Population 2,967 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Riverside
Household size in Riverside
| Period | Riverside | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.58 | 2.56 | 2.55 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.50 | 2.59 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.87 | 2.59 | 2.58 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.75 | 2.57 | 2.56 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.17 | +0.01 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Riverside average 2.75 people, a bit above the national 2.65, so families with children are somewhat more common here. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.58, 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 Riverside
| Period | Riverside | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.4 | 37.9 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.8 | 39.1 | 39.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.6 | 39.9 | 40.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.0 | 40.0 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | −2.4 | +2.1 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Riverside is a little younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 38.0, against 40.1 nationally.
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 Riverside
| Period | Riverside | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.0% | 12.1% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.3% | 12.0% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.2% | 11.2% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 22.9% | 12.0% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| Change | +12.9 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Riverside: 22.9% of all households, against 11.6% 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 Riverside
Renters in Riverside
| Period | Riverside | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.1% | 27.9% | 28.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 26.7% | 30.4% | 30.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 35.8% | 30.6% | 31.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 19.7% | 29.2% | 29.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.4 pts | +1.3 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Riverside is largely a place of homeowners: only 19.7% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Nearly half of owners (47.8%) have paid off their mortgages, 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 Riverside
| Period | Riverside | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.6% | 12.5% | 14.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.0% | 12.8% | 14.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 19.7% | 13.6% | 15.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.7% | 11.6% | 13.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | −11.0 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Riverside than nationally: 6.7%, against 9.6% for the U.S.
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 Riverside
| Period | Riverside | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1985 | 1979 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1987 | 1981 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1989 | 1982 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1990 | 1984 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +5 | +6 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Riverside is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1990, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole.
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 Riverside
| Period | Riverside | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $694 | $827 | $716 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $684 | $903 | $785 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $942 | $984 | $858 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,002 | $1,238 | $1,091 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$308 | +$412 | +$375 | +$606 |
Rent in Riverside runs $1,002 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 28.6% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Riverside
Bachelor's degrees in Riverside
| Period | Riverside | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.6% | 28.3% | 23.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.2% | 29.1% | 24.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.7% | 31.1% | 26.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.5% | 34.7% | 29.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | +6.4 pts | +5.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Riverside have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 14.5%, against 35.6% nationally.
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 Riverside
| Period | Riverside | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 83.8% | 85.7% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 80.6% | 86.8% | 84.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 83.9% | 88.9% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 76.2% | 90.5% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | −7.5 pts | +4.9 pts | +6.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly a quarter of adults in Riverside never finished high school, well above the national share: only 76.2% 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 Riverside
| Period | Riverside | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.5% | 8.0% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.9% | 9.2% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.3% | 5.9% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.3% | 4.4% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.2 pts | −3.6 pts | −3.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Riverside than nationally: unemployment was 4.3%, against 5.4%. The picture is much the same across the Birmingham area. 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).
Riverside 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside | 2.75 | 38.0 | 22.9% | 19.7% | 6.7% | 1990 | $1,002 | 14.5% | 76.2% | 4.3% |
| Lincoln | 2.45 | 44.5 | 12.5% | 8.6% | 14.5% | 1992 | $869 | 20.3% | 90.8% | 3.4% |
| Wattsville | 2.97 | 43.3 | 17.9% | 11.6% | 7.0% | 1996 | $804 | 12.1% | 84.1% | 6.1% |
| Pell City | 2.59 | 42.8 | 12.2% | 24.4% | 13.7% | 1990 | $1,144 | 18.0% | 83.5% | 6.0% |
| Ragland | 2.29 | 44.2 | 11.2% | 20.7% | 14.1% | 1988 | $806 | 11.9% | 86.4% | 5.3% |
| Cropwell | 2.67 | 49.7 | 7.4% | 15.1% | 14.6% | 1992 | $1,229 | 26.0% | 92.3% | 6.1% |
| Macon | 2.63 | 46.3 | 22.7% | 6.4% | 9.8% | 1991 | $836 | 16.0% | 89.1% | 18.0% |
| Cool Springs | 3.25 | 48.1 | 10.4% | 8.2% | 9.5% | 2003 | $929 | 7.1% | 79.0% | 8.6% |
| Cook Springs | 2.70 | 50.9 | 15.9% | 17.4% | 16.7% | 1996 | $1,454 | 20.4% | 79.2% | 3.9% |
| Odenville | 2.66 | 39.7 | 11.4% | 15.4% | 8.4% | 1998 | $1,289 | 25.4% | 87.8% | 2.7% |
| Eastaboga | 2.81 | 35.8 | 19.6% | 19.1% | 13.8% | 1988 | $825 | 15.7% | 86.1% | 3.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Babson Park, FL · Crescent, PA · Cayucos, CA · Concord, MI · Coats Crossroads, NC · Smithville, MS · Magdalena, NM · Markleville, IN · Mexico, ME · Newton, 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 Riverside. 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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