Fort Payne, AL

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

Add Comparison

2023 Population

71,946

0.371% 1-year growth

US Senator

Tommy Tuberville

Republican Party

US Senator

Katie Britt

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

39.6

0% 1-year change

2023 Poverty Rate

20.4%

0.682% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$51,149

6.74% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$135,500

5.04% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

30,635

0.623% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Fort Payne, AL had a population of 71.9k people with a median age of 39.6 and a median household income of $51,149. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Fort Payne, AL grew from 71,680 to 71,946, a 0.371% increase and its median household income grew from $47,920 to $51,149, a 6.74% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Fort Payne, AL are White (Non-Hispanic) (77.6%), Other (Hispanic) (8.91%), White (Hispanic) (3.63%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (3.25%), and Two+ (Hispanic) (2.47%).

None of the households in Fort Payne, 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.

94.2% of the residents in Fort Payne, AL are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Fort Payne, AL was $135,500, and the homeownership rate was 76.8%.

Most people in Fort Payne, AL drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 24.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Fort Payne, AL was 2 cars per household.

Fort Payne, AL borders Albertville, AL, Chattanooga, TN-GA, Gadsden, AL, Scottsboro, AL, and Summerville, GA.

United States Alabama

Population & Diversity

Fort Payne, AL is home to a population of 71.9k people, from which 94.2% are citizens. As of 2023, 7.38% of Fort Payne, AL residents were born outside of the country (5.31k people).

In 2023, there were 8.71 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (55.9k people) in Fort Payne, AL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 6.41k Other (Hispanic) and 2.62k White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

94.2%

2023 Citizenship

94%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 94.2% of Fort Payne, AL residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Fort Payne, AL was 94%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Fort Payne, AL

White (Non-Hispanic)
55.9k ± 205
Other (Hispanic)
6.41k ± 1.01k
White (Hispanic)
2.62k ± 821

16.7%

Hispanic Population

12k people

16.7% of the people in Fort Payne, AL are hispanic (12k people).

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

Global Diversity

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

Most Common Origin

Mexico
45,935 ± 5,238 people
Guatemala
15,043 ± 3,007 people
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.

Foreign-Born Population

7.38%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

5.31k people

7.36%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

5.28k people

As of 2023, 7.38% of Fort Payne, AL residents (5.31k 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 Fort Payne, AL was 7.36%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,129 ± 261
Gulf War (2001-)
707 ± 177
Gulf War (1990s)
431 ± 119

Fort Payne, AL has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.6 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Fort Payne, AL employs 30.6k people. The largest industries in Fort Payne, AL are Manufacturing (7,400 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (3,718 people), and Retail Trade (2,839 people), and the highest paying industries are Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($52,083), Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($50,536), and Educational Services ($47,215).

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.

Employment

Occupations

30.6k

2023 Value

± 1,398

−0.623%

1 Year decline

± 6.52%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Fort Payne, AL declined at a rate of −0.623%, from 30.8k employees to 30.6k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Fort Payne, AL, are Production Occupations (5,050 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,670 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (2,391 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Fort Payne, AL.

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.

View Full Dashboard

Industries

Employment by Industries

30.6k

2023 Value

± 1,398

−0.623%

1 Year decline

± 6.52%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Fort Payne, AL declined at a rate of −0.623%, from 30.8k employees to 30.6k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Fort Payne, AL, are Manufacturing (7,400 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (3,718 people), and Retail Trade (2,839 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Fort Payne, AL, though some of these residents may live in Fort Payne, AL and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$40,939

Median earning men ± $1,175

$26,761

Median earning women ± $1,214

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Information ($56,816), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($50,398), and Public Administration ($50,000).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Wholesale Trade ($44,079), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($37,668), and Public Administration ($35,915).

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.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or 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 Fort Payne, 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.

US Representative 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

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 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.

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.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Fort Payne, AL was $135,500 in 2023, which is 0.447 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $129,000 to $135,500, a 5.04% increase. The homeownership rate in Fort Payne, AL is 76.8%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Fort Payne, AL have an average commute time of 24.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Fort Payne, AL is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Fort Payne, AL is $51,149. In 2023, the county with the highest Median Household Income in Fort Payne, AL was Shelby County, AL with a value of $93,543, followed by Limestone County, AL and Madison County, AL, with respective values of $83,534 and $83,528.

Housing

Property

$135,500

Median Property Value 2023

±$14,323

$19,916

Median Property Taxes

±$1,000

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

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

Rent vs Own

76.8%

Homeownership

2023

68.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 76.8% of the housing units in Fort Payne, AL were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 73.9%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Fort Payne, 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)

In 2023, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Fort Payne, AL was Shelby County, AL with a value of $93,543, followed by Limestone County, AL and Madison County, AL, with respective values of $83,534 and $83,528.

The following map shows all of the counties in Fort Payne, 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.

$51,149

Median Household Income

± $2,343

25.9k

Number of Households

± 1,156

In 2023, the median household income of the 25.9k households in Fort Payne, AL grew to $51,149 from the previous year's value of $47,920.

The following chart displays the households in Fort Payne, 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 Fort Payne, 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.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (81.6%)
Carpooled (12.9%)
Worked At Home (3.77%)

In 2023, 81.6% of workers in Fort Payne, AL drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (12.9%) and those who worked at home (3.77%).

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

24.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Fort Payne, AL have a shorter commute time (24.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 3.47% of the workforce in Fort Payne, AL have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

20.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Fort Payne, AL (14.4k out of 70.8k 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 Females 35 - 44, followed by Males 45 - 54 and then Females 45 - 54.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Fort Payne, 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.

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

85% of the population of Fort Payne, AL has health coverage, with 36.8% on employee plans, 22.5% on Medicaid, 13.4% on Medicare, 11.5% on non-group plans, and 0.784% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Alabama see 1520 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.0658% increase from the previous year (1519 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2054 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 797 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

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

1,520 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Alabama

Primary care physicians in Alabama see an average of 1,520 patients per year. This represents a 0.0658% increase from the previous year (1,519 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.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.9% under 18 years, 19% between 18 and 34 years, 38.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.2% were men and 50.8% were women.

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

Uninsured People

15%

Uninsured

36.8%

Employer Coverage

22.5%

Medicaid

13.4%

Medicare

11.5%

Non-Group

0.784%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Fort Payne, AL grew by 3.06% from 14.6% to 15%.

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

Keep Exploring