Macon County, Alabama Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Macon 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 averageLess healthy than 80% of counties in Alabama
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 89% of counties in Alabama
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 74% of counties in Alabama
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Macon County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 18,691 | 5,083,438 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 30.5 | 97.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.62% | 0.62% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.1 | 38.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,237 | 1,996,169 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Macon County declined by 16.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 18,691 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Macon County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 30.5% of residents. That is 9.0 points above Alabama as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,695 30.5% +9.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,749 14.7% -6.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,466 18.5% -1.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,669 19.6% +1.6 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 54.1% of the people living in Macon County and men 45.9%.
- Women 54.1% Alabama 51.5%
- Men 45.9% Alabama 48.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Macon County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Macon County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Macon County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $44,110 | $64,544 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.87% | 4.68% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 8.3% | 4.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Macon County is about 32% lower than in Alabama.
Housing
| Metric | Macon County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $112,717 | $160,474 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $733 | $1,007 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 61.5% | 70.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Macon County is about 12.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $733 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Macon County spend about 44 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 182 hours, about 7.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Macon County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.9 | 22.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 43.8 | 44.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 182 | 184 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,652 | $5,717 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.6% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,610 | 8,636 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 663 | 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 Macon County is about the same as 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
Macon County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Macon County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.1% | 24.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.22 | 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
Macon County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Macon County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.1 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 26.5% | 23.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.1% | 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).
Macon County, AL Compared With Nearby Counties
Macon County, AL is the smallest of the 5 counties compared here, 18,691 residents against a local median of 74,168. The measure that sets Macon County, AL apart most is median home price: $112,717, 39% below the local median of $183,906.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $44,110 against a local median of $63,087, 30% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 30% below the local median it puts Macon County, AL at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $225,237 on median home price, so Macon County, AL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Macon County, AL has the 4th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macon County, AL | 18,691 | $44,110 #5/5 | $112,717 #4/5 | 21.9 min #3/5 |
| Lee County, AL | 181,134 | $66,795 | $274,879 | 18.7 min |
| Tallapoosa County, AL | 40,938 | $59,380 | $177,344 | 20.3 min |
| Elmore County, AL | 89,526 | $78,590 | $49,642 | 28.4 min |
| Russell County, AL | 58,811 | $51,343 | $190,468 | 23.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Macon County, Alabama.
What is the population of Macon County, Alabama?
About 18,691 people live in Macon County, Alabama, in 7,237 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 38.1, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Macon County, Alabama?
Averaged over its land area, Macon County, Alabama has 30 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 35% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Macon County, Alabama?
The median home costs 2.6 times the median household income ($112,717 against $44,110), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $733 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Macon County, Alabama?
Unemployment in Macon County, Alabama is 8.3%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in Macon County, Alabama?
16.1% of adults in Macon County, Alabama hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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