Population 224 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Rock City
Household size in Rock City
| Period | Rock City | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.43 | 2.56 | 2.55 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.37 | 2.59 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.68 | 2.59 | 2.58 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.55 | 2.57 | 2.56 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.12 | +0.01 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Rock City run a little small, averaging 2.55 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. The Birmingham area as a whole looks much the same. Household size has climbed from 2.43 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 Rock City
| Period | Rock City | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.2 | 37.9 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.4 | 39.1 | 39.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.9 | 39.9 | 40.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.0 | 40.0 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.8 | +2.1 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Rock City skews older than the country: its median age is 44.0, 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 Rock City
| Period | Rock City | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.4% | 12.1% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.5% | 12.0% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.0% | 11.2% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.1% | 12.0% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.7 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are more common in Rock City than nationally: 14.1%, against 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 Rock City
Renters in Rock City
| Period | Rock City | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.1% | 27.9% | 28.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 28.3% | 30.4% | 30.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.6% | 30.6% | 31.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 24.8% | 29.2% | 29.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | +1.3 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Rock City own their homes; 24.8% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 72.0% have no mortgage at all, 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 Rock City
| Period | Rock City | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.1% | 12.5% | 14.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.2% | 12.8% | 14.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 23.2% | 13.6% | 15.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 29.0% | 11.6% | 13.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | +8.9 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 29.0% of the housing in Rock City, 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 Rock City
| Period | Rock City | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1977 | 1979 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1982 | 1981 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1985 | 1982 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1979 | 1984 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +5 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in Rock City are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1979, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in the Birmingham area as a whole, where the median home dates to 1984.
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 Rock City
| Period | Rock City | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $323 | $827 | $716 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $513 | $903 | $785 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $486 | $984 | $858 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $701 | $1,238 | $1,091 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$378 | +$412 | +$375 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Rock City costs $701 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 27.0% 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 Rock City
Bachelor's degrees in Rock City
| Period | Rock City | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.6% | 28.3% | 23.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.7% | 29.1% | 24.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.7% | 31.1% | 26.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.2% | 34.7% | 29.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | −3.3 pts | +6.4 pts | +5.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Rock City have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 10.2%, 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 Rock City
| Period | Rock City | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 74.0% | 85.7% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 77.3% | 86.8% | 84.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 78.9% | 88.9% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 75.4% | 90.5% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.3 pts | +4.9 pts | +6.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
About a quarter of adults in Rock City never finished high school, well above the national share: only 75.4% 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 Rock City
| Period | Rock City | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.1% | 8.0% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.2% | 9.2% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.0% | 5.9% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.9% | 4.4% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.3 pts | −3.6 pts | −3.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Rock City has been strong: just 2.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 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).
Rock 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock City | 2.55 | 44.0 | 14.1% | 24.8% | 29.0% | 1979 | $701 | 10.2% | 75.4% | 2.9% |
| Gold Mine | 2.89 | 30.7 | 4.7% | 9.8% | 42.7% | 1991 | $463 | 13.0% | 81.3% | 6.1% |
| Brilliant | 2.55 | 42.4 | 8.2% | 28.7% | 24.5% | 1977 | $530 | 9.2% | 81.2% | 6.0% |
| Eldridge | 2.49 | 38.4 | 14.4% | 10.9% | 20.0% | 1978 | $708 | 16.4% | 77.2% | 1.3% |
| Glen Allen | 2.49 | 44.6 | 3.3% | 13.2% | 19.1% | 1987 | $818 | 8.9% | 82.9% | 9.5% |
| Winfield | 2.65 | 46.0 | 8.4% | 21.9% | 22.6% | 1979 | $756 | 15.1% | 88.1% | 6.7% |
| Piney Grove | 2.81 | 32.0 | 6.0% | 5.3% | 31.4% | 1983 | $481 | 11.7% | 80.8% | 5.5% |
| Pea Ridge | 2.86 | 42.0 | 5.6% | 13.9% | 12.1% | 1981 | $714 | 13.4% | 85.7% | 6.8% |
| Twin | 2.59 | 45.4 | 5.0% | 19.0% | 19.3% | 1975 | $687 | 17.7% | 88.4% | 6.4% |
| Lynn | 2.45 | 42.0 | 13.3% | 18.7% | 17.4% | 1987 | $714 | 6.5% | 74.9% | 1.7% |
| Gu-Win | 2.70 | 37.0 | 1.8% | 14.2% | 25.0% | 1976 | $858 | 14.1% | 87.4% | 5.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Rowena, SD · McGowan, KY · Mchenry, ND · McKee Bridge, OR · McKinley, VA · McKnightstown, PA · Preston, NE · Rapelje, MT · Rochester, MO · Rocky Hill, 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 Rock 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.
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