Huntsville, Alabama Population 2023

220,854

Huntsville is a city located in Limestone County and Madison County Alabama. Huntsville has a 2023 population of 220,854. It is also the county seat of Madison County.Huntsville is currently growing at a rate of 0.89% annually and its population has increased by 2.7% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 215,043 in 2020.

The average household income in Huntsville is $87,475 with a poverty rate of 14.62%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Huntsville is 37.1 years, 35.8 years for males, and 38.2 years for females.

Huntsville Population Growth

After Huntsville was founded, growth was slow but steady and was only at about 16,000 people at the time of the 1950 census. However, this all changed during the next census, when the population grew to over 72,000 people. The population had nearly doubled by the time of the next poll. While growth has slowed in recent years, recent estimates show that the numbers are up over 7% since the last census in 2010, with the city on track to soon hit over 200,000 residents.

The Chickasaw and Muscogee-speaking tribes were the first settlers in the area. However, the population declined in the early 1800s due to land disputes and disease. The same year, John Hunt settled in the area around Big Spring. Native claims to the land were ceded to the U.S. through treaties signed in 1805 and 1806. LeRoy Pope then purchased the land and named it Twickenham.

The city was planned out, but the name was changed to Huntsville, in honor of John Hunt who had originally settled the land. Huntsville was incorporated as a town in 1811. It was the first incorporated town in the state. The city’s economy and population began to grow significantly with the introduction of the railroad and cotton industries. Cotton planters moved to Huntsville from all over the south. The city was originally made the capital, but this was later changed several times until Montgomery became the capital city.

Huntsville continued to see growth as the Memphis and Charleston Railroad was constructed, linking the coast with the Mississippi River. Following the Civil War, the city was a center for textile mills. These mills built their communities which included schools, churches, stores, and other businesses. However, industry declined in the 1930s because of the Great Depression.

Though growth had remained slow and steady, this changed in the 1940s with the construction of three chemical munitions facilities. The personnel totaled around 20,000 throughout World War II. In 1950, the Ordnance Guided Missile Center came to Huntsville and developed the Redstone Rocket, which paved the path for the U.S. space program and Army missile programs.

Today, the city’s economy revolved around the technology industry. The city is home to over 25 biotechnology firms. The city has been named as one of the best cities for defense jobs and one of the most educated cities in the U.S.

Huntsville Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Huntsville was:

  • White: 59.87%
  • Black or African American: 30.91%
  • Two or more races: 4.34%
  • Asian: 2.23%
  • Other race: 2.15%
  • Native American: 0.41%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.1%
State
Alabama
Land Area (mi²)
214.4 sq mi
Density (mi²)
1,030.30/sq mi
Growth Rate
0.89% (1,954)
Growth Since 2020
2.7% (5,811)
The current population of Huntsville, Alabama is 220,854 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 215,043.

Huntsville, Alabama Population 2023

Population by Race

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White

Black or African American

Two or more races

Asian

Other race

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Huntsville Population by Race

Huntsville Population Pyramid 2023

Huntsville Median Age

37.1

Total

35.8

Male

38.2

Female

Huntsville Adults

There are 168,483 adults, (34,052 of whom are seniors) in Huntsville.

Huntsville Age Dependency

56.3

Age Dependency Ratio

25.3

Old Age Dependency Ratio

30.9

Child Dependency Ratio

Huntsville Sex Ratio

Female107,79951.31%
Male102,28248.69%

Huntsville Population by Age

Huntsville Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

2.91

Average Family Size

2.21

Average Household Size

57.0%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Huntsville Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Huntsville Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Huntsville Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 82.19%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 48.25%.

Huntsville Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$43,191

Average Earnings

$55,484

Average Male

$34,149

Average Female

Huntsville Earnings by Educational Attainment

Huntsville Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Huntsville Language

92.02% of Huntsville residents speak only English, while 7.98% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 4.44% of the population.

Huntsville Language

Huntsville Poverty by Race

rate

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14.62%

Overall Poverty Rate

12.34%

Male Poverty Rate

16.73%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Huntsville

The race most likely to be in poverty in Huntsville is Islander, with 76.47% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Huntsville is White, with 8.92% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 3.23%. Among those working part-time, it was 20.89%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 20.61%.

Huntsville Poverty

rate

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Huntsville Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Huntsville Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Huntsville Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

Huntsville Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

43.6%

Overall Marriage Rate

45.6%

Male Marriage Rate

41.7%

Female Marriage Rate

Huntsville Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Huntsville Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.

Huntsville Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Huntsville Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

18,583

Number of Veterans

15,765

Male Veterans

2,818

Female Veterans

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Huntsville Veterans by War

count

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Huntsville Veterans by Age

count

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Huntsville Veterans by Race

Huntsville Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

6.76%

Veteran Poverty Rate

23.99%

Veteran Disability Rate

Huntsville Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

63.1%

Labor Force Participation

59.7%

Employment Rate

4.9%

Unemployment Rate

Huntsville Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Huntsville Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Huntsville Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

49.53%

Born in Huntsville

90.67%

Native Born

6.15%

Foreign Born

3.15%

Non Citizen

3%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

90.67% of Huntsville residents were born in the United States, with 49.53% having been born in Alabama. 3.15% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.

Huntsville Place of Birth

Note: data after 2021 is projected based on recent change

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Huntsville Population by Year