Bessemer, AL

Census Place

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2020 Population

26,063

2.31% 1-year decline

US Senator

Richard Shelby

Republican Party

US Senator

Tommy Tuberville

Republican Party

2020 Median Age

42.4

7.34% 1-year increase

2020 Poverty Rate

25.9%

0.438% 1-year increase

2020 Median Household Income

$30,284

6.24% 1-year decline

2020 Median Property Value

$100,100

15.7% 1-year growth

About

In 2020, Bessemer, AL had a population of 26.1k people with a median age of 42.4 and a median household income of $30,284. Between 2019 and 2020 the population of Bessemer, AL declined from 26,680 to 26,063, a −2.31% decrease and its median household income declined from $32,301 to $30,284, a −6.24% decrease.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Bessemer, AL are Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (72.7%), White (Non-Hispanic) (21%), Other (Hispanic) (2.29%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (1.39%), and White (Hispanic) (1.16%).

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.

97.5% of the residents in Bessemer, AL are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Bessemer, AL are Brown Beauty Barber School (17 degrees awarded in 2020).

In 2020, the median property value in Bessemer, AL was $100,100, and the homeownership rate was 52.9%.

Most people in Bessemer, AL drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Bessemer, AL was 2 cars per household.

Population & Diversity

Bessemer, AL is home to a population of 26.1k people, from which 97.5% are citizens. As of 2020, 2.83% of Bessemer, AL residents were born outside of the country (737 people).

In 2020, there were 3.46 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (18.9k people) in Bessemer, AL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 5.47k White (Non-Hispanic) and 597 Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Citizenship

97.5%

2020 Citizenship

97.1%

2019 Citizenship

As of 2020, 97.5% of Bessemer, AL residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2019, the percentage of US citizens in Bessemer, AL was 97.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Bessemer, AL

Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
18.9k ± 1.02k
White (Non-Hispanic)
5.47k ± 908
Other (Hispanic)
597 ± 350

4.31%

Hispanic Population

1.12k people

4.31% of the people in Bessemer, AL are hispanic (1.12k people).

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

Foreign-Born Population

2.83%

2020 Foreign-Born Population

737 people

3.14%

2019 Foreign-Born Population

839 people

As of 2020, 2.83% of Bessemer, AL residents (737 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.5%. In 2019, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Bessemer, AL was 3.14%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
733 ± 129
Gulf War (1990s)
273 ± 129
Korea
185 ± 114

Bessemer, AL has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.68 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Bessemer, AL employs 9.78k people. The largest industries in Bessemer, AL are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,725 people), Retail Trade (1,534 people), and Manufacturing (1,163 people), and the highest paying industries are Information ($85,488), Utilities ($62,381), and Finance & Insurance ($55,186).

Employment

Occupations

9.78k

2020 Value

± 935

−2.66%

1 Year decline

± 12.7%

From 2019 to 2020, employment in Bessemer, AL declined at a rate of −2.66%, from 10k employees to 9.78k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Bessemer, AL, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,256 people), Sales & Related Occupations (1,132 people), and Production Occupations (1,063 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Bessemer, 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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

9.78k

2020 Value

± 935

−2.66%

1 Year decline

± 12.7%

From 2019 to 2020, employment in Bessemer, AL declined at a rate of −2.66%, from 10k employees to 9.78k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Bessemer, AL, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,725 people), Retail Trade (1,534 people), and Manufacturing (1,163 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.

Median Earnings by Industry

$29,792

Median earning men ± $6,462

$27,290

Median earning women ± $4,325

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2020 are Wholesale Trade ($77,538), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($49,063), and Public Administration ($47,176).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2020 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($55,058), Wholesale Trade ($40,652), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($37,813).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

8.45%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between May 2020 and May 2021

As of May 2021, there are 145M people employed in Alabama. This represents a 8.45% increase in employment when compared to May 2020.

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

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Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Alabama to other states, or from other states to Alabama.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

In 2020, the top outbound Alabama product (by dollars) was Motorized vehicles with $52.4B, followed by Pharmaceuticals ($22.9B) and Base metals ($20.4B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Alabama products.

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Alabama.

$282B

2020 Value in Alabama

$539B

Projected 2050 Value in Alabama

91.3% growth

In 2020, total outbound Alabama trade was $282B. This is expected to increase 91.3% to $539B by 2050.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Alabama trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Alabama to other states, or from other states to Alabama.

Most Common Trade Partners

Georgia
$31.7B
Florida
$21.3B
Tennessee
$14.3B

In 2020, the top outbound Alabama domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Georgia with $31.7B, followed by Florida with $21.3B and Tennessee and $14.3B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Alabama shares with each state (excluding itself).

Civics

Richard Shelby and Tommy Tuberville 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.

Senators Elections

US Senators from Alabama

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

Richard Shelby

Senator from Alabama

Assumed office on January 3, 1987
Until 1994, Richard Shelby won election to the Senate as a member of the Democratic Party.

Tommy Tuberville

Senator from Alabama

Assumed office on January 3, 2021

Richard Shelby and Tommy Tuberville 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.

US Representatives Elections

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.

Education

In 2020, universities in Bessemer, AL awarded 17 degrees. The student population of Bessemer, AL in 2020 is skewed towards women, with 3 male students and 41 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Bessemer, AL are Black or African American (13 and 76.5%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (2 and 11.8%), Two or More Races (2 and 11.8%), and Asian (0 and 0%).

The largest universities in Bessemer, AL by number of degrees awarded are Brown Beauty Barber School (17 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Bessemer, AL are General Cosmetology (16 and 94.1%), Barbering (1 and 5.88%), and Hair Styling & Design (0 and 0%).

Completions

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.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2020, 0.875% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.825% of women were in the same situation.

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

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 2020 were High School or Equivalent (1.18M), Some college (900k), and Secondary Education (638k).

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.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Bessemer, AL was $100,100 in 2020, which is 0.436 times smaller than the national average of $229,800. Between 2019 and 2020 the median property value increased from $86,500 to $100,100, a 15.7% increase. The homeownership rate in Bessemer, AL is 52.9%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.4%.

People in Bessemer, AL have an average commute time of 23.7 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 $30,284. In 2020, the place with the highest median household income in Bessemer, AL was Census Tract 141.05 with a value of $66,548, followed by Census Tract 104.02 and Census Tract 104.01, with respective values of $40,735 and $37,390.

Property

$100,100

Median Property Value 2020

±$15,507

$5,863

Median Property Taxes

±$731

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.

Rent vs Own

52.9%

Homeownership

2020

69.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2020

In 2020, 52.9% of the housing units in Bessemer, AL were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 51.7%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 141.05
Census Tract 104.02
Census Tract 104.01

In 2020, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Bessemer, AL was Census Tract 141.05 with a value of $66,548, followed by Census Tract 104.02 and Census Tract 104.01, with respective values of $40,735 and $37,390.

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

Household Income

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

$30,284

Median Household Income

± $3,298

11.1k

Number of Households

± 981

In 2020, the median household income of the 11.1k households in Bessemer, AL declined from $30,284 from the previous year's value of $32,301.

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.

Wage Distribution

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

0.458

2020 Wage GINI in Alabama

0.459

2019 Wage GINI in Alabama

In 2020, the income inequality in Alabama was 0.458 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.32% decline from 2019 to 2020, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more 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.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2020

Drove Alone (76.8%)
Carpooled (12.2%)
Worked At Home (6.82%)

In 2020, 76.8% of workers in Bessemer, AL drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (12.2%) and those who worked at home (6.82%).

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

23.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Bessemer, AL have a shorter commute time (23.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.9 minutes). Additionally, 1.07% 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.

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.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

25.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Bessemer, AL (6.61k out of 25.5k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.8%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Females 6 - 11 and then Females 25 - 34.

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

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.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

86.3% of the population of Bessemer, AL has health coverage, with 29.2% on employee plans, 29.1% on Medicaid, 14.5% on Medicare, 11.3% on non-group plans, and 2.28% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in Alabama was $7,281 in 2014. This is a 4.07% increase from the previous year ($6,996).

Primary care physicians in Jefferson County, AL see 920 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.08% decrease from the previous year (930 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1085 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 524 patients per year.

COVID-19

Daily New Cases by Date

Showing data at the state level for Alabama. Hospitalization data for some states may be delayed or not reported.

Y-Axis

This chart shows the number of COVID-19 daily new cases by date in Alabama, as a 7-day rolling average, compared with the four states with the most similar number of confirmed cases.

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Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Jefferson County, AL.

920 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Jefferson County, AL

Primary care physicians in Jefferson County, AL see an average of 920 patients per year. This represents a 1.08% decrease from the previous year (930 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.

Community Mobility

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

This chart presents movement trends over time in the state of Alabama across different categories of places such as retail and recreation, groceries and pharmacies, parks, transit stations, workplaces, and residential.

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Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2020, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.4% under 18 years, 19.2% between 18 and 34 years, 39% between 35 and 64 years, and 19.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 44.9% were men and 55.1% were women.

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

Uninsured People

13.7%

Uninsured

29.2%

Employer Coverage

29.1%

Medicaid

14.5%

Medicare

11.3%

Non-Group

2.28%

Military or VA

Between 2019 and 2020, the percent of uninsured citizens in Bessemer, AL declined by 12.7% from 15.7% to 13.7%.

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.