Population 72,269 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in DeKalb County
Household size in DeKalb County
| Period | DeKalb County | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.69 | 2.55 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.87 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.74 | 2.58 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.87 | 2.56 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.18 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in DeKalb County average 2.87 people, above the national 2.65, so families with children are more common here. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.69, even as the national average fell. DeKalb County has the largest households of any Alabama county.
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 DeKalb County
| Period | DeKalb County | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.7 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.8 | 39.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.8 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.0 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
At 39.8, the median age in DeKalb County is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The median age has climbed from 37.7 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. The youngest areas are in the east, the oldest in the west.
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 DeKalb County
| Period | DeKalb County | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.9% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.5% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.2% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.9% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in DeKalb County as they are nationally: 10.9%, against 11.6%. Single parents are less common here than in Alabama as a whole (12.2%). The single-parent share has fallen 2.0 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 DeKalb County
Renters in DeKalb County
| Period | DeKalb County | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.5% | 28.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 24.9% | 30.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.5% | 31.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 21.7% | 29.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 21.7% of households in DeKalb County rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 60.8% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is down 0.8 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 DeKalb County
| Period | DeKalb County | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.2% | 14.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.9% | 14.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.5% | 15.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.2% | 13.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.0 pts | −0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 15.2% of the housing in DeKalb County, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
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 DeKalb County
| Period | DeKalb County | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1977 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1981 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1982 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1984 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in DeKalb County are a bit newer than the national norm: the median home was built in 1984, versus 1980 across the U.S. The picture is much the same across Alabama. The median year built has moved up from 1977 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building.
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 DeKalb County
| Period | DeKalb County | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $500 | $716 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $565 | $785 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $631 | $858 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $722 | $1,091 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$222 | +$375 | +$606 |
A typical rental in DeKalb County costs $722 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $222 a month from 2006–10, a 44% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 29.2% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the northeast and lowest in the south.
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 DeKalb County
Bachelor's degrees in DeKalb County
| Period | DeKalb County | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.1% | 23.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.6% | 24.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 12.9% | 26.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.1% | 29.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.0 pts | +5.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in DeKalb County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 14.1%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 3.0 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the center and least in the south.
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 DeKalb County
| Period | DeKalb County | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 68.0% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 73.7% | 84.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 74.3% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 78.1% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +10.2 pts | +6.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
More than one in five adults in DeKalb County never finished high school, well above the national share: only 78.1% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma is up 10.2 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Few Alabama counties have a lower share of high school graduates: only two of 67.
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 DeKalb County
| Period | DeKalb County | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.7% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.5% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.0% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.3% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.4 pts | −3.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in DeKalb County runs below the national rate: 4.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment is down 4.4 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
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).
DeKalb County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeKalb County | 2.87 | 39.8 | 10.9% | 21.7% | 15.2% | 1984 | $722 | 14.1% | 78.1% | 4.3% |
| Chattooga County | 2.66 | 41.5 | 14.7% | 33.2% | 16.2% | 1975 | $859 | 12.9% | 76.4% | 5.1% |
| Marshall County | 2.77 | 38.9 | 12.8% | 24.2% | 12.2% | 1985 | $846 | 21.3% | 84.3% | 4.1% |
| Gordon County | 2.80 | 39.9 | 12.2% | 26.1% | 10.3% | 1987 | $993 | 19.0% | 81.2% | 3.5% |
| Morgan County | 2.57 | 40.8 | 11.0% | 27.3% | 10.2% | 1983 | $931 | 23.3% | 85.4% | 3.9% |
| Pickens County | 2.62 | 46.7 | 12.5% | 18.8% | 12.8% | 1995 | $1,231 | 25.7% | 89.9% | 2.9% |
| Lawrence County | 2.48 | 42.5 | 9.3% | 18.3% | 12.3% | 1989 | $828 | 14.8% | 84.4% | 2.1% |
| Dawson County | 2.67 | 42.7 | 10.1% | 21.3% | 9.6% | 2000 | $1,541 | 35.3% | 89.3% | 3.3% |
| Lumpkin County | 2.80 | 37.2 | 6.8% | 23.7% | 13.9% | 1997 | $1,130 | 32.9% | 90.1% | 5.4% |
| Franklin County | 2.69 | 39.9 | 12.4% | 27.6% | 13.9% | 1982 | $689 | 15.0% | 78.5% | 4.4% |
| White County | 2.68 | 45.0 | 6.9% | 21.2% | 19.8% | 1993 | $1,067 | 23.9% | 84.3% | 3.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Natrona County, WY · Lonoke County, AR · Lynchburg City, VA · Manitowoc County, WI · Marion County, OH · Marquette County, MI · Mason County, WA · Muskogee County, OK · Nacogdoches County, TX · Livingston County, NY
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 DeKalb County. 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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