Dale County, Alabama Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Dale County, Alabama, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Dale County, Alabama. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Dale County, Alabama. The estimated population of Dale County, Alabama is 49,443 people, with a median age of 37.9.

We can look at the total population in Dale County over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
49,443
+0.3%
+0.10%
2020
49,293
+0.03%
-
2019
49,277
+0.04%
-
2018
49,255
-0.28% -
2017
49,393
- -

Population of Dale County, Alabama by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
67.4%
69.5%
-3.02%
Black/African American
20.2%
19.2%
+5.21%
Native
0.6%
0.5%
+20.00%
Hispanic
6.9%
6.1%
+13.11%
Asian
1.2%
0.9%
+33.33%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
0.00%
Two Or More Races
3.2%
3.5%
-8.57%
Other
0.5%
0.4%
+25.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Dale County, Alabama by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 37.9 +0.26% 36.6 +2.23% 40.4 +0.25%
2020 37.8 +1.34% 35.8 +0.56% 40.3 +2.03%
2019 37.3 -0.53% 35.6 0% 39.5 -0.25%
2018 37.5 +1.08% 35.6 +1.42% 39.6 +0.25%
2017 37.1 - 35.1 - 39.5 -

The median age of Dale County, Alabama gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 3,434 +0.7% 2,848 +4.48% 3,456 2,972
10 to 19 3,174 -3.07% 3,335 -7.99% 3,060 3,067
20 to 29 3,813 -2.05% 3,127 +0.73% 3,735 3,149
30 to 39 3,291 -2.93% 3,309 -5.81% 3,188 3,117
40 to 49 2,842 +0.54% 2,987 +3.49% 2,847 3,088
50 to 59 3,279 -11.19% 3,456 -4.61% 2,926 3,298
60 to 69 2,467 +19.17% 2,931 -0.66% 2,974 2,910
70+ 2,224 +9.66% 2,876 +11.27% 2,446 3,210

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Dale County, Alabama is $50,052.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Dale County.

  • Under 25
    $33,878.00
  • 25 to 44
    $50,569.00
  • 45 to 64
    $54,844.00
  • 65 and over
    $44,565.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Dale County, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Dale County, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Dale County, Alabama is currently $63,351.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

1.89% of households in Dale County are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Dale County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    26.98%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    22.97%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    18.15%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    12.80%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    12.68%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    4.53%
  • $200,000 or more
    1.89%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Dale County is $26,469.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Dale County by the total population of Dale County.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Dale County, Alabama, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Dale County to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    9.57%
  • Bachelor's degree
    24.57%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    15.39%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    46.12%
  • Less than high school diploma
    4.35%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Dale County that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Dale County over the age of 16 is 39,213.

Of those people, a total of 55.40% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Dale County is 44.60%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 2,325 39.30% 23.80%
20 to 24 years 3,282 76.60% 19.60%
25 to 29 years 3,602 78.20% 10.80%
30 to 34 years 3,277 69.40% 4.80%
35 to 44 years 5,963 77.00% 7.50%
45 to 54 years 5,918 69.30% 5.50%
55 to 59 years 3,306 60.60% 5.20%
60 to 64 years 3,134 45.70% 5.30%
65 to 74 years 5,055 18.70% 2.50%
75 years and over 3,351 3.90% 0.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Dale County. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 28,329 54.10% 5.40%
Black or African American 7,930 59.30% 17.10%
American Indian and Alaska Native 366 54.40% 2.60%
Asian 556 46.20% 1.20%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 16 75.00% 0.00%
Other 813 47.60% 0.00%
Two or more races 1,203 69.30% 13.60%
Hispanic or Latino 2,295 61.30% 2.90%
Not Hispanic or Latino 27,253 53.80% 5.40%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Dale County as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Dale County is 17,507, with median earnings of $32,775.00.

Women in Dale County, Alabama earning approximately 64.10% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 17,507 $32,775.00
Male 9,380 $38,830.00
Female 8,127 $24,893.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 1,526 $48,145.00
Business and Financial 462 $40,403.00
Computer and Mathematical 164 $85,795.00
Architecture and Engineering 253 $84,219.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 109 $50,391.00
Community and Social Service 271 $43,125.00
Legal 61 $34,375.00
Educational and Library 935 $48,750.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 127 $30,446.00
Healthcare Practitioners 1,018 $43,617.00
Healthcare Support 445 $21,125.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 165 $18,931.00
Law Enforcement 172 $43,750.00
Food Preparation and Serving 1,106 $13,525.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 692 $15,833.00
Personal Care and Service 368 $25,250.00
Sales 1,977 $18,627.00
Office and Administrative Support 1,734 $26,525.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 263 $45,690.00
Construction and Extraction 867 $33,406.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 1,575 $77,629.00
Production 1,250 $29,290.00
Transportation and Material Moving 1,178 $33,750.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 905 $65,036.00 621 $40,170.00
Business and Financial 178 $33,833.00 284 $42,016.00
Computer and Mathematical 111 $85,852.00 53 $84,792.00
Architecture and Engineering 221 $87,969.00 32 $43,194.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 38 $56,250.00 71 $50,234.00
Community and Social Service 61 $31,042.00 210 $46,250.00
Legal 0 $0.00 61 $34,375.00
Educational and Library 253 $52,656.00 682 $41,959.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 42 $41,346.00 85 $27,566.00
Healthcare Practitioners 188 $62,500.00 830 $41,295.00
Healthcare Support 13 $0.00 432 $20,833.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 125 $18,931.00 40 $17,500.00
Law Enforcement 150 $45,326.00 22 $27,292.00
Food Preparation and Serving 486 $9,554.00 620 $15,321.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 312 $21,518.00 380 $12,778.00
Personal Care and Service 116 $33,520.00 252 $10,455.00
Sales 870 $32,587.00 1,107 $15,371.00
Office and Administrative Support 382 $37,069.00 1,352 $25,860.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 221 $45,143.00 42 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 867 $33,406.00 0 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 1,522 $77,792.00 53 $61,250.00
Production 813 $37,670.00 437 $18,484.00
Transportation and Material Moving 951 $37,401.00 227 $20,982.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 19,470 households in Dale County, with an average household size of 2.47 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 12,543 families in Dale County with an average family size of 3.1 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 8,750 608 3,185 6,927
Average Household Size 3.11 3.6 3.26 1.19
Total Families 8,750 608 3,185 0
Average Household Size 3.1 3.11 3.09 0

Poverty

Of the 12,543 families in Dale County, 13.70% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Dale County:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 22,790 housing units in Dale County, Alabama.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 19,470 85.43%
Vacant 3,320 14.57%

32.23% of the total 22,790 housing units in Dale County are rental units. This is approximately 7,345 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 11,617 are occupied by the owner - or 50.97% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Dale County is $772.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Dale County that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    508
  • Less than $500
    1,323
  • $500 to $999
    3,728
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    1,909
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    272
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    98
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    15
  • $3,000 or more
    0

Property Value

The median value of a property in Dale County is $112,900.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Dale County that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    1,791
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    3,364
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    1,988
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    1,646
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    2,055
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    585
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    151
  • $1,000,000 or more
    37

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Dale County. The chart below shows the number of properties in Dale County that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    932
  • 1940 to 1949
    771
  • 1950 to 1959
    1,053
  • 1960 to 1969
    3,603
  • 1970 to 1979
    4,077
  • 1980 to 1989
    4,521
  • 1990 to 1999
    3,844
  • 2000 to 2009
    2,789
  • 2010 to 2013
    1,200
  • 2014 or later
    0

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Dale County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    940
  • 1 vehicle available
    6,626
  • 2 vehicles available
    6,838
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    5,066

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Dale County get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Dale County that commute to work in a particular way.

22.1 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Dale County.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    846
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    2,393
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    3,529
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    3,229
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    2,690
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    1,000
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    2,279
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    457
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    507
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    1,067
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    343
  • 90 or more minutes
    510

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Dale County, Alabama in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Places in Dale County, Alabama

We have data for 17 places in Dale County, Alabama. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.