DeKalb County, Alabama

AL · FIPS 01049 Republican

Located in Alabama, DeKalb County has a population of 72,269 residents and a median age of 39.5 years, making it the #773 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 22.4%. The median home value is $152,700, and the median household income is $51,204, which is 32% below the national median.

72,269
Population
#773 of 3,222
$51,204
Median Income
-31.9% #2,708 of 3,222
39.5 years
Median Age
+1.5% #2,247 of 3,222
22.4%
Poverty Rate
+77.4% #2,858 of 3,222

Demographics

DeKalb County has a population of 72,269, making it the #773 most populous county in the US. The median age is 39.5 years, which is 1.5% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

92.2%
Native Born
7.8%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in DeKalb County is $51,204, ranking #2,708 out of 3,222 counties — 31.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 22.4% and unemployment stands at 4.1%.

Income#2,708
$51,204
-31.9%
vs nation
16th percentile
Per Capita#2,848
$26,490
-35.8%
vs nation
12th percentile
Poverty#2,858
22.4%
+77.4%
vs nation
11th percentile
Unemployment#1,394
4.1%
-22.0%
vs nation
57th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in DeKalb County is $152,700 (-45.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $693/mo and the homeownership rate is 78.3%.

Home Value#2,196
$152,700
-45.8%
vs nation
32th percentile
Rent#2,762
$693
-40.4%
vs nation
14th percentile
Homeownership#915
78.3%
+21.5%
vs nation
72th percentile

Household Type

Education

In DeKalb County, 14.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 58.2% below the national average, ranking #2,921 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
14.1% −58.2% vs nation
Rank #2,921 of 3,222
9th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in DeKalb County is 72.4 years. 28.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 15.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,412
72.4
-3.7%
vs nation
21th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,985
28.1%
+43.6%
vs nation
5th percentile
Diabetes#2,743
13.8%
+24.0%
vs nation
13th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,567
41.1%
+10.2%
vs nation
18th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,802
6.4
+13.6%
vs nation
11th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,803
5.3
+19.1%
vs nation
11th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,671
15.2%
+45.1%
vs nation
15th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,896
34.1%
+29.3%
vs nation
8th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,885
19.4%
+34.7%
vs nation
8th percentile

Substance Use

22.5% of adults in DeKalb County smoke , 38.9% are obese , and 16.2% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 22.7 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,759
22.5%
+25.3%
vs nation
12th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,715
38.9%
+2.6%
vs nation
46th percentile
Excessive Drinking#405
16.2%
-18.5%
vs nation
87th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#743
22.7
-29.7%
vs nation
65th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in DeKalb County is 3.4 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 21.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 26.4 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#332
3.4
-57.6%
vs nation
78th percentile
Suicide Rate#1,778
21.7
+10.0%
vs nation
31th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,491
18.4
+3.1%
vs nation
40th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,174
26.4
+30.1%
vs nation
23th percentile

Families & Children

28.8% of children in DeKalb County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 7.5 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 30.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#928
7.5
+9.9%
vs nation
32th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#2,342
30.2
+38.1%
vs nation
22th percentile
Child Poverty#2,778
28.8%
+51.6%
vs nation
12th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in DeKalb County is 58.9%. The mean commute time is 27.3 min, which is 1.2% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
58.9% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
27.3 min −1.2% vs nation
Rank #1,420 of 3,222
56th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, DeKalb County voted Republican with a margin of 73.9%. The vote was 12.7% Dem / 86.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.1 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +73.9%
12.7% 86.6%
Dem 29,583 votes Rep
2020 REP +69.8%
14.6% 84.4%
Dem 29,356 votes Rep
2016 REP +69.4%
14.1% 83.5%
Dem 26,086 votes Rep
2012 REP +54.8%
22% 76.8%
Dem 23,842 votes Rep
2008 REP +51.2%
23.6% 74.8%
Dem 24,015 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About DeKalb County, Alabama

DeKalb County, Alabama has a total population of 72,269, making it the 773rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in DeKalb County is 39.5 years, which is 1.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in DeKalb County is $51,204, which ranks #2,708 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 31.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 22.4%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.1%.

The median home value in DeKalb County is $152,700, 45.8% below the national median. Renters in DeKalb County pay a median gross rent of $693 per month. The homeownership rate is 78.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In DeKalb County, 14.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 58.2% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 84.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 27.3 min.

DeKalb County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 77.0% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (17.1%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).

All data for DeKalb County, Alabama comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.