Houston County, Alabama Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Houston 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.
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C
Health Below average
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D
Income Well below averageWealthier than 77% of counties in Alabama
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 79% of counties in Alabama
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Houston County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 108,140 | 5,083,438 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 185.9 | 97.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.50% | 0.62% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.7 | 38.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 43,302 | 1,996,169 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Houston County grew by 11.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 108,140 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Houston County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 20.8% of residents. That is about the same share as Alabama.
- Gen Z 13–28 21,289 19.7% -1.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 22,442 20.8% on par
- Gen X 45–60 21,742 20.1% +0.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 20,173 18.7% +0.6 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 52.0% of the people living in Houston County and men 48.0%.
- Women 52.0% Alabama 51.5%
- Men 48.0% Alabama 48.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Houston County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Houston County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Houston County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,687 | $64,544 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.25% | 4.68% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 4.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Houston County is about 9% lower than in Alabama.
Housing
| Metric | Houston County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $131,410 | $160,474 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $944 | $1,007 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 63.8% | 70.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Houston County is about 11.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $944 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Houston County spend about 37 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 153 hours, about 6.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Houston County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.3 | 22.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.7 | 44.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 153 | 184 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,738 | $5,717 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.6% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,670 | 8,636 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 923 | 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 Houston County is 18 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
Houston County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Houston County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.7% | 24.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.47 | 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
Houston County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Houston County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.0 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 23.5% | 23.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.3% | 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).
Houston County, AL Compared With Nearby Counties
How Houston County, AL compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston County, AL | 108,140 | $58,687 #1/3 | $131,410 #2/3 | 18.3 min #1/3 |
| Jackson County, FL | 48,250 | $49,196 | $158,210 | 25.7 min |
| Dale County, AL | 49,597 | $55,362 | $67,344 | 18.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Houston County, Alabama.
How big is Houston County, Alabama by population?
About 108,140 people live in Houston County, Alabama, in 43,302 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 40.7, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Houston County, Alabama urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Houston County, Alabama has 186 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.2 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Houston County, Alabama?
The median home costs 2.2 times the median household income ($131,410 against $58,687), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $944 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Houston County, Alabama?
20.7% of adults in Houston County, Alabama hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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