Selma is a city located in Alabama. With a 2020 population of 16,964, it is the 35th largest city in Alabama and the 2106th largest city in the United States. Selma is currently declining at a rate of -2.65% annually and its population has decreased by -18.27% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 20,756 in 2010. Selma reached it's highest population of 28,385 in 1960. Spanning over 14 miles, Selma has a population density of 1,228 people per square mile.
The average household income in Selma is $39,467 with a poverty rate of 40.98%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to $602 per month, and the median house value is $90,200. The median age in Selma is 36.5 years, 32 years for males, and 39.4 years for females. For every 100 females there are 79.1 males.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Selma was:
| Year | Total Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 36,460 | -925 | -2.54% |
| 2019 | 37,385 | -925 | -2.47% |
| 2018 | 38,310 | -925 | -2.41% |
| 2017 | 39,235 | -857 | -2.18% |
| 2016 | 40,092 | -856 | -2.14% |
| 2015 | 40,948 | -614 | -1.50% |
| 2014 | 41,562 | -421 | -1.01% |
| 2013 | 41,983 | -812 | -1.93% |
| 2012 | 42,795 | -461 | -1.08% |
| 2011 | 43,256 | -604 | -1.40% |
| 2010 | 43,860 | 0.00% |
| Race | Population | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 15,319 | 81.47% |
| White | 3,191 | 16.97% |
| Asian | 189 | 1.01% |
| Two or More Races | 77 | 0.41% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 23 | 0.12% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 5 | 0.03% |
| Type | Count | Average Size | Owned |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 7,796 | 2.35 | 44.1 |
| Non Family | 3,205 | 1.11 | 36.7 |
| Female | 2,198 | 3.52 | 24 |
| Married | 1,950 | 2.9 | 77.4 |
| Male | 443 | 3.07 | 49.9 |
| Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 412 | 3.47% |
| 9th to 12th Grade | 1,980 | 16.69% |
| High School Graduate | 3,751 | 31.62% |
| Some College | 2,440 | 20.57% |
| Associates Degree | 1,150 | 9.69% |
| Bachelors Degree | 1,126 | 9.49% |
| Graduate Degree | 1,003 | 8.46% |
| Name | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 9,063 | 7,014 | 1,100 |
| White | 2,513 | 2,217 | 872 |
| Hispanic | 146 | 126 | |
| Asian | 129 | 129 | 118 |
| Multiple Races | 77 | 34 | 34 |
| Islander | 23 | 19 | |
| Native American | 5 | 5 | 5 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among native american people with a rate of 100.00%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among native american people with a rate of 100.00%.
$24,746
Average Earnings
$31,600
Average Male
$21,877
Average Female
97.72% of Selma residents speak only English, while 2.28% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 0.81% of the population.
| Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 15,009 | 7,028 | 46.83% |
| White | 2,892 | 411 | 14.21% |
| Hispanic | 194 | 49 | 25.26% |
| Multiple | 77 | 6 | 7.79% |
40.98%
Overall Poverty Rate
38.64%
Male Poverty Rate
42.83%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Selma is Black, with 46.83% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Selma is Multiple, with 7.79% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 12.60%. Among those working part-time, it was 34.79%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 47.74%.
28.7%
Overall Marriage Rate
33.0%
Male Marriage Rate
25.5%
Female Marriage Rate
The age group where males are most likely to be married is 55-64, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.
| Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Black | 724 | 6.67% |
| White | 285 | 10.00% |
| Hispanic | 19 | 9.79% |
| Hawaiian | 19 | 82.61% |
27.64%
Veteran Poverty Rate
36.62%
Veteran Disability Rate
49.8%
Labor Force Participation
41.9%
Employment Rate
15.7%
Unemployment Rate
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
98.26%
Native Born
1.74%
Foreign Born
1.43%
Non Citizen
98.26% of Selma residents were born in the United States, with 89.09% having been born in Alabama. 1.43% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.
| Year | Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 16,964 | -461 | -2.65% |
| 2019 | 17,425 | -461 | -2.58% |
| 2018 | 17,886 | -492 | -2.68% |
| 2017 | 18,378 | -461 | -2.45% |
| 2016 | 18,839 | -436 | -2.26% |
| 2015 | 19,275 | -338 | -1.72% |
| 2014 | 19,613 | -175 | -0.88% |
| 2013 | 19,788 | -412 | -2.04% |
| 2012 | 20,200 | -306 | -1.49% |
| 2011 | 20,506 | -278 | -1.34% |
| 2010 | 20,784 | 272 | 0.13% |
| 2000 | 20,512 | -3,243 | -1.46% |
| 1990 | 23,755 | -2,929 | -1.16% |
| 1980 | 26,684 | -695 | -0.26% |
| 1970 | 27,379 | -1,006 | -0.36% |
| 1960 | 28,385 | 5,545 | 2.20% |
| 1950 | 22,840 | 3,006 | 1.42% |
| 1940 | 19,834 | 1,822 | 0.97% |
| 1930 | 18,012 | 2,423 | 1.46% |
| 1920 | 15,589 | 1,940 | 1.34% |
| 1910 | 13,649 | 4,936 | 4.59% |
| 1900 | 8,713 | 1,091 | 1.35% |
| 1890 | 7,622 | 93 | 0.12% |
| 1880 | 7,529 | 1,045 | 1.51% |
| 1870 | 6,484 | 3,307 | 7.39% |
| 1860 | 3,177 | 104 | 0.33% |
| 1850 | 3,073 | 0.00% |