0%(26)
Serbian0%(26)
Belgian0%(23)
Croatian0%(20)
Austrian0%(18)
Israeli0%(13)
Egyptian0%(10)
Brazilian0%(10)
Turkish0%(6)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
13.3%
−2.5 ptsvs 2000
vs 15.8% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
66.1%
−7.7 ptsvs 2000
vs 73.8% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Graduate degree
4.2%
−0.8 ptsvs 2000
vs 5.0% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
21.2 min
+35%vs 2000
vs 15.7 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 married30.6%(19,194)
Married55.5%(34,778)
Widowed3.2%(2,030)
Divorced10.6%(6,648)
Women 15+
Never married23.4%(15,251)
Married51.8%(33,758)
Widowed11.8%(7,720)
Divorced13%(8,473)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
10.3%
−5.4 ptssince 2013
from 15.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
55.1%
−0.7 ptssince 2020
from 55.8% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
14.3%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 13.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
20.9%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 21.2% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
19.0%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 19.1% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.5%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 2.2% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
67.8%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 67.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
37.0%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 37.3% 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)34.3%(3,321)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)22.6%(2,188)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era31%(3,001)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.6%(544)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.3%(27)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 9,676 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

DecaturCENTRAL58,056Hartselle16,312Priceville3,952Moulton3,436Trinity2,638Falkville1,121Town Creek1,067Somerville833Eva604Courtland594North Courtland500Hillsboro419Hatton405
What's inside

2 component counties

Morgan CountyCENTRAL126,483Lawrence County33,843
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Decatur

Jackson
Pop 159,552
Bangor
Pop 157,967
Dalton
Pop 147,819
Bloomington
Pop 165,231
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Head to head

Compare Decatur side by side

DECATUR VS
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Home value$193,700+242%
Population159,552same
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DECATUR VS
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DECATUR VS
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Home value$207,505+266%
Population147,819−8%
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DECATUR VS
Bloomington
Income$65,416+145%
Home value$270,210+377%
Population165,231+3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Decatur, AL?

Decatur, AL has about 131,556 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Decatur, AL?

The typical household in Decatur, AL earns about $26,724 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Decatur, AL expensive?

In Decatur, AL, the median home is worth about $56,663, and the typical rent is about $318 a month.

How educated are people in Decatur, AL?

About 13.3% of adults age 25 and over in Decatur, AL hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Decatur, AL?

About 13.9% of people in Decatur, AL live below the federal poverty line.

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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 →