Barbour County, Alabama Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Barbour County is located in Alabama with a total population of 24,643. It is the 41st most populous county out of 67 in Alabama. The county encompasses 6 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Barbour County is 40.8 years. This is 4% higher than the state median of 39.3 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Barbour County is $46,042. This is 28% lower than the state median of $63,999. It is also 43% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 21.4%. This is 37% higher than the state poverty rate of 15.6%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 7.8%. This is 66% higher than the state rate of 4.7%. The median home value is $112,900. Housing costs are 46% lower than the state median of $209,900. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.5x, Barbour County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 68.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 3% lower than the state average of 70.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Barbour County is Black or African American, making up 46.3% of the population. White (non-Hispanic) residents account for 43.7%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (46.3% vs 25.6%). The Asian population (0.6%) is well below the state average of 1.4%.

Education

10.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is among the lowest rates in the state, which may correlate with employment and income patterns. This is 63% lower than the state rate of 28.4%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 78.1%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Barbour County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Alabama and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.