Dale County, Alabama Income Statistics
Dale County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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D
Dale County Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Dale County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $55,362 | $64,544 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $45,923 | $52,756 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 3.0% | 4.7% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 6.6% | 9.6% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 4.5% | 7.8% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Dale County is about 14% lower than in Alabama. Income has been growing slower in Dale County (3.0%/yr) than in Alabama (4.7%/yr).
About 7% of adults in Dale County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the Alabama average of 10%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Dale County, Alabama grew by 32.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $55,362 in 2024. That's an average of about 3.0% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Dale County
| Metric | Dale County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.555 | 0.560 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $57,020 | $62,840 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $40,157 | $47,036 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 29.6% | 25.1% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Dale County, it is 0.555, about the same as Alabama's 0.560, so income here is about as evenly distributed as there, and about the same as the US's 0.552, so income here is about as evenly distributed as there.
Men's income is about 42% more than women's income in Dale County, Alabama. Over a 35-year career, a 42% wage gap accumulates to roughly $590,205 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Dale County, Alabama has narrowed from about 35% to 30% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 35% in 2016, and was narrowest at 27% in 2023. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $2,154 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Dale County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 6.0% | 4.7% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 5.0% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 18 | 22 | 22 |
Approximately 1,264 people are unemployed in Dale County, Alabama.
The average commute time in Dale County is 18 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Alabama.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Dale County, Alabama has fallen from 7.5% to 6.0% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 9.9% in 2015.
Dale County, AL Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Dale County, AL is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 49,597 residents against a local median of 26,887. Dale County, AL's income growth, at 3.0%/yr, runs 33% below the 4.5%/yr typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Unemployment tells the same story from another angle: 6.0% against a local median of 4.7%, 25% above it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Dale County, AL reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The counties themselves spread 1.1%/yr on income growth, so Dale County, AL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Dale County, AL has the 6th highest income growth of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dale County, AL | 49,597 | $55,362 #4/6 | 3.0%/yr #6/6 | 6.0% #5/6 | 0.555 #4/6 |
| Coffee County, AL | 54,920 | $68,847 | 4.5%/yr | 4.7% | 0.573 |
| Henry County, AL | 17,647 | $59,958 | 4.9%/yr | 3.6% | 0.551 |
| Geneva County, AL | 26,887 | $54,060 | 5.1%/yr | 5.6% | 0.538 |
| Houston County, AL | 108,140 | $58,687 | 4.2%/yr | 4.5% | 0.549 |
| Barbour County, AL | 24,643 | $45,867 | 3.9%/yr | 7.8% | 0.588 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Dale County, Alabama has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it about on par with Alabama, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Dale County, Alabama.
How Rich Is Dale County, Alabama?
Dale County has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $55,362, about 14% lower than the Alabama average of $64,544.
How has median household income changed in Dale County, Alabama?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Dale County, Alabama rose 32%, from $41,922 to $55,362. Over the same years, income here lagged behind Alabama as a whole: +32% against +56%.
What was the median household income in Dale County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Dale County, Alabama was $54,373, up 2% from $53,151 in 2022. The Alabama median that year was $62,326.
What was the median household income in Dale County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Dale County, Alabama was $45,569. By 2024 it had risen 21% to $55,362.
Is it hard to find a job in Dale County, Alabama?
Unemployment in Dale County, Alabama is 6.0%, well above the Alabama rate of 4.7%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What is the Gini coefficient in Dale County, Alabama?
The Gini coefficient in Dale County is 0.555. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is almost the same as the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed about as equally as in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Dale County, Alabama?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Dale County, Alabama has narrowed from about 35% to 30% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 35% in 2016, and was narrowest at 27% in 2023. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $2,154 since 2009.
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