Population 18,721 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Pickens County
Household size in Pickens County
| Period | Pickens County | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.44 | 2.55 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.48 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.39 | 2.58 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.62 | 2.56 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.18 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Pickens County average 2.62 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). Household size has climbed from 2.44 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the east and smallest in the north.
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 Pickens County
| Period | Pickens County | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.3 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.2 | 39.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.8 | 40.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.9 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.6 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Pickens County is 41.9 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 40.3, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the east and oldest in the northwest.
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 Pickens County
| Period | Pickens County | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.1% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 16.4% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.3% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.3% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| Change | −5.8 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in ten households in Pickens County (9.3%), below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has fallen 5.8 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Pickens County has a lower share of single-parent households than at least four in five Alabama counties.
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 Pickens County
Renters in Pickens County
| Period | Pickens County | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.9% | 28.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 28.0% | 30.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.7% | 31.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 24.2% | 29.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 24.2% of households in Pickens County rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 59.7% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the southwest; owners are most common in the northwest. The renter share is down 1.7 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 Pickens County
| Period | Pickens County | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.5% | 14.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.2% | 14.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 19.2% | 15.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.2% | 13.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | +6.7 pts | −0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 23.2% of the housing in Pickens County, 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. Vacancy is up 6.7 points from 2006–10, 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 Pickens County
| Period | Pickens County | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1975 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1978 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1983 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +6 | +6 |
The typical home in Pickens County was built around 1983, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). The median year built has moved up from 1975 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building.
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 Pickens County
| Period | Pickens County | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $441 | $716 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $449 | $785 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $486 | $858 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $636 | $1,091 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$194 | +$375 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Pickens County costs $636 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $194 a month from 2006–10, a 44% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 32.8% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the south and lowest in the north.
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 Pickens County
Bachelor's degrees in Pickens County
| Period | Pickens County | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.8% | 23.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.5% | 24.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.7% | 26.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.0% | 29.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | +5.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Pickens County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 13.0%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 2.2 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Of Alabama's 67 counties, only six have a lower share of college graduates.
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 Pickens County
| Period | Pickens County | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 77.6% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 77.0% | 84.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 81.6% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.8% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +8.2 pts | +6.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Pickens County never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.8% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma has risen 8.2 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Pickens County
| Period | Pickens County | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.9% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 18.1% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.7% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.9% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −9.0 pts | −3.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Pickens County is close to the national rate: 4.9% of the labor force, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 9.0 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. 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).
Pickens 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pickens County | 2.62 | 41.9 | 9.3% | 24.2% | 23.2% | 1983 | $636 | 13.0% | 85.8% | 4.9% |
| Noxubee County | 2.56 | 39.6 | 23.8% | 27.0% | 17.0% | 1983 | $765 | 10.9% | 75.9% | 8.4% |
| Tuscaloosa County | 2.53 | 35.1 | 11.0% | 38.6% | 13.5% | 1992 | $1,138 | 33.2% | 91.0% | 6.4% |
| Choctaw County | 2.30 | 44.3 | 12.4% | 20.6% | 20.0% | 1979 | $674 | 20.0% | 86.6% | 10.1% |
| Shelby County | 2.67 | 40.9 | 8.5% | 18.6% | 6.6% | 1998 | $1,491 | 47.0% | 94.6% | 3.0% |
| Talladega County | 2.34 | 43.1 | 14.3% | 28.0% | 13.3% | 1982 | $837 | 16.5% | 85.8% | 6.8% |
| Clay County | 2.43 | 46.1 | 9.8% | 20.6% | 18.0% | 1983 | $631 | 14.4% | 82.5% | 2.4% |
| Humphreys County | 2.58 | 40.6 | 23.1% | 38.3% | 17.5% | 1980 | $671 | 19.2% | 81.7% | 11.4% |
| Randolph County | 2.41 | 42.9 | 12.9% | 22.8% | 24.8% | 1984 | $689 | 17.5% | 84.1% | 3.5% |
| Washington County | 2.57 | 38.3 | 21.4% | 39.8% | 16.0% | 1974 | $898 | 21.8% | 81.1% | 6.0% |
| Heard County | 2.74 | 41.0 | 10.5% | 27.7% | 10.6% | 1985 | $972 | 12.4% | 87.5% | 4.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: San Juan County, UT · Hardin County, TN · Harlan County, KY · Henderson County, TN · Henry County, OH · Hocking County, OH · Sabine Parish, LA · Saline County, NE · Saluda County, SC · San Jacinto County, 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 Pickens 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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