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MICROPOLITAN AREA

Selma Micro

Selma, AL · 1 counties · 35,140 residents (2025 est.) · 979 sq mi
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The short version

Selma is a metro area of 36,858 people. The poverty rate is 31.0%, above the 12.5% national rate. 17% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. Home values have risen by half since 2000, reaching $94,600. Households take in $35,627 at the median, 57% less than the US figure. The foreign-born share is 2%.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 41.2
US median: 38.9
Less educated
17% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
More affordable
home values down 9%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

36,858
−21%since 2000
from 46,365 in 2000
35,140 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
38 / sq mi
−21%since 2000
from 47 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
41.2
+17%since 2000
from 35.3 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
979 sq mi
Population, 19902024
36K39K42K46K49K19902000201020202024Selma
202437K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.9%(2,169)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.4%(1,973)
US avg: 6%
10 to 147.9%(2,896)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.7%(2,463)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.9%(2,181)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3411.2%(4,128)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4411.3%(4,170)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.3%(4,167)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6414.1%(5,196)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7412.3%(4,547)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 846.6%(2,423)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.5%(545)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$35,627
−16%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $23,370 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
$24,582
+80%since 2000
from $13,638 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
21.2%
+6.5 ptssince 2009
from 14.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
31.0%
Unchangedsince 2000
from 31.1% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
0.502
−2%since 2010
from 0.515 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade17.2%
US avg: 9.9%
Information11.1%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services6.7%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration5.9%
US avg: 4.8%
Wholesale trade5.8%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance5.1%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical4.5%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing2.8%
US avg: 2.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.7%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction2.2%
US avg: 1.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.5%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.5%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.5%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

$94,600
−9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $57,100 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
$733
+15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $350 in 2000
US average: $1,442
63.8%
−1.9 ptssince 2000
from 65.7% in 2000
36.2% rent
15.8%
−2.9 ptssince 2009
from 18.6% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
2.28 people
−8%since 2009
from 2.48 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
20.7%
−9.0 ptssince 2009
from 29.7% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
53.9%
+9.7 ptssince 2009
from 44.1% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
2.7
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.7 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.
8
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic35.4%(16,417)
Black63%(29,201)
Hispanic / Latino0.6%(290)
Asian0.3%(157)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic26.6%(9,801)
Black69.9%(25,754)
Hispanic / Latino1%(360)
Asian0.6%(226)
Other1.9%(717)
55
−3%since 2009
from 57 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
49
−8%since 2020
from 53 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
Puerto Rican0.5%(195)
Mexican0.3%(128)
Dominican0.1%(24)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.3%(106)
Vietnamese0.2%(78)
Nepalese0.1%(27)
Ancestry
English8.8%(3,230)
American6.4%(2,366)
Irish2.5%(932)
German2.2%(824)
Nigerian1.2%(436)
West Indian0.9%(320)
Jamaican0.8%(307)
Scottish0.6%(236)
French0.6%(233)
Scotch-Irish0.6%(210)
Italian0.5%(183)
+ 20 more ancestry groups with data
Dutch0.2%(71)
Polish0.1%(53)
Swedish0.1%(45)
Arab0.1%(32)
Norwegian0.1%(30)
Welsh0.1%(28)
Czech0%(15)
Guyanese0%(14)
Barbadian0%(12)
British0%(11)
Danish0%(11)
Romanian0%(11)
Swiss0%(11)
Finnish0%(4)
Greek0%(4)
Haitian0%(1)
Section 05

Education

17.5%
+3.6 ptssince 2000
from 13.9% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
87.6%
+17.3 ptssince 2000
from 70.3% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
5.7%
+0.3 ptssince 2000
from 5.4% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

26.4 min
+70%since 2000
from 15.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
81.9%
−1.4 ptssince 2009
from 83.4% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
9.6%
−2.3 ptssince 2009
from 11.9% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
0.7%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
6.0%
+4.8 ptssince 2009
from 1.2% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
1.4%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 0.9% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
0.0%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
14.1%
−1.2 ptssince 2009
from 15.4% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

11.0%
−6.1 ptssince 2011
from 17.1% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
52.3%
−1.5 ptssince 2011
from 53.8% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
66.4%
+4.2 ptssince 2020
from 62.2% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
11.2%
−4.3 ptssince 2009
from 15.5% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
26.9%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 25.9% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

46.5%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 45.7% in 2009
53.5%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 54.3% in 2009
1.9%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 0.9% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
6.5%
−4.1 ptssince 2009
from 10.5% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
21.6%
−0.7 ptssince 2012
from 22.3% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
8.2%
−7.6 ptssince 2013
from 15.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
80.5%
+22.8 ptssince 2017
from 57.7% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
87.5%
+11.4 ptssince 2020
from 76.1% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
88.1%
−2.1 ptssince 2020
from 90.2% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
98.0%
−0.1 ptssince 2016
from 98.1% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
0.4%
−0.6 ptssince 2016
from 1.1% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married38.7%(5,219)
Married41.7%(5,631)
Widowed5.6%(754)
Divorced14.1%(1,898)
Women 15+
Never married32.8%(5,353)
Married35.1%(5,734)
Widowed16.3%(2,663)
Divorced15.7%(2,568)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

8.2%
−7.6 ptssince 2013
from 15.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
36.8%
−1.4 ptssince 2020
from 38.2% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
17.1%
+6.0 ptssince 2020
from 11.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
24.1%
+2.7 ptssince 2020
from 21.4% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
38.1%
+4.0 ptssince 2020
from 34.1% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
3.1%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 2.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
52.5%
+2.2 ptssince 2020
from 50.3% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
54.9%
+4.0 ptssince 2020
from 50.9% 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)14%(254)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)24.5%(445)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era37.5%(681)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.6%(66)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.9%(16)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,816 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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Frequently asked

How many people live in Selma, AL?

Selma, AL has about 36,858 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Selma, AL?

The typical household in Selma, AL earns about $35,627 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Selma, AL expensive?

In Selma, AL, the median home is worth about $94,600, and the typical rent is about $733 a month.

How educated are people in Selma, AL?

About 17.5% of adults age 25 and over in Selma, AL hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Selma, AL?

About 31.0% of people in Selma, AL live below the federal poverty line.

Has Selma, AL grown since 1990?

Yes, Selma, AL has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 11,272 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

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