State
County
Land Area (mi²)
13.8 sq mi
Density (mi²)
1,165.50/sq mi
2020 Growth Rate
-3.41%
Growth Since 2010
-22.46%
Rank in State
Rank in Country
Metro Population
35,000
Selma is a city located in Dallas County Alabama. It is also the county seat of Dallas County. With a 2020 population of 16,095, it is the 36th largest city in Alabama and the 2215th largest city in the United States . Selma is currently declining at a rate of -3.41% annually and its population has decreased by -22.46% 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 1,166 people per square mile.
The average household income in Selma is $41,641 with a poverty rate of 37.64%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to $612 per month, and the median house value is $87,300. The median age in Selma is 37.7 years, 33.7 years for males, and 39.6 years for females.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Selma was:
2019 and 2020 population is estimated by projecting the raw 2018 numbers.
| Year | Population | Growth | Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 35,000 | -1,098 | -3.14% |
| 2020 | 36,098 | -1,098 | -3.04% |
| 2019 | 37,196 | -1,098 | -2.95% |
| 2018 | 38,294 | -944 | -2.47% |
| 2017 | 39,238 | -842 | -2.15% |
| 2016 | 40,080 | -856 | -2.14% |
| 2015 | 40,936 | -618 | -1.51% |
| 2014 | 41,554 | -422 | -1.02% |
| 2013 | 41,976 | -813 | -1.94% |
| 2012 | 42,789 | -462 | -1.08% |
| 2011 | 43,251 | -603 | -1.39% |
| 2010 | 43,854 | 0.00% |
| Race | Population | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 15,036 | 82.27% |
| White | 2,928 | 16.02% |
| Asian | 201 | 1.10% |
| Two or More Races | 61 | 0.33% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 29 | 0.16% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 21 | 0.11% |
| Type | Count | Average Size | Owned |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 7,612 | 2.34 | 45.2 |
| Non Family | 3,095 | 1.09 | 37.8 |
| Married | 2,038 | 2.79 | 78.4 |
| Female | 1,949 | 3.65 | 21.1 |
| Male | 530 | 3.11 | 48.9 |
3.08
Average Family Size
2.34
Average Household Size
| Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 483 | 4.10% |
| 9th to 12th Grade | 1,786 | 15.16% |
| High School Graduate | 3,897 | 33.08% |
| Some College | 2,329 | 19.77% |
| Associates Degree | 1,251 | 10.62% |
| Bachelors Degree | 1,120 | 9.51% |
| Graduate Degree | 915 | 7.77% |
| Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 9,181 | 7,237 | 1,118 |
| White | 2,314 | 2,064 | 789 |
| Hispanic | 170 | 153 | 1 |
| Asian | 134 | 101 | 90 |
| 2+ Races | 61 | 32 | 32 |
| Islander | 21 | 16 | |
| Native American | 13 | 5 | 5 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among hispanic people with a rate of 90.00%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 67.16%.
$27,043
Average Earnings
$34,668
Average Male
$23,014
Average Female
97.65% of Selma residents speak only English, while 2.35% 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 | 14,727 | 6,323 | 42.93% |
| White | 2,633 | 288 | 10.94% |
| Hispanic | 221 | 54 | 24.43% |
| Native | 29 | 24 | 82.76% |
37.64%
Overall Poverty Rate
33.57%
Male Poverty Rate
41.05%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Selma is Native, with 82.76% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Selma is White, with 10.94% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 9.43%. Among those working part-time, it was 36.26%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 43.00%.
30.8%
Overall Marriage Rate
34.8%
Male Marriage Rate
27.5%
Female Marriage Rate
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.
| Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Black | 642 | 5.93% |
| White | 239 | 9.12% |
| Hispanic | 16 | 7.24% |
| Islander | 16 | 76.19% |
23.63%
Veteran Poverty Rate
39.31%
Veteran Disability Rate
49.2%
Labor Force Participation
41.9%
Employment Rate
14.6%
Unemployment Rate
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
97.96%
Native Born
2.04%
Foreign Born
1.61%
Non Citizen
0.43%
Naturalized
97.96% of Selma residents were born in the United States, with 88.75% having been born in Alabama. 1.61% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 16,095 | -568 | -3.41% |
| 2020 | 16,663 | -568 | -3.30% |
| 2019 | 17,231 | -568 | -3.19% |
| 2018 | 17,799 | -515 | -2.81% |
| 2017 | 18,314 | -469 | -2.50% |
| 2016 | 18,783 | -446 | -2.32% |
| 2015 | 19,229 | -349 | -1.78% |
| 2014 | 19,578 | -184 | -0.93% |
| 2013 | 19,762 | -419 | -2.08% |
| 2012 | 20,181 | -316 | -1.54% |
| 2011 | 20,497 | -285 | -1.37% |
| 2010 | 20,782 | 270 | 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% |