Sumter County, Alabama Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Sumter 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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D
Health Well below averageLess healthy than 86% of counties in Alabama
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F
Income Well below averageAmong the 3 least wealthy counties in Alabama
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 77% of counties in Alabama
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Sumter County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,878 | 5,083,438 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 13.0 | 97.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.39% | 0.62% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.9 | 38.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 4,823 | 1,996,169 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Sumter County declined by 10.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 11,878 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Sumter County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 29.0% of residents. That is 7.5 points above Alabama as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,445 29.0% +7.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,804 15.2% -5.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,246 18.9% -1.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,113 17.8% -0.2 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 54.0% of the people living in Sumter County and men 46.0%.
- Women 54.0% Alabama 51.5%
- Men 46.0% Alabama 48.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Sumter County
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Economy
Sumter County has a the economy index of F, which means it scores poorly in the economy.
| Metric | Sumter County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $34,130 | $64,544 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.92% | 4.68% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 12.0% | 4.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Sumter County is about 47% lower than in Alabama.
Housing
| Metric | Sumter County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $5,861 | $160,474 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $774 | $1,007 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 66.8% | 70.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Sumter County is about 0.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $774 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Sumter 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 170 hours, about 7.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Sumter County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.4 | 22.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 40.9 | 44.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 170 | 184 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,280 | $5,717 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.3% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,910 | 8,636 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 279 | 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 Sumter 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
Sumter County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Sumter County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.9% | 24.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.02 | 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
Sumter County has a health index of D, which means it is barely healthy.
| Metric | Sumter County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.9 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 28.0% | 23.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.4% | 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).
Sumter County, AL Compared With Nearby Counties
How Sumter County, AL compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sumter County, AL | 11,878 | $34,130 #2/2 | $5,861 #2/2 | 20.4 min #2/2 |
| Lauderdale County, MS | 71,502 | $50,967 | $120,425 | 18.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Sumter County, Alabama.
How big is Sumter County, Alabama by population?
About 11,878 people live in Sumter County, Alabama, in 4,823 households of 2.0 people on average. The median age is 35.9, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Sumter County, Alabama?
Averaged over its land area, Sumter County, Alabama has 13 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 15% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Sumter County, Alabama an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 0.2 times the median household income ($5,861 against $34,130), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $774 a month takes about 27% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Sumter County, Alabama?
Unemployment in Sumter County, Alabama is 12.0%, 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 Sumter County, Alabama?
16.9% of adults in Sumter 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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