Athens, Alabama Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Athens, AL Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below average
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Athens | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 24,253 | 5,083,438 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 575.7 | 97.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 2.20% | 0.62% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.7 | 38.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 9,748 | 1,996,169 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Athens grew by 22.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 24,253 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Athens is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 21.5% of residents. That is 0.8 points above Alabama as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,014 20.7% -0.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,218 21.5% +0.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,918 20.3% +0.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,309 17.8% -0.3 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Alabama, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 52.6% of the people living in Athens and men 47.4%.
- Women 52.6% Alabama 51.5%
- Men 47.4% Alabama 48.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Athens
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Economy
Athens has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Athens | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $62,361 | $64,544 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.69% | 4.68% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 4.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Athens is about 3% lower than in Alabama.
Housing
| Metric | Athens | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $188,577 | $160,474 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $886 | $1,007 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 60.3% | 70.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Athens is about 17.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $886 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Athens spend about 48 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 198 hours, about 8.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Athens | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.8 | 22.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 47.6 | 44.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 198 | 184 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,143 | $5,717 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.1% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,702 | 8,636 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,247 | 1,193 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Athens is 24 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in Alabama.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Athens has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Athens | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.8% | 24.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.42 | 2.48 | 2.53 |
Health
Athens has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Athens | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.3 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.3% | 23.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.0% | 22.1% | 19.0% |
Athens, AL Compared With Nearby Cities
How Athens, AL compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athens, AL | 24,253 | $62,361 #2/3 | $188,577 #3/3 | 23.8 min #3/3 |
| Madison, AL | 50,327 | $123,671 | $355,055 | 20.6 min |
| Decatur, AL | 52,492 | $62,067 | $225,071 | 18.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Athens, Alabama.
How many people live in Athens, Alabama?
About 24,253 people live in Athens, Alabama, in 9,748 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 41.7, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
How densely populated is Athens, Alabama?
Averaged over its land area, Athens, Alabama has 576 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 6.7 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Athens, Alabama?
The median home costs 3.0 times the median household income ($188,577 against $62,361), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $886 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Athens, Alabama?
Unemployment in Athens, Alabama is only 3.5%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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