Population 19,680 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Muscle Shoals: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Muscle Shoals
Household size in Muscle Shoals
| Period | Muscle Shoals | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.47 | 2.55 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.44 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.53 | 2.58 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.50 | 2.56 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.03 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Muscle Shoals run a little small, averaging 2.50 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. The picture is much the same across Alabama. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.47, even as the national average fell.
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 Muscle Shoals
| Period | Muscle Shoals | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.2 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.2 | 39.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.0 | 40.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.6 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.4 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Muscle Shoals skews a little older than the country: its median age is 41.6, against 40.1 nationally. That is in line with the rest of Alabama. The median age has climbed from 40.2 in 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Muscle Shoals
| Period | Muscle Shoals | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.1% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.0% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.4% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.3% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in eight households in Muscle Shoals (13.3%), a bit above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has risen 3.2 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
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 Muscle Shoals
Renters in Muscle Shoals
| Period | Muscle Shoals | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.9% | 28.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 25.7% | 30.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.4% | 31.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 29.0% | 29.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.1 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Muscle Shoals own their homes; 29.0% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 46.2% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the southwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 3.1 points, 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 Muscle Shoals
| Period | Muscle Shoals | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.6% | 14.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.8% | 14.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.4% | 15.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.8% | 13.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.8 pts | −0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Muscle Shoals as nationally: 10.8%, against 9.6%. The rate is lower than in Alabama as a whole (13.5%). Vacancy has fallen 1.8 points since 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 Muscle Shoals
| Period | Muscle Shoals | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1983 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1983 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1985 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1986 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in Muscle Shoals are newer than the national norm: the median home was built in 1986, versus 1980 across the U.S. That is in line with the rest of Alabama. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, 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 Muscle Shoals
| Period | Muscle Shoals | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $637 | $716 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $671 | $785 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $780 | $858 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,010 | $1,091 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$374 | +$375 | +$606 |
The median renter in Muscle Shoals pays $1,010 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $374 a month since 2006–10, up 59%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 30.2% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the northeast; the highest are in the west.
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 Muscle Shoals
Bachelor's degrees in Muscle Shoals
| Period | Muscle Shoals | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.0% | 23.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 24.0% | 24.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.6% | 26.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.1% | 29.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | +5.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Muscle Shoals have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 25.1%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 3.2 points, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the southeast and least in the west.
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 Muscle Shoals
| Period | Muscle Shoals | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 84.7% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.9% | 84.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.2% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 89.6% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.9 pts | +6.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Muscle Shoals is close to the national rate: 89.6% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 4.9 points, 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 Muscle Shoals
| Period | Muscle Shoals | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.0% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.1% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.6% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.3% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.7 pts | −3.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Muscle Shoals has been strong: just 3.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment is down 2.7 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).
Muscle Shoals 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muscle Shoals | 2.50 | 41.6 | 13.3% | 29.0% | 10.8% | 1986 | $1,010 | 25.1% | 89.6% | 3.3% |
| Steenson Hollow | 2.11 | 47.9 | 11.4% | 40.2% | 17.3% | 1980 | $990 | 20.7% | 90.9% | 7.7% |
| Lakeview Highlands | 2.23 | 46.8 | 1.1% | 51.8% | 21.8% | 1981 | $1,112 | 24.1% | 89.6% | 13.5% |
| Wilson Lake Shores | 2.15 | 47.1 | 2.2% | 40.5% | 22.7% | 1978 | $1,061 | 26.6% | 90.1% | 11.6% |
| Sheffield | 2.02 | 43.0 | 13.7% | 38.3% | 15.5% | 1962 | $776 | 17.3% | 81.4% | 4.1% |
| Colonial Heights | 2.87 | 43.4 | 3.8% | 16.2% | 9.6% | 1996 | $940 | 32.7% | 91.5% | 1.2% |
| Nitrate City | 2.39 | 52.6 | 5.5% | 15.6% | 16.1% | 1979 | $623 | 22.7% | 80.3% | 1.3% |
| Tuscumbia | 2.52 | 41.2 | 13.6% | 29.5% | 13.4% | 1980 | $781 | 24.8% | 87.1% | 1.7% |
| Spring Valley | 2.72 | 44.3 | 4.6% | 19.1% | 9.7% | 1993 | $934 | 25.8% | 90.1% | 0.8% |
| Leighton | 2.32 | 48.2 | 8.7% | 18.9% | 16.1% | 1984 | $693 | 20.5% | 86.9% | 1.6% |
| Florence | 2.31 | 39.1 | 10.0% | 39.4% | 12.0% | 1978 | $870 | 30.4% | 89.6% | 4.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: San Carlos Park, FL · Jacksonville, TX · Jenkintown, PA · Johnson City, NY · Johnstown, CO · Lakeway, TX · Riverton, NJ · Rockingham, NC · Rockmart, GA · Rockport, TX
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 Muscle Shoals. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.