Alabama's population was recently eclipsed by South Carolina's, pushing Alabama to 24th in state rank by population. Alabama's population growth is at 0.26% a year, which ranks it as the 36th fastest growing state.
Based on current population estimates, there are 94.4 people per square mile (36 per square kilometer) over a total surface area of 52,420 square miles, which ranks Alabama 27th in population density in the United States.
Alabama has a median age of 38.6 years for the overall population in 2018, with gender percentages currently at 51.5% Female and 48.5% Male (see chart further below).
A large majority of Alabamans - 86% - associate themselves with any variation of Christianity, the remaining 12% are unaffiliated to a particular religion in general.
Most of present-day Alabama was part of Georgia until the south-central part was included in Mississippi Territory, whose establishment was authorized by Congress in 1798 and agreed to by Georgia in 1802. In 1804, Mississippi Territory was expanded to include the rest of Alabama except for the Gulf Coast portion, which was added in 1812 although still in dispute with Spain until 1819. Alabama became a territory in 1817, and was admitted as the 22nd State on December 14, 1819 with substantially its present boundaries (Encyclopedia of Alabama, 2018).
Census coverage of Alabama began in 1800, included much of the State by 1820, and added the rest by 1840. The totals for 1800 and 1810 are for areas then in Mississippi Territory. In 1820 the official State total (127,901) did not include the population (16,416) of three counties whose census returns only arrived in Washington in 1822.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Alabama was:
Alabama has one of the largest populations of African American residents in the United States. With over 26% of the population identifying as black or African American, this state ranks 7th when compared to the other 49 states plus Washington D.C. This large population is a result of slaves that were brought to the region, which was known as the "Black Belt." Following the abolishment of slavery after the Civil War, many African Americans settled in this region to work in agriulture.
Alabama has a very low percentage of residents that identify with two or more races -- accounting for just over 1% of the population. This puts Alabama in 48th place when compared to other states. It also has a lower population of Asians and Hispanics than the majority of other states, while its population of whites and American Indians fall about squarely in the middle when compared to other states. Alabama did, however, see 145% growth in its Hispanic population between the years 2000 and 2010, which led to a total population increase of 27.7% from 2000 to 2009.
While there is a high percentage of white residents, the median age of whites is 41.2 years, according to data from 2010. Hispanics and African Americans have median ages of 24.8 and 32.2 years, respectively, which could indicate a change in future demographics.
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Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
---|---|---|
White | 3,329,010 | 66.21% |
Black or African American | 1,326,343 | 26.38% |
Two or more races | 185,632 | 3.69% |
Other race | 93,924 | 1.87% |
Asian | 69,808 | 1.39% |
Native American | 21,122 | 0.42% |
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 2,253 | 0.04% |
White
Black or African American
Two or more races
Other race
Asian
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
---|---|---|---|---|
All | 1,933,150 | 2.53 | 69.7 | 30.3 |
Married | 906,990 | 3.15 | 85.7 | 14.3 |
Non Family | 677,286 | 1.2 | 56.2 | 43.8 |
Female | 266,817 | 3.53 | 52 | 48 |
Male | 82,057 | 3.44 | 62.4 | 37.6 |
3.17
Average Family Size
2.53
Average Household Size
69.7%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
9th to 12th Grade | 293,805 | 8.57% |
Associates Degree | 306,021 | 8.93% |
Bachelors Degree | 572,252 | 16.69% |
Graduate Degree | 360,593 | 10.52% |
High School Graduate | 1,041,720 | 30.38% |
Less Than 9th Grade | 127,375 | 3.72% |
Some College | 726,749 | 21.2% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
White | 2,330,800 | 2,092,730 | 700,921 |
Black | 855,211 | 727,184 | 164,371 |
Hispanic | 114,361 | 75,606 | 20,944 |
2+ Races | 91,220 | 75,872 | 22,870 |
Asian | 48,881 | 42,374 | 26,242 |
Other Race | 46,960 | 28,615 | 6,404 |
Native American | 14,170 | 11,112 | 2,557 |
Islander | 1,313 | 1,022 | 176 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 89.79%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 53.69%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
---|---|---|---|
Bachelors Degree | $57,347 | $73,710 | $46,644 |
Graduate Degree | $71,030 | $96,931 | $60,661 |
High School Graduate | $34,470 | $42,241 | $26,853 |
Less Than 9th Grade | $27,789 | $32,806 | $20,785 |
Overall | $43,016 | $52,287 | $34,853 |
Some College | $39,855 | $51,366 | $32,415 |
$43,016
Average Earnings
$52,287
Average Male
$34,853
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
94.61% of Alabama residents speak only English, while 5.39% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 3.39% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
White | 3,175,890 | 351,213 | 11.06% |
Black | 1,273,760 | 322,862 | 25.35% |
Hispanic | 225,910 | 60,468 | 26.77% |
Multiple | 179,347 | 36,197 | 20.18% |
Other | 92,356 | 27,419 | 29.69% |
Asian | 68,150 | 8,370 | 12.28% |
Native | 20,496 | 3,832 | 18.7% |
Islander | 1,999 | 530 | 26.51% |
15.72%
Overall Poverty Rate
13.94%
Male Poverty Rate
17.4%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Alabama is Other, with 29.69% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Alabama is White, with 11.06% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 3.18%. Among those working part-time, it was 18.99%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 23.44%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 28.83% |
High School | 15.65% |
Some College | 11.04% |
Bachelors or Greater | 4.56% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Female Unemployed | 39.29% |
Male Unemployed | 28.85% |
Female Employed | 8.48% |
Male Employed | 5.27% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
---|---|---|
Families | $77,363 | $100,358 |
Households | $59,609 | $82,992 |
Married Families | $94,555 | $118,475 |
Non Families | $32,834 | $48,041 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
47.3%
Overall Marriage Rate
49.6%
Male Marriage Rate
45.1%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
316,473
Number of Veterans
282,953
Male Veterans
33,520
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
---|---|
Vietnam | 107,325 |
First Gulf War | 85,333 |
Second Gulf War | 80,330 |
Korea | 14,878 |
World War II | 3,089 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
---|---|
65 to 74 | 81,518 |
35 to 54 | 77,970 |
75+ | 66,238 |
55 to 64 | 65,669 |
18 to 34 | 25,078 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 226,702 | 8.53% |
Black | 75,665 | 7.55% |
2+ Races | 8,796 | 7.77% |
Hispanic | 7,254 | 5.19% |
Other Race | 2,406 | 4.19% |
Asian | 1,591 | 2.89% |
Native American | 1,186 | 7.1% |
Islander | 127 | 8.25% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
7.44%
Veteran Poverty Rate
32.36%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
58%
Labor Force Participation
54.6%
Employment Rate
5.2%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
68.7%
Born in Alabama
96.48%
Native Born
3.52%
Foreign Born
2.05%
Non Citizen
1.47%
Naturalized
96.48% of Alabama residents were born in the United States, with 68.7% having been born in Alabama. 2.05% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.