Huntsville, AL

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2021 Population

483,366

4.04% 1-year growth

US Senator

Tommy Tuberville

Republican Party

US Senator

Katie Britt

Republican Party

2021 Median Age

0.515% 1-year increase

2021 Poverty Rate

11%

5.71% 1-year decrease

2021 Median Household Income

$71,057

6.93% 1-year growth

2021 Median Property Value

$199,000

6.93% 1-year growth

2021 Employed Population

233,649

4.16% 1-year growth

About

In 2021, Huntsville, AL had a population of 483k people with a median age of 39 and a median household income of $71,057. Between 2020 and 2021 the population of Huntsville, AL grew from 464,607 to 483,366, a 4.04% increase and its median household income grew from $66,450 to $71,057, a 6.93% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Huntsville, AL are White (Non-Hispanic) (66.4%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (21.7%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (3.32%), White (Hispanic) (2.51%), and Asian (Non-Hispanic) (2.4%).

None of the households in Huntsville, 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.

97.6% of the residents in Huntsville, AL are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Huntsville, AL are John C Calhoun State Community College (2,850 degrees awarded in 2021), University of Alabama in Huntsville (2,333 degrees), and Athens State University (831 degrees).

In 2021, the median property value in Huntsville, AL was $199,000, and the homeownership rate was 69.5%.

Most people in Huntsville, AL drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Huntsville, AL was 2 cars per household.

Huntsville, AL borders Albertville, AL, Decatur, AL, Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL, Scottsboro, AL, and Tullahoma-Manchester, TN.

About the photo: Big Spring International Park

Photo by IIP Photo Archive

United States Alabama

Population & Diversity

Huntsville, AL is home to a population of 483k people, from which 97.6% are citizens. As of 2021, 5.15% of Huntsville, AL residents were born outside of the country (24.9k people).

In 2021, there were 3.06 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (321k people) in Huntsville, AL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 105k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 16.1k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.6%

2021 Citizenship

97.6%

2020 Citizenship

As of 2021, 97.6% of Huntsville, AL residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2020, the percentage of US citizens in Huntsville, AL was 97.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Huntsville, AL

White (Non-Hispanic)
321k ± 669
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
105k ± 1.07k
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
16.1k ± 1.27k

5.39%

Hispanic Population

26.1k people

5.39% of the people in Huntsville, AL are hispanic (26.1k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Huntsville, 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
47,376 ± 5,318 people
Guatemala
14,765 ± 2,979 people
Korea
9,877 ± 2,438 people

In 2021, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Alabama was Mexico, the natal country of 47,376 Alabama residents, followed by Guatemala with 14,765 and Korea with 9,877.

Foreign-Born Population

5.15%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

24.9k people

4.93%

2020 Foreign-Born Population

22.9k people

As of 2021, 5.15% of Huntsville, AL residents (24.9k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.6%. In 2020, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Huntsville, AL was 4.93%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
13,498 ± 1,080
Vietnam
9,565 ± 711
Gulf War (1990s)
7,863 ± 693

Huntsville, AL has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.41 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Huntsville, AL employs 234k people. The largest industries in Huntsville, AL are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (32,096 people), Manufacturing (30,900 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (28,790 people), and the highest paying industries are Management of Companies & Enterprises ($111,250), Public Administration ($95,118), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($85,359).

Males in Alabama have an average income that is 1.43 times higher than the average income of females, which is $46,361. The income inequality in Alabama (measured using the Gini index) is 0.458, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

234k

2021 Value

± 4,511

4.16%

1 Year growth

± 2.61%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Huntsville, AL grew at a rate of 4.16%, from 224k employees to 234k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Huntsville, AL, are Management Occupations (23,648 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (23,355 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (21,080 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Huntsville, 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

234k

2021 Value

± 4,511

4.16%

1 Year growth

± 2.61%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Huntsville, AL grew at a rate of 4.16%, from 224k employees to 234k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Huntsville, AL, are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (32,096 people), Manufacturing (30,900 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (28,790 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Huntsville, AL, though some of these residents may live in Huntsville, AL and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$55,623

Median earning men ± $1,395

$34,038

Median earning women ± $958

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2021 are Public Administration ($105,031), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($85,830), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($64,087).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2021 are Public Administration ($85,254), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($52,615), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($43,322).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

2.75%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 155M people employed in Alabama. This represents a 2.75% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

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

4,230
Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance
2,691
Professional, Scientific & Management, and Administrative & Waste Management Services
2,371
Finance & Insurance, and Real Estate, Rental & Leasing

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

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$5.14M
Manufacturing
$3.81M
Professional, Scientific & Management, and Administrative & Waste Management Services
$3.17M
Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance

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

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 $48.2B, followed by Pharmaceuticals ($20.5B) and Mixed freight ($19.8B).

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

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Alabama.

$267B

2020 Value in Alabama

$540B

Projected 2050 Value in Alabama

102% growth

In 2020, total outbound Alabama trade was $267B. This is expected to increase 102% to $540B 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
$30.3B
Florida
$20.6B
Tennessee
$13B

In 2020, the top outbound Alabama domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Georgia with $30.3B, followed by Florida with $20.6B and Tennessee and $13B.

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

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Alabama went to Donald J. Trump with 62% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (36.6%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.08%).

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 Huntsville, AL. Showing the available data for Alabama.

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (62%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (36.6%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.08%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Alabama went to Donald J. Trump with 62% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (36.6%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.08%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Alabama for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

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

In 2021, universities in Huntsville, AL awarded 7,560 degrees. The student population of Huntsville, AL in 2021 is skewed towards women, with 27,368 male students and 32,274 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Huntsville, AL are White (4,546 and 61.7%), followed by Black or African American (1,721 and 23.3%), Hispanic or Latino (333 and 4.52%), and Two or More Races (243 and 3.3%).

The largest universities in Huntsville, AL by number of degrees awarded are John C Calhoun State Community College (2,850 and 37.7%), University of Alabama in Huntsville (2,333 and 30.9%), and Athens State University (831 and 11%).

The most popular majors in Huntsville, AL are General Studies (1,178 and 15.6%), Manufacturing Engineering Technology (783 and 10.4%), and General Business Administration & Management (632 and 8.36%).

The median tuition costs in Huntsville, AL are $11,707 for private four year colleges, and $8,610 and $17,220 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2021 in Huntsville, AL, the percentage of applicants admitted was 72.5%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 31.5%. The number of students enrolled in 2021 was 59,642 (45.9% men and 54.1% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2021 there were 59,642 students enrolled in Huntsville, AL, 45.9% men and 54.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 29,778 records, of which 50.1% were women and 49.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
254 degree-majors awarded
General Biological Sciences
235 degree-majors awarded
Registered Nursing
221 degree-majors awarded

In 2021, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Huntsville, AL was General Business Administration & Management with 254 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

John C Calhoun State Community College
2,850 degrees awarded
University of Alabama in Huntsville
2,333 degrees awarded
Athens State University
831 degrees awarded

In 2021, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was John C Calhoun State Community College with 2,850 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2021, 3,401 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Huntsville, AL, which is 0.818 times less than the 4,159 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2021 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 4,546 degrees mean that there were 2.64 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 1,721 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

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($11,707) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2021.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,758) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2021.

Public, 2-year ($2,325) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2021, 0.898% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.82% 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 2021 were High School or Equivalent (1.21M), Some college (906k), and Secondary Education (641k).

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 Huntsville, AL was $199,000 in 2021, which is 0.813 times smaller than the national average of $244,900. Between 2020 and 2021 the median property value increased from $186,100 to $199,000, a 6.93% increase. The homeownership rate in Huntsville, AL is 69.5%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.6%.

People in Huntsville, AL have an average commute time of 22.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Huntsville, AL is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Huntsville, AL is $71,057. In 2021, the county with the highest Median Household Income in Huntsville, AL was Shelby County, AL with a value of $82,592, followed by Madison County, AL and Limestone County, AL, with respective values of $71,153 and $70,736.

Housing

Property

$199,000

Median Property Value 2021

±$4,061

$135,006

Median Property Taxes

±$2,935

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

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

Rent vs Own

69.5%

Homeownership

2021

65.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2021

In 2021, 69.5% of the housing units in Huntsville, AL were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 69.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Huntsville, 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 2021, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Huntsville, AL was Shelby County, AL with a value of $82,592, followed by Madison County, AL and Limestone County, AL, with respective values of $71,153 and $70,736.

The following map shows all of the counties in Huntsville, 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.

$71,057

Median Household Income

± $1,672

194k

Number of Households

± 3,690

In 2021, the median household income of the 194k households in Huntsville, AL grew to $71,057 from the previous year's value of $66,450.

The following chart displays the households in Huntsville, 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 Huntsville, AL is from Alabama.

0.458

2021 Wage GINI in Alabama

0.458

2020 Wage GINI in Alabama

In 2021, the income inequality in Alabama was 0.458 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0218% growth from 2020 to 2021, 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 2021

Drove Alone (83.6%)
Worked At Home (8.57%)
Carpooled (5.77%)

In 2021, 83.6% of workers in Huntsville, AL drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (8.57%) and those who carpooled to work (5.77%).

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

22.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Huntsville, AL have a shorter commute time (22.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.8 minutes). Additionally, 1.24% of the workforce in Huntsville, AL have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

11% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Huntsville, AL (51.8k out of 470k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.6%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Males 18 - 24.

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

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

91.9% of the population of Huntsville, AL has health coverage, with 52.9% on employee plans, 10.6% on Medicaid, 10.8% on Medicare, 14.4% on non-group plans, and 3.15% 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 Alabama see 1519 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.978% decrease from the previous year (1534 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2026 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 846 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

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

1,519 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Alabama

Primary care physicians in Alabama see an average of 1,519 patients per year. This represents a 0.978% decrease from the previous year (1,534 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 2021, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.8% under 18 years, 21.1% between 18 and 34 years, 40.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 15% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.1% were men and 51.9% were women.

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

Uninsured People

8.12%

Uninsured

52.9%

Employer Coverage

10.6%

Medicaid

10.8%

Medicare

14.4%

Non-Group

3.15%

Military or VA

Between 2020 and 2021, the percent of uninsured citizens in Huntsville, AL declined by 0.834% from 8.18% to 8.12%.

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