Population 44,626 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Gadsden
Household size in Gadsden
| Period | Gadsden | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.36 | 2.55 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.48 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.54 | 2.58 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.60 | 2.56 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.24 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Gadsden average 2.60 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). Household size has climbed from 2.36 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the northeast and smallest in the southeast.
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 Gadsden
| Period | Gadsden | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.1 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.4 | 39.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.0 | 40.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.9 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.7 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
At 40.9, the median age in Gadsden is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The median age has crept up from 40.1 in 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. The youngest areas are in the center, the oldest in the south.
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 Gadsden
| Period | Gadsden | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.0% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.9% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.1% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 16.6% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Gadsden: 16.6% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 2.6 points, even as the national share fell. Gadsden 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 Gadsden
Renters in Gadsden
| Period | Gadsden | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.2% | 28.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 35.3% | 30.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.8% | 31.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 35.8% | 29.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.6 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a third of households in Gadsden rent their homes (35.8%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in Alabama overall (29.8%). Among homeowners, 61.8% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is up 1.6 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Gadsden
| Period | Gadsden | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.5% | 14.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.8% | 14.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 20.2% | 15.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.9% | 13.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | +5.4 pts | −0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Gadsden: 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. Since 2006–10, vacancy has risen 5.4 points, even as the national rate fell.
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 Gadsden
| Period | Gadsden | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1965 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1963 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1965 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1968 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Gadsden is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1968, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The median year built has moved up from 1965 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northeast, while the northwest has the oldest housing. Only nine of the 186 Alabama cities with 5,000+ people have older homes.
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 Gadsden
| Period | Gadsden | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $625 | $716 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $662 | $785 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $710 | $858 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $906 | $1,091 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$281 | +$375 | +$606 |
The median renter in Gadsden pays $906 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $281 a month from 2006–10, a 45% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 31.6% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the northwest; the most affordable are in the east.
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 Gadsden
Bachelor's degrees in Gadsden
| Period | Gadsden | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.5% | 23.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.2% | 24.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.0% | 26.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.3% | 29.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | +5.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Gadsden have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 16.3%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has edged up 0.9 points, a smaller shift than 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 Gadsden
| Period | Gadsden | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 78.7% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 80.6% | 84.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 81.1% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 82.3% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.6 pts | +6.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in six adults in Gadsden never finished high school, well above the national share: only 82.3% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 3.6 points, mirroring the country. Of the 186 Alabama cities with 5,000+ people, only 18 have a lower share of high school graduates.
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 Gadsden
| Period | Gadsden | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.4% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.6% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.1% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.2% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.3 pts | −3.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been harder to find in Gadsden than nationally: unemployment was 7.2%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 5.3 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Gadsden 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gadsden | 2.60 | 40.9 | 16.6% | 35.8% | 19.9% | 1968 | $906 | 16.3% | 82.3% | 7.2% |
| Clubview Heights | 2.00 | 48.8 | 14.4% | 41.7% | 29.4% | 1970 | $945 | 26.5% | 97.5% | 4.7% |
| Reece City | 2.77 | 44.1 | 5.7% | 14.9% | 19.5% | 1983 | $712 | 16.0% | 82.7% | 2.7% |
| Glencoe | 2.60 | 41.4 | 15.7% | 19.2% | 11.4% | 1976 | $932 | 22.6% | 91.6% | 2.9% |
| Rainbow City | 2.47 | 42.8 | 14.5% | 32.2% | 12.9% | 1988 | $1,075 | 23.9% | 84.0% | 6.5% |
| Attalla | 2.47 | 46.1 | 8.2% | 22.3% | 15.9% | 1975 | $796 | 13.2% | 86.9% | 5.1% |
| Hokes Bluff | 2.50 | 48.6 | 8.1% | 6.8% | 12.5% | 1984 | $880 | 21.5% | 92.4% | 6.4% |
| Ridgeville | 2.18 | 48.2 | 1.5% | 21.2% | 18.6% | 1986 | $714 | 14.2% | 90.2% | 0.3% |
| Southside | 2.81 | 44.4 | 5.4% | 7.1% | 6.9% | 1988 | $1,177 | 23.5% | 94.0% | 2.8% |
| Crudup | 3.38 | 43.0 | 2.4% | 13.9% | 23.4% | 1994 | $727 | 13.6% | 80.7% | 4.6% |
| Curtiston | 2.25 | 51.7 | 9.0% | 11.6% | 5.7% | 1967 | $734 | 11.1% | 86.6% | 3.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Bear, DE · Rohnert Park, CA · Meadow Woods, FL · Moline, IL · Moorhead, MN · Morristown, NJ · Morrisville, NC · Muskogee, OK · Neenah, WI · North Atlanta, GA
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 Gadsden. 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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