Population 46,386 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Bessemer
Household size in Bessemer
| Period | Bessemer | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.52 | 2.56 | 2.55 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.55 | 2.59 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.54 | 2.59 | 2.58 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.53 | 2.57 | 2.56 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.00 | +0.01 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
The average household in Bessemer has 2.53 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. That is in line with the rest of the Birmingham area. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the center.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Bessemer
| Period | Bessemer | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.6 | 37.9 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.8 | 39.1 | 39.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.2 | 39.9 | 40.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.5 | 40.0 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.9 | +2.1 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
At 40.5, the median age in Bessemer is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 37.6, in line with the national trend.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Bessemer
| Period | Bessemer | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.9% | 12.1% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.1% | 12.0% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.2% | 11.2% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 15.9% | 12.0% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Bessemer: 15.9% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share is down 1.0 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Bessemer has a higher share of single-parent households than at least four in five Alabama cities.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Bessemer
Renters in Bessemer
| Period | Bessemer | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.8% | 27.9% | 28.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 33.6% | 30.4% | 30.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 36.6% | 30.6% | 31.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 34.0% | 29.2% | 29.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.2 pts | +1.3 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
About a third of households in Bessemer rent their homes (34.0%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in the Birmingham area overall (29.2%). Among homeowners, 45.8% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has edged up 1.2 points, mirroring the country.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Bessemer
| Period | Bessemer | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.6% | 12.5% | 14.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.3% | 12.8% | 14.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 15.8% | 13.6% | 15.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.4% | 11.6% | 13.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs a little high in Bessemer: 12.4% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy has fallen 2.2 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Bessemer
| Period | Bessemer | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1975 | 1979 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1976 | 1981 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1976 | 1982 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1978 | 1984 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +5 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in Bessemer are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1978, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in the Birmingham area overall, where the median home dates to 1984. The median year built has moved up from 1975 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the center.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Bessemer
| Period | Bessemer | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $775 | $827 | $716 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $910 | $903 | $785 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $931 | $984 | $858 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,226 | $1,238 | $1,091 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$451 | +$412 | +$375 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Bessemer costs $1,226 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $451 a month since 2006–10, up 58%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 31.1% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Bessemer
Bachelor's degrees in Bessemer
| Period | Bessemer | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.5% | 28.3% | 23.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.8% | 29.1% | 24.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.6% | 31.1% | 26.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 24.3% | 34.7% | 29.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.8 pts | +6.4 pts | +5.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Bessemer: 24.3% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 4.8 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the southeast and least in the center.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Bessemer
| Period | Bessemer | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 83.4% | 85.7% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.8% | 86.8% | 84.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 86.2% | 88.9% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.9% | 90.5% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.5 pts | +4.9 pts | +6.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Bessemer is close to the national rate: 87.9% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in the wider Birmingham area (90.5%). The share with a diploma has risen 4.5 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Bessemer
| Period | Bessemer | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.0% | 8.0% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.2% | 9.2% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.7% | 5.9% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.3% | 4.4% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.7 pts | −3.6 pts | −3.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Bessemer is close to the national rate: 5.3% of the labor force, against 5.4%. The rate is higher than in the Birmingham area as a whole (4.4%). Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 4.7 points, as it has nationally.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Bessemer compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bessemer | 2.53 | 40.5 | 15.9% | 34.0% | 12.4% | 1978 | $1,226 | 24.3% | 87.9% | 5.3% |
| Hueytown | 2.90 | 39.3 | 20.8% | 17.4% | 13.0% | 1974 | $1,376 | 19.6% | 89.9% | 6.9% |
| Lipscomb | 2.79 | 34.7 | 30.3% | 32.8% | 26.1% | 1961 | $1,132 | 6.3% | 72.5% | 4.7% |
| Brighton | 2.66 | 38.0 | 15.6% | 23.4% | 18.8% | 1963 | $772 | 10.7% | 75.7% | 15.8% |
| Midfield | 2.39 | 41.1 | 20.8% | 30.9% | 15.4% | 1960 | $1,101 | 20.3% | 90.9% | 9.5% |
| Dolomite | 2.66 | 45.7 | 18.9% | 19.4% | 25.5% | 1963 | $1,296 | 20.2% | 89.8% | 7.1% |
| Fairfield | 2.53 | 34.8 | 31.4% | 43.5% | 19.9% | 1961 | $1,041 | 20.5% | 91.9% | 4.7% |
| Pleasant Grove | 2.72 | 41.0 | 18.1% | 20.8% | 10.0% | 1985 | $1,498 | 22.3% | 94.0% | 2.6% |
| North Johns | 2.61 | 45.6 | 2.0% | 1.2% | 6.9% | 1982 | $713 | 3.8% | 87.5% | 0.0% |
| Helena | 2.91 | 38.3 | 6.8% | 7.5% | 8.6% | 2003 | $1,920 | 54.8% | 97.5% | 2.3% |
| Mccalla | 2.54 | 40.8 | 7.9% | 11.7% | 5.0% | 2000 | $1,371 | 29.7% | 93.0% | 5.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Eagle Pass, TX · Coppell, TX · Neenah, WI · Cleveland Heights, OH · Thomasville, NC · Bountiful, UT · Powell, OH · Duncanville, TX · Brunswick, OH · Prairieville, LA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Bessemer. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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