DeKalb County, Alabama Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
DeKalb County, 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.
-
C
Health Below average
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D
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 79% of counties in Alabama
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | DeKalb County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 72,266 | 5,083,438 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 92.9 | 97.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.23% | 0.62% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.1 | 38.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 26,181 | 1,996,169 | 130,235,071 |
Population in DeKalb County grew by 6.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 72,266 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in DeKalb County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.2% of residents. That is 0.3 points below Alabama as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 15,294 21.2% -0.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 14,149 19.6% -1.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 14,579 20.2% +0.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 13,583 18.8% +0.8 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 50.5% of the people living in DeKalb County and men 49.5%.
- Women 50.5% Alabama 51.5%
- Men 49.5% Alabama 48.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in DeKalb County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
DeKalb County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | DeKalb County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,236 | $64,544 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.78% | 4.68% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in DeKalb County is about 21% lower than in Alabama.
Housing
| Metric | DeKalb County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $58,790 | $160,474 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $692 | $1,007 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.3% | 70.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in DeKalb County is about 7.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $692 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in DeKalb County spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 171 hours, about 7.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | DeKalb County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.5 | 22.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.0 | 44.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 171 | 184 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,291 | $5,717 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.4% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,415 | 8,636 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 808 | 1,193 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Alabama:
Pike County (16.4 min), Houston County (18.3 min), Escambia County (18.5 min).
Slowest:
Blount County (33.2 min), Pickens County (32.5 min), Lowndes County (31.9 min).
The average commute time in DeKalb County is 20 minutes, shorter 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
DeKalb County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | DeKalb County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.4% | 24.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.72 | 2.48 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Alabama:
Madison County (0.4), Shelby County (0.3), Lee County (0.3).
Lowest:
Bibb County (0.2), Barbour County (0.2), Wilcox County (0.2).
Health
DeKalb County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | DeKalb County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.0 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 23.6% | 23.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.6% | 22.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Alabama:
Shelby County (0.8), Lee County (0.8), Baldwin County (0.8).
Lowest:
Greene County (0.7), Wilcox County (0.7), Perry County (0.7).
DeKalb County, AL Compared With Nearby Counties
DeKalb County, AL is the 2nd largest of the 5 counties compared here, 72,266 residents against a local median of 39,248. The measure that sets DeKalb County, AL apart most is median home price: $58,790, 36% below the local median of $92,506.
The counties themselves spread $131,976 on median home price, so DeKalb County, AL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. DeKalb County, AL has the 4th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeKalb County, AL | 72,266 | $51,236 #4/5 | $58,790 #4/5 | 20.5 min #1/5 |
| Cherokee County, AL | 25,443 | $55,406 | $173,275 | 28.3 min |
| Jackson County, AL | 53,053 | $52,554 | $41,299 | 22.9 min |
| Chattooga County, GA | 25,036 | $50,365 | $68,899 | 23.8 min |
| Etowah County, AL | 103,105 | $54,845 | $116,112 | 20.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about DeKalb County, Alabama.
How many people live in DeKalb County, Alabama?
About 72,266 people live in DeKalb County, Alabama, in 26,181 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 38.1, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is DeKalb County, Alabama urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, DeKalb County, Alabama has 93 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in DeKalb County, Alabama?
The median home costs 1.1 times the median household income ($58,790 against $51,236), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $692 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in DeKalb County, Alabama?
Unemployment in DeKalb County, Alabama is only 4.1%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in DeKalb County, Alabama?
13.4% of adults in DeKalb County, Alabama hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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