Population 92 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Melvin
Household size in Melvin
| Period | Melvin | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.94 | 2.55 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.59 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.56 | 2.58 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.38 | 2.56 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.56 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Melvin is a place of small households, averaging 2.38 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has dropped from 2.94 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 Melvin
| Period | Melvin | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.7 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.3 | 39.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.3 | 40.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 48.9 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +6.2 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Melvin skews older: half of its residents are older than 48.9, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
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 Melvin
| Period | Melvin | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.0% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.0% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 18.5% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.4% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| Change | +8.4 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in eight households in Melvin (11.4%), close to the national share of 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 Melvin
Renters in Melvin
| Period | Melvin | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.8% | 28.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.2% | 30.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.0% | 31.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 6.3% | 29.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.5 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 6.3% of households in Melvin rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About three-quarters of owners (75.7%) have paid off their mortgages, 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 Melvin
| Period | Melvin | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.3% | 14.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.5% | 14.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 37.3% | 15.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 24.0% | 13.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | −8.3 pts | −0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Melvin: 24.0% 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 Melvin
| Period | Melvin | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1975 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1984 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1981 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +6 | +6 |
The typical home in Melvin was built around 1981, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are older than in Alabama overall, where the median home dates to 1986.
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 Melvin
| Period | Melvin | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $542 | $716 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $474 | $785 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $625 | $858 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $547 | $1,091 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$5 | +$375 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Melvin costs $547 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 23.8% of the typical renter's income, comfortably 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 Melvin
Bachelor's degrees in Melvin
| Period | Melvin | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.0% | 23.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.6% | 24.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 12.7% | 26.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.3% | 29.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.3 pts | +5.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Melvin: 11.3% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
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 Melvin
| Period | Melvin | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 63.8% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 72.7% | 84.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 84.7% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 81.5% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +17.7 pts | +6.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in five adults in Melvin never finished high school, well above the national share: only 81.5% 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 Melvin
| Period | Melvin | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.7% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 0.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.0% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.7% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | −3.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Melvin runs well above the national rate: 9.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. 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).
Melvin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melvin | 2.38 | 48.9 | 11.4% | 6.3% | 24.0% | 1981 | $547 | 11.3% | 81.5% | 9.7% |
| Water Valley | 2.71 | 49.9 | 15.8% | 3.4% | 34.1% | 1983 | $547 | 11.0% | 81.7% | 7.9% |
| Crandall | 2.04 | 58.0 | 12.7% | 3.0% | 20.5% | 1986 | $760 | 7.9% | 91.1% | 0.0% |
| Needham | 2.21 | 48.4 | 9.2% | 7.4% | 19.0% | 1980 | $547 | 11.4% | 81.5% | 10.6% |
| Land | 2.21 | 48.4 | 9.2% | 7.4% | 19.0% | 1980 | $547 | 11.4% | 81.5% | 10.6% |
| Matherville | 1.97 | 41.6 | 20.3% | 11.6% | 25.3% | 1988 | $764 | 15.8% | 91.6% | 0.0% |
| Langsdale | 2.14 | 37.4 | 48.5% | 29.3% | 38.4% | 1979 | $760 | 38.6% | 97.0% | 0.0% |
| Mannassa | 2.04 | 54.5 | 7.3% | 11.1% | 23.0% | 1990 | $760 | 11.3% | 92.8% | 0.0% |
| Toxey | 2.22 | 47.1 | 12.9% | 13.2% | 26.0% | 1982 | $600 | 12.4% | 82.2% | 5.7% |
| Gilbertown | 2.36 | 43.8 | 10.1% | 13.9% | 28.7% | 1988 | $747 | 11.8% | 88.9% | 2.2% |
| Hodgewood | 2.10 | 41.5 | 24.2% | 22.8% | 24.8% | 1995 | $547 | 1.4% | 68.4% | 0.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Camps Mills, NY · Sycamore Valley, OH · Sycamore, CA · Aquilla, MO · Angle Inlet, MN · Amorita, OK · Almeria, AL · Adna, WA · Alfarata, PA · Allport, AR
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 Melvin. 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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