DeKalb County, AL

County

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2024 Population

72,269

US Senator

Tommy Tuberville

Republican Party

US Senator

Katie Britt

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

39.5

0.253% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

22.4%

9.81% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$51,204

0.108% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$152,700

12.7% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

30,318

1.03% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in DeKalb County, 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.

93.7% of the residents in DeKalb County, AL are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in DeKalb County, AL was $152,700, and the homeownership rate was 78.3%.

Most people in DeKalb County, AL drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 24.8 minutes. The average car ownership in DeKalb County, AL was 2 cars per household.

DeKalb County, AL borders Cherokee County, AL, Etowah County, AL, Jackson County, AL, Marshall County, AL, Chattooga County, GA, Dade County, GA, and Walker County, GA.

United States Alabama Fort Payne, AL

Population & Diversity

DeKalb County, AL is home to a population of 72.3k people, from which 93.7% are citizens. As of 2024, 7.83% of DeKalb County, AL residents were born outside of the country (5.66k people).

In 2024, there were 8.26 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (55.6k people) in DeKalb County, AL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 6.73k Other (Hispanic) and 2.2k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

93.7%

2024 Citizenship

94.2%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 93.7% of DeKalb County, AL residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in DeKalb County, AL was 94.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in DeKalb County, AL

White (Non-Hispanic)
55.6k ± 236
Other (Hispanic)
6.73k ± 1.34k
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
2.2k ± 179

17.1%

Hispanic Population

12.4k people

17.1% of the people in DeKalb County, AL are hispanic (12.4k people).

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

Global Diversity

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

Most Common Origin

Mexico
52,201 ± 5,580 people
Guatemala
19,759 ± 3,444 people
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.

Foreign-Born Population

7.83%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

5.66k people

7.38%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

5.31k people

As of 2024, 7.83% of DeKalb County, AL residents (5.66k 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 DeKalb County, AL was 7.38%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,030 ± 238
Gulf War (2001-)
791 ± 191
Gulf War (1990s)
323 ± 103

DeKalb County, AL has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.3 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of DeKalb County, AL employs 30.3k people. In 2024, the largest industries in DeKalb County, AL were Manufacturing (7,092 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (3,231 people), and Retail Trade (3,053 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($54,837), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($47,946), and Information ($46,005).

Employment

Occupations

30.3k

2024 Value

± 1,403

−1.03%

1 Year decline

± 6.57%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in DeKalb County, AL declined at a rate of −1.03%, from 30.6k employees to 30.3k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in DeKalb County, AL, are Production Occupations (4,500 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,750 people), and Management Occupations (2,642 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of DeKalb County, 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

30.3k

2024 Value

± 1,403

−1.03%

1 Year decline

± 6.57%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in DeKalb County, AL declined at a rate of −1.03%, from 30.6k employees to 30.3k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in DeKalb County, AL, are Manufacturing (7,092 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (3,231 people), and Retail Trade (3,053 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of DeKalb County, AL, though some of these residents may live in DeKalb County, AL and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$42,125

Median earning men ± $1,384

$27,484

Median earning women ± $1,709

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($56,515), Wholesale Trade ($55,313), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($53,147).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($40,162), Public Administration ($37,078), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($34,881).

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.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

124
Retail Trade
94
Other Services (except Public Administration)
65
Retail Trade

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.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$391k
Manufacturing
$118k
Transportation and Warehousing
$108k
Health Care and Social Assistance

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

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 DeKalb County, 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.

Housing & Living

The median property value in DeKalb County, AL was $152,700 in 2024, which is 0.459 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $135,500 to $152,700, a 12.7% increase. The homeownership rate in DeKalb County, AL is 78.3%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in DeKalb County, AL have an average commute time of 24.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in DeKalb County, AL is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 12.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in DeKalb County, AL. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.91%.

Housing

Property

$152,700

Median Property Value 2024

±$5,889

$20,490

Median Property Taxes

±$953

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

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

Rent vs Own

78.3%

Homeownership

2024

69.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 78.3% of the housing units in DeKalb County, AL were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 76.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in DeKalb County, 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.

$51,204

Median Household Income

± $2,508

26.2k

Number of Households

± 1,187

In 2024, the median household income of the 26.2k households in DeKalb County, AL grew to $51,204 from the previous year's value of $51,149.

The following chart displays the households in DeKalb County, 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 DeKalb County, 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.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (83.2%)
Carpooled (11.1%)
Worked At Home (4.37%)

In 2024, 83.2% of workers in DeKalb County, AL drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11.1%) and those who worked at home (4.37%).

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

24.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in DeKalb County, AL have a shorter commute time (24.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 4.26% of the workforce in DeKalb County, AL have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 12.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in DeKalb County, AL. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.91%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

22.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in DeKalb County, AL (15.9k out of 71.1k 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 35 - 44, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Females 25 - 34.

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

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.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 28.8% of the children was living in poverty in DeKalb County, AL. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.6%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children 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.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 312 in DeKalb County, AL. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 143 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

84.5% of the population of DeKalb County, AL has health coverage, with 34.9% on employee plans, 22.7% on Medicaid, 13.8% on Medicare, 12.2% on non-group plans, and 0.871% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in DeKalb County, AL see 2,476 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,476 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 3428 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 1814 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50% were men and 50% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,476 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in DeKalb County, AL

Primary care physicians in DeKalb County, AL see an average of 2,476 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,476 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.5% under 18 years, 19.5% between 18 and 34 years, 37.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50% were men and 50% were women.

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

Uninsured People

15.5%

Uninsured

34.9%

Employer Coverage

22.7%

Medicaid

13.8%

Medicare

12.2%

Non-Group

0.871%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in DeKalb County, AL grew by 3.18% from 15% to 15.5%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 61.1 in DeKalb County, AL.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in DeKalb County, AL.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 38.9% in DeKalb County, AL.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in DeKalb County, AL.