Athens, AL

Census Place

Add Comparison

2024 Population

29,002

US Senator

Tommy Tuberville

Republican Party

US Senator

Katie Britt

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

40.9

1.68% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

12.2%

9.87% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$69,922

7.57% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$270,000

6.42% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

13,799

8.43% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Athens, AL reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

96.2% of the residents in Athens, AL are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Athens, AL are Athens State University (898 degrees awarded in 2024).

In 2024, the median property value in Athens, AL was $270,000, and the homeownership rate was 64%.

Most people in Athens, AL drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 24.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Athens, AL was 2 cars per household.

United States Alabama Limestone County, AL Huntsville, AL Limestone County PUMA, AL

Population & Diversity

Athens, AL is home to a population of 29k people, from which 96.2% are citizens. As of 2024, 5.75% of Athens, AL residents were born outside of the country (1.67k people).

In 2024, there were 4.12 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (20k people) in Athens, AL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 4.87k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 983 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.2%

2024 Citizenship

97%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.2% of Athens, AL residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Athens, AL was 97%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Athens, AL compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Athens, AL

White (Non-Hispanic)
20k ± 852
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
4.87k ± 724
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
983 ± 338

8.6%

Hispanic Population

2.5k people

8.6% of the people in Athens, AL are hispanic (2.5k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Athens, AL as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Alabama.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
53,867 ± 5,668 people
Guatemala
18,373 ± 3,322 people
Korea
11,536 ± 2,634 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Alabama was Mexico, the natal country of 53,867 Alabama residents, followed by Guatemala with 18,373 and Korea with 11,536.

Foreign-Born Population

5.75%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1.67k people

5.25%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.44k people

As of 2024, 5.75% of Athens, AL residents (1.67k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Athens, AL was 5.25%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Athens, AL compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
658 ± 190
Vietnam
406 ± 134
Gulf War (1990s)
267 ± 171

Athens, AL has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.62 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Athens, AL.

Health

89.6% of the population of Athens, AL has health coverage, with 52.4% on employee plans, 12.5% on Medicaid, 12.7% on Medicare, 11.1% on non-group plans, and 0.814% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Alabama see 1,571 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,571 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2016 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 684 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.3% were men and 52.7% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.5% under 18 years, 22.4% between 18 and 34 years, 39.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.3% were men and 52.7% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

10.4%

Uninsured

52.4%

Employer Coverage

12.5%

Medicaid

12.7%

Medicare

11.1%

Non-Group

0.814%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Athens, AL declined by 0.329% from 10.5% to 10.4%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Athens, AL changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Economy

The economy of Athens, AL employs 13.8k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Athens, AL were Manufacturing (2,675 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,562 people), and Retail Trade (1,356 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($120,530), Wholesale Trade ($109,881), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($89,044).

Employment

Occupations

13.8k

2024 Value

± 1,077

8.43%

1 Year growth

± 10.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Athens, AL grew at a rate of 8.43%, from 12.7k employees to 13.8k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Athens, AL, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,515 people), Sales & Related Occupations (1,462 people), and Production Occupations (1,386 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Athens, AL.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Alabama.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Alabama (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

13.8k

2024 Value

± 1,077

8.43%

1 Year growth

± 10.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Athens, AL grew at a rate of 8.43%, from 12.7k employees to 13.8k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Athens, AL, are Manufacturing (2,675 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,562 people), and Retail Trade (1,356 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Athens, AL, though some of these residents may live in Athens, AL and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$50,486

Median earning men ± $5,249

$41,070

Median earning women ± $2,703

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($124,840), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($120,305), and Wholesale Trade ($109,643).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($157,700), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($70,938), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($61,229).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Alabama.

Y-Axis

2.1%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.13M people employed in Alabama. This represents a 2.1% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 11.2%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Alabama.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Alabama went to Donald J. Trump with 64.6% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (34.1%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.533%).

Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt are the senators currently representing the state of Alabama. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Alabama is currently represented by 7 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Athens, AL. Showing the available data for Alabama.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (64.6%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (34.1%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (0.533%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Alabama went to Donald J. Trump with 64.6% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (34.1%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.533%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Alabama for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Alabama

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Alabama.

Tommy Tuberville

Senator from Alabama

Assumed office on January 3, 2021

Katie Britt

Senator from Alabama

Assumed office on January 3, 2023

Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt are the senators currently representing Alabama.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Alabama over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2024, universities in Athens, AL awarded 898 degrees. The student population of Athens, AL in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 865 male students and 2,121 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Athens, AL are White (668 and 74.6%), Black or African American (116 and 13%), Hispanic or Latino (46 and 5.14%), and Two or More Races (27 and 3.02%).

The largest universities in Athens, AL by number of degrees awarded are Athens State University (898 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Athens, AL are Elementary Education & Teaching (113 and 12.6%), General Business Administration & Management (85 and 9.47%), and Liberal Arts & Sciences (77 and 8.57%).

The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $7,680 for in-state students and $15,360 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2024 there were 2,986 students enrolled in Athens, AL, 29% men and 71% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 2,142 records, of which 70.1% were women and 29.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Elementary Education & Teaching
113 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
84 degrees awarded
Liberal Arts & Sciences
77 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Athens, AL was Elementary Education & Teaching with 113 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Athens, AL according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Athens State University

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

898 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Athens State University with 898 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2024, 252 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Athens, AL, which is 0.39 times less than the 646 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 668 degrees mean that there were 5.76 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 116 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 4-year or above ($7,680) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,340) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Athens, AL was $270,000 in 2024, which is 0.812 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $253,700 to $270,000, a 6.42% increase. The homeownership rate in Athens, AL is 64%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Athens, AL have an average commute time of 24.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Athens, AL is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$270,000

Median Property Value 2024

±$18,606

$7,202

Median Property Taxes

±$693

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Athens, AL the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Athens, AL compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

64%

Homeownership

2024

65.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 64% of the housing units in Athens, AL were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 63.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Athens, AL compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$69,922

Median Household Income

± $8,296

11.3k

Number of Households

± 871

In 2024, the median household income of the 11.3k households in Athens, AL grew to $69,922 from the previous year's value of $65,000.

The following chart displays the households in Athens, AL distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Athens, AL is from Alabama.

0.454

2024 Wage GINI in Alabama

0.456

2023 Wage GINI in Alabama

In 2024, the income inequality in Alabama was 0.454 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.411% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Alabama was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Alabama in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Alabama across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (82.3%)
Worked At Home (8.18%)
Carpooled (7.18%)

In 2024, 82.3% of workers in Athens, AL drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (8.18%) and those who carpooled to work (7.18%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

24.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Athens, AL have a shorter commute time (24.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.87% of the workforce in Athens, AL have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Athens, AL compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Athens, AL distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Athens, AL have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

12.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Athens, AL (3.46k out of 28.4k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 6 - 11, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Athens, AL is White, followed by Hispanic and Black.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.