Population 108,140 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Houston County
Household size in Houston County
| Period | Houston County | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.57 | 2.55 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.59 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.65 | 2.58 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.49 | 2.56 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.08 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
The average household in Houston County has 2.49 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. Household size has edged down from 2.57 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the southwest.
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 Houston County
| Period | Houston County | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.4 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.2 | 39.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.2 | 40.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.6 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.2 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Houston County are younger than 40.6 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 38.4, mirroring the country. The youngest areas are in the center, the oldest in the southeast.
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 Houston County
| Period | Houston County | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.3% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.7% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.5% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.8% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit more common in Houston County than nationally: 12.8%, against 11.6%. The picture is much the same across Alabama.
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 Houston County
Renters in Houston County
| Period | Houston County | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.6% | 28.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 35.3% | 30.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.3% | 31.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 36.2% | 29.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.6 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Houston County is about as common as it is nationally: 36.2% of households rent, against 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in Alabama overall (29.8%). More than four in ten owners (43.3%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has risen 3.6 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Houston County
| Period | Houston County | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.3% | 14.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.4% | 14.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.5% | 15.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.3% | 13.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | −0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs high in Houston County: 13.3% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy is down 0.9 points from 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 Houston County
| Period | Houston County | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1980 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1982 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1984 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1986 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Houston County is younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1986, against 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1980 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the north.
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 Houston County
| Period | Houston County | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $654 | $716 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $714 | $785 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $805 | $858 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,017 | $1,091 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$364 | +$375 | +$606 |
The median renter in Houston County pays $1,017 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $364 a month since 2006–10, up 56%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 27.1% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the northwest and lowest in the southeast.
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 Houston County
Bachelor's degrees in Houston County
| Period | Houston County | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.6% | 23.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.4% | 24.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.6% | 26.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.1% | 29.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.5 pts | +5.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Houston County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 23.1%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 3.5 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the southeast.
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 Houston County
| Period | Houston County | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 82.5% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.6% | 84.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 86.0% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 88.2% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.7 pts | +6.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Houston County have finished high school as nationally: 88.2%, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 5.7 points from 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 Houston County
| Period | Houston County | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.6% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.2% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.6% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.8% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.9 pts | −3.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Houston County is close to the national rate: 4.8% of the labor force, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 1.9 points, mirroring the country. 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).
Houston 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston County | 2.49 | 40.6 | 12.8% | 36.2% | 13.3% | 1986 | $1,017 | 23.1% | 88.2% | 4.8% |
| Dale County | 2.58 | 40.1 | 13.7% | 38.1% | 14.6% | 1983 | $876 | 19.8% | 86.2% | 6.4% |
| Early County | 2.53 | 42.9 | 15.1% | 33.4% | 18.0% | 1984 | $813 | 14.7% | 82.1% | 6.5% |
| Coffee County | 2.60 | 39.9 | 12.0% | 27.7% | 14.3% | 1987 | $1,078 | 22.8% | 87.3% | 4.8% |
| Miller County | 2.24 | 43.3 | 11.4% | 29.5% | 11.1% | 1982 | $705 | 21.1% | 84.0% | 3.7% |
| Baker County | 2.47 | 51.4 | 12.4% | 23.3% | 18.2% | 1976 | $606 | 16.4% | 89.1% | 6.3% |
| Covington County | 2.55 | 44.2 | 11.8% | 23.7% | 21.1% | 1979 | $740 | 17.7% | 85.1% | 5.0% |
| Mitchell County | 2.56 | 40.3 | 15.4% | 34.8% | 13.4% | 1979 | $812 | 14.3% | 82.9% | 6.3% |
| Colquitt County | 2.82 | 37.4 | 19.6% | 36.3% | 13.9% | 1986 | $860 | 15.7% | 80.0% | 4.5% |
| Cook County | 2.73 | 40.5 | 11.4% | 34.0% | 15.9% | 1984 | $1,029 | 17.8% | 83.4% | 4.0% |
| Berrien County | 2.62 | 40.3 | 10.0% | 29.0% | 13.6% | 1989 | $836 | 15.4% | 83.1% | 4.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Mercer County, PA · Platte County, MO · Pennington County, SD · Ontario County, NY · Newton County, GA · Nevada County, CA · Navajo County, AZ · Moore County, NC · Montgomery County, VA · Monongalia County, WV
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 Houston 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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