METRO AREA
Tuscaloosa Metro
Tuscaloosa, AL · 4 counties · 281,850 residents (2025 est.) · 3,493 sq mi
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The short version
With 278,526 people, Tuscaloosa is a metro area. The median age is 34.1, younger than the US median of 38.9. The population is up 31% since 2000. 4% of people across the metro were born outside the United States. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $229,399. 30% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 34.1
US median: 38.9
Less educated
30% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 47%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
278,526
+31%since 2000
from 212,983 in 2000
281,850 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
3,493 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024279K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.4%(15,087)
5 to 96%(16,832)
10 to 145.7%(15,841)
15 to 199.8%(27,248)
20 to 2410.9%(30,438)
25 to 3413.4%(37,341)
35 to 4411.9%(33,051)
45 to 5410.8%(30,209)
55 to 6411.1%(30,810)
65 to 749.3%(25,837)
75 to 844.2%(11,594)
85 and over1.5%(4,238)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$62,466
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $32,250 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
42.0%
+20.3 ptssince 2009
from 21.6% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade16.3%
Information10.7%
Wholesale trade6.6%
Finance & insurance4.7%
Other services4.3%
Professional, scientific, technical3.6%
Public administration2.6%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.7%
Transportation & warehousing1.3%
Education & health services1.1%
Construction0.9%
Manufacturing0.8%
Arts, entertainment, food0.6%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$229,399
+47%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $85,567 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
3.6
+6%since 2009
from 3.4 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.
61
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic61.9%(131,744)
Black35.3%(75,113)
Hispanic / Latino1.2%(2,492)
Asian0.7%(1,561)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic56.3%(156,716)
Black34.1%(94,870)
Hispanic / Latino5.1%(14,069)
Asian1.4%(3,823)
Other3.2%(9,048)
68
+15%since 2009
from 60 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
43
−11%since 2020
from 48 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
Mexican2.8%(7,741)
Central American0.7%(1,959)
Puerto Rican0.5%(1,471)
Guatemalan0.6%(1,410)
Cuban0.3%(812)
South American0.2%(458)
Dominican0.1%(265)
Honduran0.1%(246)
Salvadoran0.1%(189)
Colombian0%(115)
Argentine0%(107)
Spaniard0%(67)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Paraguayan0%(60)
Costa Rican0%(58)
Panamanian0%(56)
Ecuadorian0%(47)
Venezuelan0%(39)
Uruguayan0%(35)
Chilean0%(26)
Peruvian0%(22)
Bolivian0%(7)
Asian origin
Chinese0.5%(1,196)
Asian Indian0.4%(943)
Vietnamese0.2%(374)
Korean0.1%(357)
Pakistani0.1%(305)
Bangladeshi0.1%(226)
Filipino0.1%(224)
Japanese0.1%(160)
Nepalese0%(69)
Cambodian0%(43)
Thai0%(20)
Burmese0%(8)
+ 1 more asian origin group with data
Laotian0%(6)
Ancestry
English10.2%(28,437)
American10.1%(28,131)
Irish6.8%(18,839)
German5.3%(14,684)
Italian1.9%(5,088)
Scottish1.8%(4,887)
French1.2%(3,360)
Scotch-Irish1.1%(2,860)
Subsaharan African0.9%(2,369)
Polish0.4%(1,191)
Dutch0.4%(1,007)
Swedish0.3%(816)
+ 40 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh0.3%(761)
British0.2%(646)
Arab0.2%(603)
Russian0.2%(532)
Norwegian0.2%(466)
Greek0.2%(454)
Hungarian0.2%(411)
West Indian0.2%(395)
Swiss0.1%(371)
Nigerian0.1%(325)
Iranian0.1%(294)
French Canadian0.1%(279)
Turkish0.1%(252)
Jamaican0.1%(241)
Ukrainian0.1%(236)
Czech0.1%(217)
Finnish0.1%(163)
Lebanese0.1%(144)
Kenyan0.1%(144)
Portuguese0.1%(141)
Slovak0.1%(136)
Canadian0.1%(129)
Croatian0.1%(127)
Romanian0%(111)
Danish0%(104)
Brazilian0%(99)
Egyptian0%(79)
Armenian0%(79)
Palestinian0%(64)
Austrian0%(62)
Haitian0%(53)
Ghanaian0%(48)
Belgian0%(28)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(22)
Australian0%(20)
Slovene0%(18)
Macedonian0%(14)
Israeli0%(9)
Somali0%(5)
Jordanian0%(1)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
90.4%
+14.3 ptssince 2000
from 76.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
69.5%
+1.5 ptssince 2020
from 68.0% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
93.7%
+5.7 ptssince 2020
from 88.0% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married43.6%(48,019)
Married45.5%(50,124)
Widowed2.6%(2,824)
Divorced8.3%(9,197)
Women 15+
Never married39.7%(47,824)
Married40.9%(49,366)
Widowed8.4%(10,171)
Divorced11%(13,241)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
14.3%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 13.8% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
2.4%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 2.2% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
71.8%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 70.8% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
34.0%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 34.4% 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)26.4%(3,682)
Gulf War (1990s)25.6%(3,572)
Vietnam era31.5%(4,393)
Korean War2.9%(405)
World War II0.7%(96)
Share of the 13,943 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
What's inside
4 component counties
Drill deeper
Metros similar to Tuscaloosa
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Pop 281,224
Erie
Pop 265,832
College Station
Pop 287,476
Merced
Pop 297,260
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Compare Tuscaloosa side by side
TUSCALOOSA VS
Laredo
Income$63,058+1%
Home value$189,900−17%
Population281,224same
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TUSCALOOSA VS
Erie
Income$63,354+1%
Home value$177,000−23%
Population265,832−6%
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TUSCALOOSA VS
College Station
Income$60,172−4%
Home value$282,096+23%
Population287,476+2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
TUSCALOOSA VS
Merced
Income$65,510+5%
Home value$391,800+71%
Population297,260+5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Tuscaloosa, AL?
Tuscaloosa, AL has about 278,526 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Tuscaloosa, AL?
The typical household in Tuscaloosa, AL earns about $62,466 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Tuscaloosa, AL expensive?
In Tuscaloosa, AL, the median home is worth about $229,399, and the typical rent is about $978 a month.
How educated are people in Tuscaloosa, AL?
About 29.6% of adults age 25 and over in Tuscaloosa, AL hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Tuscaloosa, AL?
About 18.1% of people in Tuscaloosa, AL live below the federal poverty line.
Has Tuscaloosa, AL grown since 1990?
Yes, Tuscaloosa, AL has grown since 1990. The population has added about 81,654 residents, a change of about 41 percent over that period.
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024