Population 3,156 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Empire
Household size in Empire
| Period | Empire | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.68 | 2.56 | 2.55 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.55 | 2.59 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.80 | 2.59 | 2.58 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.53 | 2.57 | 2.56 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.14 | +0.01 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Empire run a little small, averaging 2.53 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. The picture is much the same across the Birmingham area. Household size has dropped from 2.68 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Empire
| Period | Empire | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.5 | 37.9 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.4 | 39.1 | 39.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.6 | 39.9 | 40.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.6 | 40.0 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.1 | +2.1 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Empire are younger than 39.6 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1.
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 Empire
| Period | Empire | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.1% | 12.1% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.7% | 12.0% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.8% | 11.2% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.4% | 12.0% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.3 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit more common in Empire than nationally: 13.4%, against 11.6%.
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 Empire
Renters in Empire
| Period | Empire | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.3% | 27.9% | 28.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 19.2% | 30.4% | 30.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.6% | 30.6% | 31.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 25.7% | 29.2% | 29.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.4 pts | +1.3 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Empire own their homes; 25.7% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 60.7% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%.
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 Empire
| Period | Empire | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.2% | 12.5% | 14.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.1% | 12.8% | 14.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 20.8% | 13.6% | 15.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.9% | 11.6% | 13.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.8 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Empire: 19.9% of homes are empty, 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 Empire
| Period | Empire | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1982 | 1979 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1985 | 1981 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1986 | 1982 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1988 | 1984 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +5 | +6 | +6 |
Empire has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1988, versus 1980 nationally.
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 Empire
| Period | Empire | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $735 | $827 | $716 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $688 | $903 | $785 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $742 | $984 | $858 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,036 | $1,238 | $1,091 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$301 | +$412 | +$375 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Empire costs $1,036 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 29.9% of the typical renter's income, just under 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 Empire
Bachelor's degrees in Empire
| Period | Empire | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.1% | 28.3% | 23.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.8% | 29.1% | 24.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 7.5% | 31.1% | 26.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.1% | 34.7% | 29.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.0 pts | +6.4 pts | +5.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Empire have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 12.1%, against 35.6% nationally.
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 Empire
| Period | Empire | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 73.4% | 85.7% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 74.8% | 86.8% | 84.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 83.2% | 88.9% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 81.2% | 90.5% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.8 pts | +4.9 pts | +6.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in five adults in Empire never finished high school, well above the national share: only 81.2% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally.
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 Empire
| Period | Empire | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.4% | 8.0% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 16.0% | 9.2% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.9% | 5.9% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.4% | 4.4% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.0 pts | −3.6 pts | −3.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Empire is the same as the national rate: 5.4% of the labor force. The rate is higher than in the wider Birmingham area (4.4%). 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).
Empire 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empire | 2.53 | 39.6 | 13.4% | 25.7% | 19.9% | 1988 | $1,036 | 12.1% | 81.2% | 5.4% |
| Hull | 2.27 | 48.6 | 12.6% | 15.9% | 17.2% | 1989 | $953 | 4.1% | 69.6% | 3.9% |
| Sumiton | 2.63 | 39.9 | 13.5% | 26.7% | 16.5% | 1980 | $1,089 | 14.4% | 81.2% | 7.6% |
| Sipsey | 2.44 | 35.1 | 7.2% | 31.7% | 21.5% | 1987 | $928 | 13.7% | 83.5% | 0.8% |
| Dora | 2.84 | 44.7 | 8.9% | 11.9% | 14.4% | 1982 | $985 | 19.6% | 89.2% | 2.3% |
| Burnwell | 2.24 | 40.8 | 17.9% | 18.3% | 18.2% | 1992 | $616 | 9.2% | 92.6% | 0.0% |
| Benoit | 2.74 | 40.9 | 6.2% | 35.5% | 19.1% | 1976 | $545 | 9.3% | 81.9% | 9.2% |
| Sayre | 2.21 | 48.1 | 7.0% | 4.0% | 17.3% | 1985 | $963 | 10.1% | 92.2% | 0.3% |
| Cordova | 2.43 | 45.8 | 11.0% | 26.5% | 20.0% | 1976 | $497 | 9.3% | 80.0% | 5.6% |
| Bremen | 2.52 | 37.0 | 11.6% | 17.9% | 18.0% | 1992 | $1,190 | 15.2% | 82.5% | 16.1% |
| Partridge Crossroads | 2.27 | 47.9 | 7.3% | 14.0% | 16.3% | 1997 | $944 | 28.3% | 85.6% | 4.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Greensburg, LA · Bechtelsville, PA · Cresson, PA · Beaver, UT · Wayland, NY · Wabasha, MN · Tonkawa, OK · St. Jacob, IL · St. Ignace, MI · Scott AFB, IL
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 Empire. 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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