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METRO AREA

Huntsville Metro

Huntsville, AL · 2 counties · 556,444 residents (2025 est.) · 1,365 sq mi
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The short version

Huntsville is home to 516,951 people. Since 2000 the metro area has risen by half, up 174,575 people. That puts it in the top 2% of US metro areas for household income. The foreign-born share is 6%. 43% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. 70% of homes are owner-occupied.

At a glance
Average income
median household income $85,881, near the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 38.8
US median: 38.9
More educated
43% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 71%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Huntsville

What changed most since 1990

  • Population293,047 → 516,951 (+76%)US over the same years: +35%

Among the 24 metro and micro areas based in Alabama

  • 1st in household income$85,881
  • 1st in share with a bachelor's degree42.9%
  • 2nd in home value$295,284
  • 5th in diversity score66.7
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
516,951
+51%since 2000
from 342,376 in 2000
556,444 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
379 / sq mi
+51%since 2000
from 251 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
38.8
+9%since 2000
from 35.7 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
1,365 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
271K338K405K472K539K19902000201020202024Huntsville
2024517K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.6%(29,081)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96%(31,135)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.2%(32,084)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.6%(34,085)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.5%(33,501)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3414%(72,584)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413.2%(68,413)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.4%(63,994)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6413.7%(71,006)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 749.4%(48,383)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.7%(24,255)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.6%(8,430)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$85,881
+9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $43,304 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$46,601
+111%since 2000
from $22,073 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
55.1%
+20.2 ptssince 2009
from 34.9% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
10.1%
−0.8 ptssince 2000
from 10.9% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.460
+2%since 2010
from 0.450 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade14.5%
US avg: 9.9%
Information10.5%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade5.9%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services4.1%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance4%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical3%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration2.7%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing1.4%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.4%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services1%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.7%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.6%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.2%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$295,284
+71%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $94,924 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,158
+32%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $482 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
70.3%
−1.0 ptssince 2000
from 71.3% in 2000
29.7% rent
Vacancy rate
7.6%
−2.1 ptssince 2009
from 9.8% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.44 people
−2%since 2009
from 2.50 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
14.7%
−2.9 ptssince 2009
from 17.6% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
40.2%
+2.0 ptssince 2009
from 38.2% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.4
+29%since 2009
from 2.7 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
81
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic73.2%(250,638)
Black20.8%(71,305)
Hispanic / Latino2%(6,966)
Asian1.6%(5,335)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic63.9%(330,476)
Black21.2%(109,670)
Hispanic / Latino6.9%(35,872)
Asian2.3%(12,047)
Other5.6%(28,886)
Diversity Score
67
+20%since 2009
from 56 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
36
−5%since 2020
from 38 in 2020
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
Mexican3.8%(19,455)
Puerto Rican1%(5,010)
South American0.7%(3,676)
Central American0.5%(2,722)
Colombian0.3%(1,728)
Cuban0.2%(1,217)
Dominican0.2%(1,183)
Venezuelan0.2%(1,002)
Spaniard0.2%(862)
Guatemalan0.2%(834)
Peruvian0.1%(585)
Salvadoran0.1%(580)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Panamanian0.1%(570)
Honduran0.1%(313)
Costa Rican0.1%(249)
Nicaraguan0%(138)
Ecuadorian0%(136)
Argentine0%(61)
Chilean0%(57)
Bolivian0%(50)
Uruguayan0%(32)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.5%(2,765)
Chinese0.4%(2,232)
Korean0.4%(2,188)
Filipino0.3%(1,314)
Japanese0.2%(1,035)
Vietnamese0.2%(944)
Pakistani0.1%(380)
Thai0.1%(267)
Laotian0.1%(208)
Nepalese0%(132)
Taiwanese0%(128)
Indonesian0%(124)
+ 6 more asian origin groups with data
Cambodian0%(120)
Kazakh0%(44)
Uzbek0%(32)
Okinawan0%(12)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(233)
Chamorro0%(159)
Fijian0%(37)
Tongan0%(1)
Ancestry
English14.6%(75,583)
American11.2%(57,921)
Irish9.5%(48,903)
German9.2%(47,537)
Scottish2.2%(11,600)
Italian2.2%(11,380)
French1.5%(7,584)
Scotch-Irish1.4%(7,118)
Polish1.2%(5,959)
Dutch0.7%(3,665)
West Indian0.6%(3,028)
+ 49 more ancestry groups with data
British0.6%(2,923)
Swedish0.6%(2,887)
Norwegian0.5%(2,723)
Welsh0.5%(2,636)
Greek0.3%(1,298)
Jamaican0.3%(1,296)
Arab0.2%(1,247)
Russian0.2%(1,055)
Ukrainian0.2%(916)
Danish0.2%(859)
Nigerian0.2%(853)
Swiss0.2%(840)
Austrian0.1%(751)
Czech0.1%(617)
Finnish0.1%(571)
Slovak0.1%(542)
Brazilian0.1%(495)
Hungarian0.1%(489)
Portuguese0.1%(453)
Canadian0.1%(410)
Lebanese0.1%(360)
Iranian0.1%(338)
Lithuanian0.1%(317)
Latvian0.1%(268)
Romanian0.1%(265)
Moroccan0%(227)
Belgian0%(197)
Serbian0%(191)
Kenyan0%(185)
Croatian0%(178)
Turkish0%(102)
Barbadian0%(94)
Ethiopian0.1%(89)
Haitian0%(81)
Jordanian0%(74)
Bulgarian0%(63)
Ghanaian0%(51)
Egyptian0%(49)
Syrian0%(49)
Armenian0%(47)
Slovene0%(38)
Guyanese0%(28)
Israeli0%(15)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
42.9%
+12.0 ptssince 2000
from 30.9% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
91.5%
+8.2 ptssince 2000
from 83.3% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
17.4%
+7.1 ptssince 2000
from 10.3% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
23.0 min
+69%since 2000
from 13.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
77.1%
−8.0 ptssince 2009
from 85.1% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
6.4%
−3.5 ptssince 2009
from 9.9% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.1%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.3% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
14.2%
+11.9 ptssince 2009
from 2.3% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
0.9%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 1.3% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.0%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
3.8%
−1.2 ptssince 2009
from 5.0% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.5%
−5.2 ptssince 2011
from 8.7% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
63.8%
−1.6 ptssince 2011
from 65.4% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
71.1%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 71.2% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
9.7%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 10.6% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
49.5%
+8.2 ptssince 2009
from 41.3% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.4%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 49.2% in 2009
Female
50.6%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 50.8% in 2009
Foreign born
5.6%
+1.1 ptssince 2009
from 4.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
10.3%
−3.2 ptssince 2009
from 13.5% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
14.0%
+1.6 ptssince 2012
from 12.4% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
7.7%
−4.9 ptssince 2013
from 12.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
91.4%
+11.9 ptssince 2017
from 79.5% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
96.3%
+3.2 ptssince 2020
from 93.1% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
86.4%
+2.1 ptssince 2020
from 84.3% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
92.6%
−0.8 ptssince 2016
from 93.4% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
4.2%
+0.7 ptssince 2016
from 3.5% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married34.1%(71,197)
Married53.1%(110,817)
Widowed2.5%(5,182)
Divorced10.3%(21,469)
Women 15+
Never married28.9%(62,340)
Married50.3%(108,692)
Widowed8.6%(18,604)
Divorced12.2%(26,350)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
7.7%
−4.9 ptssince 2013
from 12.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
63.7%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 63.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
13.7%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 13.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
17.1%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 17.3% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
13.2%
−0.7 ptssince 2020
from 13.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
3.3%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 2.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
77.2%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 76.8% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
29.5%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 29.9% 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)40.1%(16,716)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)38.3%(15,940)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era23.4%(9,728)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War2.5%(1,030)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.3%(137)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 41,659 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

Huntsville, decade by decade

Huntsville population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
1990293,047$76,581$175,28127.1%43.7
2000342,376$78,885$172,91930.9%52.4
2010417,593$77,731$214,34534.1%59.9
2020491,723$80,402$224,81139.8%67.9
2024516,951$85,881$295,28442.9%66.7

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.

In this metro

Largest cities

HuntsvilleCENTRAL233,627Madison67,968Athens34,209Meridianville11,150Moores Mill6,378Harvest5,955Triana5,244Hazel Green3,940Owens Cross Roads3,334New Hope3,054Ardmore1,485New Market1,314Redstone Arsenal858Gurley853Elkmont452Lester122Mooresville48
What's inside

2 component counties

Madison CountyCENTRAL433,516Limestone CountyCENTRAL122,928
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Huntsville

Lancaster
Pop 563,159
Reno
Pop 578,734
New Haven
Pop 578,741
Modesto
Pop 557,719
Places similar to Huntsville
Head to head

Compare Huntsville side by side

HUNTSVILLE VS
Lancaster
Income$86,959+1%
Home value$301,100+2%
Population563,159+1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
HUNTSVILLE VS
Reno
Income$87,337+2%
Home value$520,025+76%
Population578,734+4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
HUNTSVILLE VS
New Haven
Income$88,197+3%
Home value$353,100+20%
Population578,741+4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
HUNTSVILLE VS
Modesto
Income$81,468−5%
Home value$450,100+52%
Population557,719same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Huntsville, AL?

Huntsville, AL has about 516,951 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Huntsville, AL?

The typical household in Huntsville, AL earns about $85,881 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Huntsville, AL expensive?

In Huntsville, AL, the median home is worth about $295,284, and the typical rent is about $1,158 a month.

How educated are people in Huntsville, AL?

About 42.9% of adults age 25 and over in Huntsville, AL hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Huntsville, AL?

About 10.1% of people in Huntsville, AL live below the federal poverty line.

Has Huntsville, AL grown since 1990?

Yes, Huntsville, AL has grown since 1990. The population has added about 223,904 residents, a change of about 76 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 →