Population 15,515 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Irondale
Household size in Irondale
| Period | Irondale | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.41 | 2.56 | 2.55 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.43 | 2.59 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.44 | 2.59 | 2.58 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.37 | 2.57 | 2.56 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.04 | +0.01 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Irondale is a place of small households, averaging 2.37 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.41, in line with the national trend. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the west.
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 Irondale
| Period | Irondale | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.0 | 37.9 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.0 | 39.1 | 39.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.0 | 39.9 | 40.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.0 | 40.0 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.0 | +2.1 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
At 40.0, the median age in Irondale is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The youngest areas are in the west, the oldest in the northeast.
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 Irondale
| Period | Irondale | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.6% | 12.1% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.9% | 12.0% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.9% | 11.2% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.7% | 12.0% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.9 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit less common in Irondale than nationally: 9.7%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share has fallen 2.9 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 Irondale
Renters in Irondale
| Period | Irondale | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.1% | 27.9% | 28.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 28.2% | 30.4% | 30.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.2% | 30.6% | 31.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 36.6% | 29.2% | 29.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +8.5 pts | +1.3 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a third of households in Irondale rent their homes (36.6%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in the Birmingham area overall (29.2%). More than four in ten owners (43.9%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has risen 8.5 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than 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 Irondale
| Period | Irondale | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.8% | 12.5% | 14.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.6% | 12.8% | 14.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.4% | 13.6% | 15.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.9% | 11.6% | 13.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.8 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Irondale: 7.9% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 1.8 points, in line with the national trend. Irondale has a lower vacancy rate than the great majority of Alabama cities.
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 Irondale
| Period | Irondale | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1979 | 1981 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1978 | 1982 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1981 | 1984 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +5 | +6 | +6 |
The typical home in Irondale was built around 1981, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). The median year built has moved up from 1978 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the north, the oldest in the west.
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 Irondale
| Period | Irondale | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $876 | $827 | $716 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $997 | $903 | $785 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,040 | $984 | $858 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,246 | $1,238 | $1,091 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$370 | +$412 | +$375 | +$606 |
Rent in Irondale runs $1,246 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $370 a month since 2006–10, up 42%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 26.5% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the center; the highest are in the southwest.
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 Irondale
Bachelor's degrees in Irondale
| Period | Irondale | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.2% | 28.3% | 23.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 31.3% | 29.1% | 24.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 38.9% | 31.1% | 26.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 40.1% | 34.7% | 29.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +10.9 pts | +6.4 pts | +5.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a bit more common in Irondale than nationally: 40.1% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 10.9 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the south and least in the north.
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 Irondale
| Period | Irondale | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.8% | 85.7% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.8% | 86.8% | 84.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.6% | 88.9% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.4% | 90.5% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.6 pts | +4.9 pts | +6.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Irondale have finished high school (91.4%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The picture is much the same across the Birmingham area. The share with a diploma is up 4.6 points from 2006–10, as it has 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 Irondale
| Period | Irondale | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.7% | 8.0% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.4% | 9.2% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.5% | 5.9% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.1% | 4.4% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | −3.6 pts | −3.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Irondale than nationally: unemployment was 4.1%, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 1.7 points from 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).
Irondale 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irondale | 2.37 | 40.0 | 9.7% | 36.6% | 7.9% | 1981 | $1,246 | 40.1% | 91.4% | 4.1% |
| Mountain Brook | 2.62 | 44.6 | 2.4% | 14.8% | 9.9% | 1966 | $1,531 | 80.4% | 97.5% | 2.5% |
| Tarrant | 2.23 | 39.7 | 15.2% | 60.5% | 10.9% | 1963 | $920 | 7.6% | 69.4% | 5.9% |
| Leeds | 2.67 | 40.3 | 8.9% | 24.7% | 9.6% | 1983 | $1,131 | 29.8% | 86.9% | 2.8% |
| Birmingham area | 2.57 | 40.0 | 12.0% | 29.2% | 11.6% | 1984 | $1,238 | 34.7% | 90.5% | 4.4% |
| Center Point | 2.65 | 36.2 | 24.3% | 43.3% | 14.0% | 1973 | $1,216 | 17.1% | 89.9% | 9.4% |
| Trussville | 2.83 | 41.2 | 8.5% | 9.9% | 5.5% | 1997 | $1,453 | 42.5% | 95.8% | 1.4% |
| Dunnavant | 2.31 | 51.9 | 12.6% | 24.2% | 6.2% | 1984 | $1,159 | 18.4% | 82.0% | 0.3% |
| Vestavia Hills | 2.53 | 41.3 | 8.1% | 29.8% | 9.1% | 1983 | $1,518 | 68.7% | 96.0% | 2.2% |
| Fultondale | 2.27 | 37.4 | 20.4% | 35.9% | 7.4% | 1985 | $1,227 | 29.1% | 91.3% | 2.6% |
| Homewood | 2.52 | 32.1 | 8.2% | 37.7% | 12.9% | 1966 | $1,597 | 68.5% | 95.0% | 2.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Ville Platte, LA · Decatur, IN · DeForest, WI · Dentsville, SC · Denver, PA · Detroit Lakes, MN · Dumas, TX · Waterford, CT · Warrenville, IL · Warren, PA
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 Irondale. 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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