Etowah County, AL

County

Add Comparison

2024 Population

103,105

US Senator

Tommy Tuberville

Republican Party

US Senator

Katie Britt

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

41.7

0.239% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

16.9%

0.954% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$54,563

2.81% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$167,100

4.05% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

43,196

0.0879% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Etowah 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.

98.4% of the residents in Etowah County, AL are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Etowah County, AL are Gadsden State Community College (1,840 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Etowah County, AL was $167,100, and the homeownership rate was 73.9%.

Most people in Etowah County, AL drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Etowah County, AL was 2 cars per household.

Etowah County, AL borders Blount County, AL, Calhoun County, AL, Cherokee County, AL, DeKalb County, AL, Marshall County, AL, and St. Clair County, AL.

United States Alabama Gadsden, AL

Population & Diversity

Etowah County, AL is home to a population of 103k people, from which 98.4% are citizens. As of 2024, 2.43% of Etowah County, AL residents were born outside of the country (2.51k people).

In 2024, there were 5.18 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (78.5k people) in Etowah County, AL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 15.2k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 2.54k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.4%

2024 Citizenship

98.5%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.4% of Etowah County, AL residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Etowah County, AL was 98.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Etowah County, AL

White (Non-Hispanic)
78.5k ± 223
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
15.2k ± 443
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
2.54k ± 392

5.23%

Hispanic Population

5.39k people

5.23% of the people in Etowah County, AL are hispanic (5.39k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Etowah 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

2.43%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

2.51k people

2.62%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

2.7k people

As of 2024, 2.43% of Etowah County, AL residents (2.51k 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 Etowah County, AL was 2.62%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,525 ± 208
Gulf War (2001-)
1,198 ± 266
Gulf War (1990s)
893 ± 241

Etowah County, AL has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.27 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Etowah County, AL employs 43.2k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Etowah County, AL were Manufacturing (7,357 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (6,889 people), and Retail Trade (5,749 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($101,250), Public Administration ($52,355), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($50,707).

Employment

Occupations

43.2k

2024 Value

± 1,790

−0.0879%

1 Year decline

± 5.84%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Etowah County, AL declined at a rate of −0.0879%, from 43.2k employees to 43.2k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Etowah County, AL, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (4,827 people), Production Occupations (4,796 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (4,370 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Etowah 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

43.2k

2024 Value

± 1,790

−0.0879%

1 Year decline

± 5.84%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Etowah County, AL declined at a rate of −0.0879%, from 43.2k employees to 43.2k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Etowah County, AL, are Manufacturing (7,357 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (6,889 people), and Retail Trade (5,749 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Etowah County, AL, though some of these residents may live in Etowah County, AL and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$44,806

Median earning men ± $2,489

$33,169

Median earning women ± $1,457

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($62,784), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($61,179), and Public Administration ($60,696).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($48,547), Wholesale Trade ($43,750), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($43,466).

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

167
Retail Trade
139
Other Services (except Public Administration)
98
Health Care and Social Assistance

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

$335k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$176k
Manufacturing
$145k
Retail Trade

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 Etowah 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.

Education

In 2023, universities in Etowah County, AL awarded 1,840 degrees. The student population of Etowah County, AL in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 1,813 male students and 2,915 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Etowah County, AL are White (1,317 and 73.1%), Black or African American (294 and 16.3%), Hispanic or Latino (104 and 5.77%), and Two or More Races (56 and 3.11%).

The largest universities in Etowah County, AL by number of degrees awarded are Gadsden State Community College (1,840 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Etowah County, AL are Industrial Mechanics & Maintenance Technology (314 and 17.1%), General Studies (308 and 16.7%), and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT Paramedic) (192 and 10.4%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 4,728 students enrolled in Etowah County, AL, 38.3% men and 61.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 3,264 records, of which 60.2% were women and 39.8% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Studies
308 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
78 degrees awarded
Industrial Mechanics & Maintenance Technology
56 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Etowah County, AL was General Studies with 308 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Gadsden State Community College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

1,840 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Gadsden State Community College with 1,840 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 989 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Etowah County, AL, which is 1.16 times more than the 851 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 1,317 degrees mean that there were 4.48 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 294 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, 2-year ($3,048) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($984) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,600) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

Housing & Living

The median property value in Etowah County, AL was $167,100 in 2024, which is 0.502 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $160,600 to $167,100, a 4.05% increase. The homeownership rate in Etowah County, AL is 73.9%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Etowah County, AL have an average commute time of 25.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Etowah County, AL is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 11.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Etowah County, AL. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.04%.

Housing

Property

$167,100

Median Property Value 2024

±$4,938

$29,128

Median Property Taxes

±$1,274

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

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

Rent vs Own

73.9%

Homeownership

2024

64.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 73.9% of the housing units in Etowah County, AL were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 73.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Etowah 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.

$54,563

Median Household Income

± $2,653

39.4k

Number of Households

± 1,485

In 2024, the median household income of the 39.4k households in Etowah County, AL grew to $54,563 from the previous year's value of $53,070.

The following chart displays the households in Etowah 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 Etowah 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 (86.5%)
Carpooled (7.17%)
Worked At Home (3.99%)

In 2024, 86.5% of workers in Etowah County, AL drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (7.17%) and those who worked at home (3.99%).

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

25.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Etowah County, AL have a shorter commute time (25.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.65% of the workforce in Etowah County, AL have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 11.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Etowah County, AL. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.04%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

16.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Etowah County, AL (17.2k out of 102k 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 55 - 64 and then Females 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Etowah County, 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.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 25.5% of the children was living in poverty in Etowah County, AL. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.5%.

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 604 in Etowah County, AL. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 169 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

88.6% of the population of Etowah County, AL has health coverage, with 39.2% on employee plans, 18.5% on Medicaid, 15% on Medicare, 15.1% on non-group plans, and 0.909% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Etowah County, AL see 1,357 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,357 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1982 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 649 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.5% were men and 51.5% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,357 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Etowah County, AL

Primary care physicians in Etowah County, AL see an average of 1,357 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,357 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.1% under 18 years, 19.1% between 18 and 34 years, 38.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 19.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.5% were men and 51.5% were women.

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

Uninsured People

11.4%

Uninsured

39.2%

Employer Coverage

18.5%

Medicaid

15%

Medicare

15.1%

Non-Group

0.909%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Etowah County, AL declined by 7% from 12.2% to 11.4%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Etowah 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 76.4 in Etowah County, AL.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Etowah 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 41.3% in Etowah County, AL.

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