Shelby County vs Tuscaloosa County
A side-by-side comparison of Shelby County and Tuscaloosa County: population, income, housing, and more.
Shelby County and Tuscaloosa County are counties in Alabama. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Tuscaloosa County has the higher population (234,036 vs 226,955 in Shelby County). Shelby County has the higher median household income ($93,543 vs $63,947 in Tuscaloosa County). Shelby County has the higher median home value ($298,700 vs $233,700 in Tuscaloosa County).
Population, income & housing
| Shelby County | Tuscaloosa County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 226,955 | 234,036 |
| Median age | 40.0 yrs | 33.0 yrs |
| Median household income | $93,543 | $63,947 |
| Median home value | $298,700 | $233,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,348 | $997 |
| Housing units | 90,805 | 102,935 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.3% | 62.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 46.2% | 31.4% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% | 5.4% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Shelby County | Tuscaloosa County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 213,432 → 226,955 (+6.3%) | 207,305 → 234,036 (+12.9%) |
| Median household income | $77,799 → $93,543 (+20.2%) | $53,326 → $63,947 (+19.9%) |
| Median home value | $211,900 → $298,700 (+41.0%) | $170,400 → $233,700 (+37.1%) |
| Median gross rent | $1,047 → $1,348 (+28.7%) | $846 → $997 (+17.8%) |
Shelby County
213,432226,955
$77,799$93,543
$211,900$298,700
$1,047$1,348
Tuscaloosa County
207,305234,036
$53,326$63,947
$170,400$233,700
$846$997
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Shelby County | Tuscaloosa County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5.4% | 5.5% |
| 5 to 17 | 17.7% | 15.1% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.3% | 18.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.1% | 13.8% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.6% | 12.1% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.8% | 10.9% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.7% | 10.8% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.0% | 8.7% |
| 75 and over | 6.4% | 5.1% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Shelby County | Tuscaloosa County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 74.0% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 13.1% | 31.8% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Asian | 2.0% | 1.6% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.5% | 0.1% |
| Two or more races | 2.9% | 1.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.4% | 5.4% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Shelby County | Tuscaloosa County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 6.0% | 9.1% |
| High school graduate | 20.5% | 28.9% |
| Some college or associate's | 27.4% | 30.6% |
| Bachelor's degree | 30.1% | 18.3% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 16.1% | 13.0% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Shelby County | Tuscaloosa County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 76.7% | 79.6% |
| Carpooled | 6.8% | 10.6% |
| Public transit | 0.1% | 0.8% |
| Walked | 0.6% | 1.5% |
| Bicycle | 0.0% | 0.3% |
| Worked from home | 15.2% | 6.6% |
| Other means | 0.6% | 0.7% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Shelby County | Tuscaloosa County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 76.4% | 60.7% |
| 1-unit, attached | 5.0% | 1.6% |
| 2 to 4 units | 1.6% | 5.9% |
| 5 to 19 units | 6.6% | 13.0% |
| 20 or more units | 2.7% | 9.7% |
| Mobile home & other | 7.7% | 9.0% |
Poverty & households
| Shelby County | Tuscaloosa County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 6.9% | 16.7% |
| Average household size | 2.61 | 2.52 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 30 | 23 |
| Median year structure built | 1997 | 1992 |
Full profiles
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