Population 10,303 · 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 Rainbow City: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Rainbow City
Household size in Rainbow City
| Period | Rainbow City | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.51 | 2.55 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.45 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.55 | 2.58 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.47 | 2.56 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.04 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
The average household in Rainbow City has 2.47 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.51, mirroring the country. Households are largest in the north and smallest 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 Rainbow City
| Period | Rainbow City | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.4 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.1 | 39.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.5 | 40.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.8 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.4 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Rainbow City skews older than the country: its median age is 42.8, against 40.1 nationally. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 40.4, mirroring the country. Residents skew youngest in the northeast and oldest in the center.
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 Rainbow City
| Period | Rainbow City | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.6% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.0% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.9% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.5% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.8 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in seven households in Rainbow City (14.5%), above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has risen 3.8 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 Rainbow City
Renters in Rainbow City
| Period | Rainbow City | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.5% | 28.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 33.8% | 30.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 37.7% | 31.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 32.2% | 29.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.4 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly a third of households in Rainbow City rent their homes (32.2%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 47.9% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the northeast; owners are most common in the southwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 3.4 points, 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 Rainbow City
| Period | Rainbow City | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.3% | 14.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.7% | 14.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 14.8% | 15.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.9% | 13.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.6 pts | −0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
More homes sit empty in Rainbow City than nationally: 12.9%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy is up 1.6 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 Rainbow City
| Period | Rainbow City | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1981 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1983 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1984 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1988 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +6 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Rainbow City is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1988, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1981 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the northeast has the oldest housing.
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 Rainbow City
| Period | Rainbow City | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $629 | $716 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $817 | $785 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $831 | $858 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,075 | $1,091 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$446 | +$375 | +$606 |
The median renter in Rainbow City pays $1,075 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $446 a month since 2006–10, up 71%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 39.5% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Rainbow City
Bachelor's degrees in Rainbow City
| Period | Rainbow City | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.7% | 23.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 25.3% | 24.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.9% | 26.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.9% | 29.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | +5.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Rainbow City: 23.9% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has edged down 0.8 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 Rainbow City
| Period | Rainbow City | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 89.7% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.4% | 84.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.5% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 84.0% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | −5.7 pts | +6.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in six adults in Rainbow City never finished high school, well above the national share: only 84.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma is down 5.7 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate rose. Rainbow City has a lower share of high school graduates than at least four in five Alabama cities.
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 Rainbow City
| Period | Rainbow City | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.3% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.5% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.3% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.5% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.8 pts | −3.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little harder to find in Rainbow City than nationally: unemployment was 6.5%, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 2.8 points, as it has 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).
Rainbow City 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow City | 2.47 | 42.8 | 14.5% | 32.2% | 12.9% | 1988 | $1,075 | 23.9% | 84.0% | 6.5% |
| Southside | 2.81 | 44.4 | 5.4% | 7.1% | 6.9% | 1988 | $1,177 | 23.5% | 94.0% | 2.8% |
| Clubview Heights | 2.00 | 48.8 | 14.4% | 41.7% | 29.4% | 1970 | $945 | 26.5% | 97.5% | 4.7% |
| Curtiston | 2.25 | 51.7 | 9.0% | 11.6% | 5.7% | 1967 | $734 | 11.1% | 86.6% | 3.8% |
| Gadsden | 2.60 | 40.9 | 16.6% | 35.8% | 19.9% | 1968 | $906 | 16.3% | 82.3% | 7.2% |
| Attalla | 2.47 | 46.1 | 8.2% | 22.3% | 15.9% | 1975 | $796 | 13.2% | 86.9% | 5.1% |
| Glencoe | 2.60 | 41.4 | 15.7% | 19.2% | 11.4% | 1976 | $932 | 22.6% | 91.6% | 2.9% |
| Ridgeville | 2.18 | 48.2 | 1.5% | 21.2% | 18.6% | 1986 | $714 | 14.2% | 90.2% | 0.3% |
| Reece City | 2.77 | 44.1 | 5.7% | 14.9% | 19.5% | 1983 | $712 | 16.0% | 82.7% | 2.7% |
| Grayton | 2.52 | 45.9 | 18.5% | 6.1% | 14.5% | 1997 | $791 | 18.1% | 90.0% | 2.8% |
| Steele | 2.98 | 38.1 | 15.0% | 14.4% | 15.9% | 1988 | $844 | 12.3% | 93.7% | 4.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Bloomingdale, TN · Williamston, MI · Willard, MO · Wilkesboro, NC · White Horse, NJ · Bridge City, TX · Briarcliff Manor, NY · Brentwood, PA · Breinigsville, PA · Brandenburg, KY
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 Rainbow City. 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.