Population 9,975 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Southside
Household size in Southside
| Period | Southside | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.71 | 2.55 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.97 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.63 | 2.58 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.81 | 2.56 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.11 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
The typical household in Southside holds 2.81 people, slightly more than the U.S. average of 2.65. Household size has climbed from 2.71 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the northwest and smallest in the northeast.
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 Southside
| Period | Southside | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.1 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.0 | 39.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.8 | 40.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.4 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.3 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 44.4, Southside is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 43.1 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. The youngest areas are in the northwest, the 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 Southside
| Period | Southside | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.1% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.3% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.5% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.4% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.7 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Southside: 5.4% of households, against 11.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 2.7 points, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only six of the 186 Alabama cities with 5,000+ people have a lower share of single-parent households.
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 Southside
Renters in Southside
| Period | Southside | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.1% | 28.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.0% | 30.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 12.1% | 31.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 7.1% | 29.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 7.1% of households in Southside rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. More than four in ten owners (45.3%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is up 1.0 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Of the 186 Alabama cities with 5,000+ people, only four have a lower share of renters.
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 Southside
| Period | Southside | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.1% | 14.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.6% | 14.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.5% | 15.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.9% | 13.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.2 pts | −0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Southside: 6.9% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Vacancy has fallen 4.2 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Southside has a lower vacancy rate than at least four in five Alabama cities.
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 Southside
| Period | Southside | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1983 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1990 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1992 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1988 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +6 | +6 |
Southside has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1988, versus 1980 nationally. Alabama as a whole looks much the same. The median year built has moved up from 1983 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 Southside
| Period | Southside | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $896 | $716 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $736 | $785 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $992 | $858 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,177 | $1,091 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$281 | +$375 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Southside costs $1,177 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are higher than in Alabama overall ($1,091). Rent has climbed $281 a month since 2006–10, up 31%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 37.2% 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 Southside
Bachelor's degrees in Southside
| Period | Southside | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.7% | 23.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.1% | 24.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.2% | 26.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.5% | 29.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.8 pts | +5.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Southside: 23.5% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 0.8 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the south.
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 Southside
| Period | Southside | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.2% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.4% | 84.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.7% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.0% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.8 pts | +6.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Southside is above the national rate: 94.0% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has edged up 0.8 points, a smaller shift than nationally. Southside has a higher share of high school graduates than the great majority of 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 Southside
| Period | Southside | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.3% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.9% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.9% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.8% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.5 pts | −3.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Southside has been strong: just 2.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 3.5 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Southside 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southside | 2.81 | 44.4 | 5.4% | 7.1% | 6.9% | 1988 | $1,177 | 23.5% | 94.0% | 2.8% |
| Rainbow City | 2.47 | 42.8 | 14.5% | 32.2% | 12.9% | 1988 | $1,075 | 23.9% | 84.0% | 6.5% |
| Clubview Heights | 2.00 | 48.8 | 14.4% | 41.7% | 29.4% | 1970 | $945 | 26.5% | 97.5% | 4.7% |
| Grayton | 2.52 | 45.9 | 18.5% | 6.1% | 14.5% | 1997 | $791 | 18.1% | 90.0% | 2.8% |
| Glencoe | 2.60 | 41.4 | 15.7% | 19.2% | 11.4% | 1976 | $932 | 22.6% | 91.6% | 2.9% |
| West Wellington | 2.63 | 33.8 | 23.6% | 18.4% | 19.0% | 1977 | $946 | 11.4% | 82.9% | 8.5% |
| Gadsden | 2.60 | 40.9 | 16.6% | 35.8% | 19.9% | 1968 | $906 | 16.3% | 82.3% | 7.2% |
| Wellington | 2.54 | 39.8 | 15.9% | 10.9% | 13.0% | 1990 | $881 | 17.5% | 88.0% | 3.9% |
| Curtiston | 2.25 | 51.7 | 9.0% | 11.6% | 5.7% | 1967 | $734 | 11.1% | 86.6% | 3.8% |
| Attalla | 2.47 | 46.1 | 8.2% | 22.3% | 15.9% | 1975 | $796 | 13.2% | 86.9% | 5.1% |
| Hokes Bluff | 2.50 | 48.6 | 8.1% | 6.8% | 12.5% | 1984 | $880 | 21.5% | 92.4% | 6.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Wantage, NJ · Cheat Lake, WV · Chesapeake Ranch Estates, MD · Chesterland, OH · Chestertown, MD · Chestnut Ridge, NY · Chillicothe, IL · Wakefield-Peacedale, RI · Walhalla, SC · Walkersville, MD
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 Southside. 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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