Population 9,543 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Sheffield
Household size in Sheffield
| Period | Sheffield | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.26 | 2.55 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.32 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.20 | 2.58 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.02 | 2.56 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.24 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Sheffield are small: just 2.02 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has dropped from 2.26 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Sheffield has the smallest households of any Alabama city with 5,000+ people.
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 Sheffield
| Period | Sheffield | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.2 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.3 | 39.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.5 | 40.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.0 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.8 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Sheffield is 43.0 years old, older than the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 39.2 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the northeast.
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 Sheffield
| Period | Sheffield | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.4% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.2% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.5% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.7% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are more common in Sheffield than nationally: 13.7%, against 11.6%. Compared with other Alabama cities, Sheffield has a higher share of single-parent households than most.
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 Sheffield
Renters in Sheffield
| Period | Sheffield | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.9% | 28.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 42.2% | 30.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 41.6% | 31.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 38.3% | 29.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is a bit more common in Sheffield than nationally: 38.3% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% for the U.S. About six in ten owners (58.3%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the south and least common in the northeast. The renter share is down 1.6 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 Sheffield
| Period | Sheffield | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.1% | 14.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.1% | 14.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 19.4% | 15.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.5% | 13.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | −0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Sheffield: 15.5% of homes are empty, 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 down 1.6 points from 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 Sheffield
| Period | Sheffield | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1960 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1961 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1960 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1962 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +6 | +6 |
Sheffield is a place of older homes: half were built before 1962, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The newest homes are mostly in the south, the oldest in the north. Only two of the 186 Alabama cities with 5,000+ people have older homes.
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 Sheffield
| Period | Sheffield | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $577 | $716 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $645 | $785 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $673 | $858 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $776 | $1,091 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$199 | +$375 | +$606 |
Rent in Sheffield runs $776 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $199 a month from 2006–10, a 34% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 36.4% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the center; the highest are in the southwest.
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 Sheffield
Bachelor's degrees in Sheffield
| Period | Sheffield | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.7% | 23.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.4% | 24.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.2% | 26.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.3% | 29.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.6 pts | +5.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Sheffield have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 17.3%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 1.6 points, a smaller shift than 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 Sheffield
| Period | Sheffield | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 79.4% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 78.2% | 84.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 80.6% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 81.4% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | +6.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in five adults in Sheffield never finished high school, well above the national share: only 81.4% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 2.0 points, as it has nationally. Of the 186 Alabama cities with 5,000+ people, only 14 have a lower share of high school graduates.
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 Sheffield
| Period | Sheffield | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.8% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.9% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.8% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.1% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.7 pts | −3.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Sheffield than nationally: unemployment was 4.1%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 3.7 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. 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).
Sheffield 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheffield | 2.02 | 43.0 | 13.7% | 38.3% | 15.5% | 1962 | $776 | 17.3% | 81.4% | 4.1% |
| Tuscumbia | 2.52 | 41.2 | 13.6% | 29.5% | 13.4% | 1980 | $781 | 24.8% | 87.1% | 1.7% |
| 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% |
| Wilson Lake Shores | 2.15 | 47.1 | 2.2% | 40.5% | 22.7% | 1978 | $1,061 | 26.6% | 90.1% | 11.6% |
| Cedar Hills Estates | 2.68 | 43.1 | 2.8% | 12.7% | 14.6% | 1989 | $674 | 13.7% | 87.0% | 5.3% |
| Mansion View | 2.84 | 40.9 | 6.5% | 15.6% | 10.8% | 1985 | $854 | 36.7% | 94.0% | 1.6% |
| Colonial Heights | 2.87 | 43.4 | 3.8% | 16.2% | 9.6% | 1996 | $940 | 32.7% | 91.5% | 1.2% |
| Lakeview Highlands | 2.23 | 46.8 | 1.1% | 51.8% | 21.8% | 1981 | $1,112 | 24.1% | 89.6% | 13.5% |
| Florence | 2.31 | 39.1 | 10.0% | 39.4% | 12.0% | 1978 | $870 | 30.4% | 89.6% | 4.6% |
| Oakland | 2.40 | 55.2 | 10.3% | 9.6% | 20.1% | 1992 | $889 | 15.9% | 87.1% | 3.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Gonzales, CA · St. Pete Beach, FL · St. Pauls, NC · St. Joseph, MN · St. Francis, WI · St. Francis, MN · St. Augustine Shores, FL · Harrisburg, SD · Harrington, DE · Harpers Ferry, WV
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 Sheffield. 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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