Decatur, AL

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2024 Population
157,747
US Senator
Tommy Tuberville
Republican Party
US Senator
Katie Britt
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
40.5
0.735% 1-year decrease
2024 Poverty Rate
13.4%
1.16% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$68,116
6.45% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$202,500
9.46% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
69,976
0.781% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Decatur, 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.

96.6% of the residents in Decatur, AL are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Decatur, AL was $202,500, and the homeownership rate was 74.6%.

Most people in Decatur, AL drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 26 minutes. The average car ownership in Decatur, AL was 2 cars per household.

About the photo: Ingalls Harbor, Entrance to the 2014 Riverfest
Photo by Shannon McGee
United StatesAlabama

Population & Diversity

Decatur, AL is home to a population of 158k people, from which 96.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 4.64% of Decatur, AL residents were born outside of the country (7.31k people).

In 2024, there were 6.15 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (115k people) in Decatur, AL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 18.7k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 5.93k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.6%
2024 Citizenship
96.7%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.6% of Decatur, AL residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Decatur, AL was 96.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Decatur, AL
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    115k ± 410
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    18.7k ± 511
  3. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    5.93k ± 550
9%
Hispanic Population
14.2k people

In 2024, there were 6.15 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (115k people) in Decatur, AL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 18.7k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 5.93k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

9% of the people in Decatur, AL are hispanic (14.2k people).

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

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for Alabama.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    52,201 ± 5,580 people
  2. Guatemala
    19,759 ± 3,444 people
  3. Korea
    10,633 ± 2,529 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Alabama was Mexico, the natal country of 52,201 Alabama residents, followed by Guatemala with 19,759 and Korea with 10,633.

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Foreign-Born Population

4.64%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
7.31k people
4.63%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
7.26k people

As of 2024, 4.64% of Decatur, AL residents (7.31k 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 Decatur, AL was 4.63%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Gulf War (2001-)
    3,321 ± 503
  2. Vietnam
    2,769 ± 356
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    1,080 ± 284

Decatur, AL has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.2 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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Economy

The economy of Decatur, AL employs 70k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Decatur, AL were Manufacturing (14,634 people), Retail Trade (8,682 people), and Construction (6,900 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($81,896), Utilities ($74,641), and Public Administration ($70,085).

Employment

Occupations

70k
2024 Value
± 2,149
0.781%
1 Year growth
± 4.38%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Decatur, AL grew at a rate of 0.781%, from 69.4k employees to 70k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Decatur, AL, are Production Occupations (8,967 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (6,809 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (6,500 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Decatur, AL.

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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

70k
2024 Value
± 2,149
0.781%
1 Year growth
± 4.38%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Decatur, AL grew at a rate of 0.781%, from 69.4k employees to 70k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Decatur, AL, are Manufacturing (14,634 people), Retail Trade (8,682 people), and Construction (6,900 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Decatur, AL, though some of these residents may live in Decatur, 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

$51,446
Median earning men ± $2,149
$36,153
Median earning women ± $1,073

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($93,000), Public Administration ($81,875), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($72,891).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($51,932), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($46,563), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($46,042).

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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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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments
  1. 276
    Retail Trade
  2. 205
    Other Services (except Public Administration)
  3. 177
    Construction

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

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Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll
  1. $988k
    Manufacturing
  2. $357k
    Construction
  3. $296k
    Health Care and Social Assistance

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

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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.

Presidential Elections

Voting results are not available for Decatur, AL. Showing the available data for Alabama.
2024 Election Results
  1. Donald J. Trump (64.6%)
    Republican Party
  2. Kamala Harris (34.1%)
    Democratic Party
  3. 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.

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Senator Elections

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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Housing & Living

The median property value in Decatur, AL was $202,500 in 2024, which is 0.609 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $185,000 to $202,500, a 9.46% increase. The homeownership rate in Decatur, AL is 74.6%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Decatur, AL have an average commute time of 26 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Decatur, AL is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$202,500
Median Property Value 2024
±$6,321
$46,773
Median Property Taxes
±$1,649

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

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

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Rent vs Own

74.6%
Homeownership
2024
65.5%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 74.6% of the housing units in Decatur, AL were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 74.4%.

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

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$68,116
Median Household Income
± $2,498
62.7k
Number of Households
± 2,089

In 2024, the median household income of the 62.7k households in Decatur, AL grew to $68,116 from the previous year's value of $63,987.

The following chart displays the households in Decatur, 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.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Decatur, AL is from Alabama.
0.456
2023 Wage GINI in Alabama
0.458
2022 Wage GINI in Alabama

In 2023, the income inequality in Alabama was 0.456 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.523% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Alabama was lower than than the national average of 0.476. 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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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (83.1%)
  2. Carpooled (8.19%)
  3. Worked At Home (6.52%)

In 2024, 83.1% of workers in Decatur, AL drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (8.19%) and those who worked at home (6.52%).

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

26 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Decatur, AL have a shorter commute time (26 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.6% of the workforce in Decatur, AL have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Decatur, 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 Decatur, AL distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Decatur, AL have 2 cars.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

13.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Decatur, AL (20.8k out of 155k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 45 - 54 and then Females 55 - 64.

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

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Health

89.7% of the population of Decatur, AL has health coverage, with 45.4% on employee plans, 15.1% on Medicaid, 14% on Medicare, 13.8% on non-group plans, and 1.42% 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, 49.4% were men and 50.6% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Alabama.
1,571 to 1
Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Alabama

Primary care physicians in Alabama see an average of 1,571 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,571 patients).

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

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Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.4% under 18 years, 19% between 18 and 34 years, 38.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 18% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.4% were men and 50.6% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

10.3%
Uninsured
45.4%
Employer Coverage
15.1%
Medicaid
14%
Medicare
13.8%
Non-Group
1.42%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Decatur, AL declined by 4.48% from 10.8% to 10.3%.

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

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