Bessemer, AL

Census Place

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2023 Population
25,655
0.908% 1-year decline
US Senator
Tommy Tuberville
Republican Party
US Senator
Katie Britt
Republican Party
2023 Median Age
42.8
2.39% 1-year increase
2023 Poverty Rate
30.7%
4.07% 1-year decrease
2023 Median Household Income
$37,844
8.27% 1-year growth
2023 Median Property Value
$129,800
9.44% 1-year growth
2023 Employed Population
9,464
1.77% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Bessemer, AL had a population of 25.7k people with a median age of 42.8 and a median household income of $37,844. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Bessemer, AL declined from 25,890 to 25,655, a −0.908% decrease and its median household income grew from $34,953 to $37,844, a 8.27% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Bessemer, AL are Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (70.6%), White (Non-Hispanic) (18.5%), Other (Hispanic) (5.07%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (2.6%), and Two+ (Hispanic) (1.69%).

None of the households in Bessemer, 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.

96.9% of the residents in Bessemer, AL are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Bessemer, AL are Brown Beauty Barber School (39 degrees awarded in 2022).

In 2023, the median property value in Bessemer, AL was $129,800, and the homeownership rate was 55.1%.

Most people in Bessemer, AL drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Bessemer, AL was 2 cars per household.

Population & Diversity

Bessemer, AL is home to a population of 25.7k people, from which 96.9% are citizens. As of 2023, 3.52% of Bessemer, AL residents were born outside of the country (903 people).

In 2023, there were 3.81 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (18.1k people) in Bessemer, AL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 4.75k White (Non-Hispanic) and 1.3k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Citizenship

96.9%
2023 Citizenship
97.7%
2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 96.9% of Bessemer, AL residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Bessemer, AL was 97.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

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Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Bessemer, AL
  1. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    18.1k ± 1.03k
  2. White (Non-Hispanic)
    4.75k ± 977
  3. Other (Hispanic)
    1.3k ± 759
8.15%
Hispanic Population
2.09k people

In 2023, there were 3.81 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (18.1k people) in Bessemer, AL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 4.75k White (Non-Hispanic) and 1.3k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

8.15% of the people in Bessemer, AL are hispanic (2.09k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Bessemer, AL as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Alabama.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    45,935 ± 5,238 people
  2. Guatemala
    15,043 ± 3,007 people
  3. India
    10,012 ± 2,454 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Alabama was Mexico, the natal country of 45,935 Alabama residents, followed by Guatemala with 15,043 and India with 10,012.

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Foreign-Born Population

3.52%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
903 people
2.92%
2022 Foreign-Born Population
756 people

As of 2023, 3.52% of Bessemer, AL residents (903 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Bessemer, AL was 2.92%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

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Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    590 ± 170
  2. Gulf War (1990s)
    206 ± 118
  3. Gulf War (2001-)
    155 ± 85

Bessemer, AL has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.86 times greater than any other conflict.

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Economy

The economy of Bessemer, AL employs 9.46k people. The largest industries in Bessemer, AL are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,619 people), Manufacturing (1,352 people), and Retail Trade (1,266 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($77,007), Finance & Insurance ($65,188), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($61,484).

Males in Alabama have an average income that is 1.43 times higher than the average income of females, which is $50,264. The income inequality in Alabama (measured using the Gini index) is 0.458, which is lower than than the national average.

Occupations

9.46k
2023 Value
± 927
1.77%
1 Year growth
± 13.5%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Bessemer, AL grew at a rate of 1.77%, from 9.3k employees to 9.46k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Bessemer, AL, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,329 people), Material Moving Occupations (1,044 people), and Production Occupations (1,011 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Bessemer, AL.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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.

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Employment by Industries

9.46k
2023 Value
± 927
1.77%
1 Year growth
± 13.5%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Bessemer, AL grew at a rate of 1.77%, from 9.3k employees to 9.46k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Bessemer, AL, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,619 people), Manufacturing (1,352 people), and Retail Trade (1,266 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Bessemer, AL, though some of these residents may live in Bessemer, AL and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$35,084
Median earning men ± $4,419
$30,850
Median earning women ± $4,738

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($58,925), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($53,487), and Retail Trade ($46,146).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($62,284), Public Administration ($47,917), and Other Services Except Public Administration ($38,897).

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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.

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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.

US Senators from Alabama

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Alabama.
Tommy Tuberville
Senator from Alabama2
Assumed office on January 3, 2021
Katie Britt
Senator from Alabama3
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.

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US Representatives from Alabama

Alabama is currently represented by 7 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Alabama have changed over time starting in 2008.

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Education

In 2022, universities in Bessemer, AL awarded 39 degrees. The student population of Bessemer, AL in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 0 male students and 37 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Bessemer, AL are Black or African American (36 and 92.3%), followed by White (3 and 7.69%), Asian (0 and 0%), and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders (0 and 0%).

The largest universities in Bessemer, AL by number of degrees awarded are Brown Beauty Barber School (39 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Bessemer, AL are General Cosmetology (22 and 56.4%), Barbering (15 and 38.5%), and Cosmetology, Barber, & Nail Instructor (2 and 5.13%).

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

Measure

In 2015 in Bessemer, AL, the percentage of applicants admitted was 74.6%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 34.7%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 37 (0% men and 100% women).

The line chart  shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

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Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2022 there were 37 students enrolled in Bessemer, AL, 0% men and 100% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Black or African American with 33 records, of which 100% were women and 0% men.

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Concentrations

Most Common
  1. 22 degrees awarded
  2. 15 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate recipients in Bessemer, AL was General Cosmetology with 22 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate from schools in Bessemer, AL according to their major.

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Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
39 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Brown Beauty Barber School with 39 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

In 2022, 19 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Bessemer, AL, which is 0.95 times less than the 20 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Black or African American students. These 36 degrees mean that there were 12 times more degrees awarded to Black or African American students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 3 degrees awarded.

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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.

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Educational Pyramid

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

In 2022, 0.905% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.822% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

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Educational Attainment

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

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (1.23M), Some college (913k), and Secondary Education (625k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Bessemer, AL was $129,800 in 2023, which is 0.428 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $118,600 to $129,800, a 9.44% increase. The homeownership rate in Bessemer, AL is 55.1%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Bessemer, AL have an average commute time of 25.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Bessemer, AL is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Bessemer, AL is $37,844. In 2023, the place with the highest median household income in Bessemer, AL was Census Tract 141.05 with a value of $59,746, followed by Census Tract 143.01 and Census Tract 104.01, with respective values of $48,577 and $38,571.

Property

$129,800
Median Property Value 2023
±$16,532
$5,837
Median Property Taxes
±$728

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 Bessemer, AL the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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

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Rent vs Own

55.1%
Homeownership
2023
70.7%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2023

In 2023, 55.1% of the housing units in Bessemer, AL were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 54.3%.

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

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Income by Location

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Race/Ethnicity
Highest Median Household Income (Total)
  1. Census Tract 141.05
  2. Census Tract 143.01
  3. Census Tract 104.01

In 2023, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Bessemer, AL was Census Tract 141.05 with a value of $59,746, followed by Census Tract 143.01 and Census Tract 104.01, with respective values of $48,577 and $38,571.

The following map shows all of the places in Bessemer, AL colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

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Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$37,844
Median Household Income
± $3,626
10.6k
Number of Households
± 947

In 2023, the median household income of the 10.6k households in Bessemer, AL grew to $37,844 from the previous year's value of $34,953.

The following chart displays the households in Bessemer, 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 < $10k range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Bessemer, AL is from Alabama.
0.458
2022 Wage GINI in Alabama
0.458
2021 Wage GINI in Alabama

In 2022, the income inequality in Alabama was 0.458 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0777% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Alabama was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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.

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Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023
  1. Drove Alone (76.5%)
  2. Worked At Home (9.57%)
  3. Carpooled (9.47%)

In 2023, 76.5% of workers in Bessemer, AL drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (9.57%) and those who carpooled to work (9.47%).

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.

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Commute Time

25.6 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Bessemer, AL have a shorter commute time (25.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.96% of the workforce in Bessemer, AL have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

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

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Poverty & Diversity

30.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Bessemer, AL (7.74k out of 25.2k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 6 - 11, followed by Females 6 - 11 and then Females 35 - 44.

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

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.

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Health

86.1% of the population of Bessemer, AL has health coverage, with 26.6% on employee plans, 29.3% on Medicaid, 15.2% on Medicare, 13% on non-group plans, and 2.08% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Jefferson County, AL see 875 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.8% decrease from the previous year (891 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1107 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 443 patients per year.

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Jefferson County, AL.
875 to 1
Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Jefferson County, AL

Primary care physicians in Jefferson County, AL see an average of 875 patients per year. This represents a 1.8% decrease from the previous year (891 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Jefferson County, AL in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

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Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.9% under 18 years, 18.7% between 18 and 34 years, 37.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 20.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.5% were men and 53.5% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

13.9%
Uninsured
26.6%
Employer Coverage
29.3%
Medicaid
15.2%
Medicare
13%
Non-Group
2.08%
Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Bessemer, AL declined by 2.21% from 14.2% to 13.9%.

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

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