City · Alabama

Red Bay, Alabama

Red Bay, city, in Franklin County, Alabama. Red Bay had 3,196 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 1.3% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 3,232 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 3,201 (±18). GEOID 0163576.

Residents, July 2025 estimate

3,196

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 3,232 · ACS 2020-2024: 3,201 ±18

Median household income

$37,473

±$14,051 (90% margin)
Alabama: $63,999

Median home value

$108,200

±$17,856 (90% margin)
Alabama: $209,900

Median gross rent

$542

±$107 (90% margin)
Alabama: $1,007

Where is Red Bay and what county is it in?

Red Bay is a city in Franklin County, Alabama. It covers 9.8 square miles of land, 331 residents per square mile in 2020.

Red Bay is in the Russellville, AL micropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).

Red Bay (marked with a dot) in Franklin County, Alabama. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files

How many people live in Red Bay, and is it growing?

The Census Bureau estimates that 3,196 people lived in Red Bay on July 1, 2025, down 1.3% since 2020, while Alabama grew 3.3%. The 2020 Census counted 3,232 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 3,201 (±18).

  • July 2020→2021 −20 (3,210)
  • 2021→2022 −25 (3,185)
  • 2022→2023 −12 (3,173)
  • 2023→2024 +8 (3,181)
  • 2024→2025 +15 (3,196)
ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (counts) with the change from 2015-2019
Measure Red BayFranklin CountyAlabama Change since 2015-2019
Total population 3,201 ±18 31,966 5,086,768 +87
Households 1,457 ±170 11,954 1,997,247 no clear change
Average household size 2.17 ±0.25 2.65 2.48 no clear change
Housing units 1,688 ±181 14,002 2,337,265 no clear change

Red Bay's population since 2000

From 3,374 in 2000 to 3,196 in 2025: down 5.3%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Red Bay as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.

  • 2000 Census 3,374
  • 2005 (estimate) 3,208
  • 2010 Census 3,158
  • 2015 (estimate) 3,141
  • 2020 Census 3,232
  • 2025 (estimate) 3,196

Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov

Who lives in Red Bay?

The median resident of Red Bay is 46.8 years old; 18.0% are under 18 and 19.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 90.7%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 6.3%.

Age, origin, education and moves, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure Red BayFranklin CountyAlabama Change since 2015-2019
Median age 46.8 ±4.9 38.0 39.3 no clear change
Under 18 years 18.0% ±4.8 pts 25.2% 22.2% –
65 years and over 19.9% ±5.0 pts 16.7% 17.8% –
Male 46.3% ±5.9 pts 48.8% 48.6% –
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 6.3% ±5.7 pts 20.6% 5.6% –
White alone, not Hispanic 90.7% ±6.1 pts 72.5% 63.4% no clear change
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic 1.2% ±0.8 pts 4.0% 25.6% –
Asian alone, not Hispanic 0.2% ±0.5 pts 0.1% 1.4% –
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic 0.0% ±1.2 pts 0.1% 0.3% –
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic 0.0% ±1.2 pts 0.0% 0.0% –
Two or more races, not Hispanic 1.6% ±2.1 pts 2.4% 3.3% –
Some other race alone, not Hispanic 0.0% ±1.2 pts 0.3% 0.4% –
Born outside the United States 1.5% ±2.1 pts 9.8% 4.0% –
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) 3.9% ±3.8 pts 17.9% 6.0% –
Civilian veterans (age 18+) 7.2% ±3.1 pts 4.3% 7.7% –
With a disability 20.1% ±7.3 pts 16.7% 16.5% –
No health insurance coverage 9.5% ±4.1 pts 12.7% 9.2% no clear change
High school graduate or higher (age 25+) 85.0% ±7.0 pts 80.5% 88.6% –
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) 21.2% ±7.2 pts 15.8% 28.4% +11.3 pts
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) 7.1% ±3.5 pts 5.9% 11.1% –
Lived in the same house a year earlier 83.8% ±7.2 pts 93.1% 88.3% –
Moved from another state in the past year 3.2% ±2.5 pts 0.6% 2.4% –

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov

What do households in Red Bay earn?

Half of Red Bay's 1,457 households earn less than $37,473 a year (±$14,051), against $53,338 in Franklin County and $63,999 in Alabama. In 2015-2019 it was $43,965 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 20.1% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates; 2015-2019 dollars adjusted with the R-CPI-U-RS
Measure Red BayFranklin CountyAlabama Change since 2015-2019
Median household income $37,473 ±$14,051 $53,338 $63,999 no clear change
Mean household income $62,037 ±$11,853 $68,636 $88,898 –
Per capita income $29,327 ±$3,970 $26,381 $36,087 no clear change
People below the poverty line 20.1% ±8.4 pts 19.1% 15.6% no clear change
Children under 18 below the poverty line 34.5% ±18.3 pts 27.5% 21.3% no clear change
Households receiving SNAP 19.1% ±7.5 pts 20.0% 13.7% –
Households with a computer 84.3% ±7.8 pts 86.4% 93.7% –
Households with a broadband subscription 81.3% ±8.5 pts 72.0% 87.5% –

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

What does housing cost in Red Bay?

Owners occupy 58.3% of Red Bay's occupied homes and renters 41.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $108,200 by its owner (±$17,856). The median renter pays $542 a month including utilities.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Home values are owners' own estimates.
Measure Red BayFranklin CountyAlabama Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied) $108,200 ±$17,856 $136,000 $209,900 no clear change
Median gross rent $542 ±$107 $676 $1,007 no clear change
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent 17.9% ±13.0 pts 30.8% 39.9% –
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage $995 ±$224 $1,181 $1,433 –
Owner-occupied homes 58.3% ±9.3 pts 72.4% 70.2% no clear change
Renter-occupied homes 41.7% ±9.3 pts 27.6% 29.8% –
Housing units 1,688 ±181 14,002 2,337,265 no clear change
Homeowner vacancy rate 0.0% ±4.6 pts 1.3% 1.1% –
Rental vacancy rate 3.8% ±4.7 pts 4.5% 7.2% –
Single-family detached homes 73.9% ±8.8 pts 73.3% 69.1% –
Mobile homes 2.6% ±2.4 pts 15.3% 12.3% –
Built 2020 or later 0.0% ±2.3 pts 0.4% 2.3% –
Built 2010 to 2019 5.5% ±3.4 pts 9.1% 10.9% –
Built 1939 or earlier 8.2% ±4.8 pts 4.9% 4.9% –
Households with no vehicle 8.8% ±4.8 pts 7.7% 5.4% –

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov

How many new homes is Red Bay building?

Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Red Bay in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 per 1,000 residents against 3.7 across Alabama.

  • 2019 1 units
  • 2020 3 units
  • 2021 0 units
  • 2022 0 units
  • 2023 1 units
  • 2024 1 units
  • 2025 0 units

Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.

Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey

How do people in Red Bay work and get to work?

81.5% of Red Bay's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 19.6 minutes.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (workers 16 and over)
Measure Red BayFranklin CountyAlabama Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+) 53.9% ±8.0 pts 57.1% 58.3% –
Unemployment rate 2.8% ±2.3 pts 3.6% 4.7% –
Drove alone to work 81.5% ±10.3 pts 86.2% 80.6% –
Carpooled 11.2% ±7.9 pts 10.5% 8.0% –
Public transportation 0.0% ±2.8 pts 0.1% 0.3% –
Walked 0.0% ±2.8 pts 0.1% 1.1% –
Worked from home 1.5% ±1.8 pts 2.3% 8.8% –
Mean travel time to work 19.6 min ±3.2 26.0 min 25.5 min no clear change

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

What census tracts are in Red Bay?

No census tract lies mostly in Red Bay; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).

Census tracts in Red Bay, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
TractResidents, 2020-2024Median household incomeMedian home valueShare of tract in Red Bay
Tract 9734Franklin County2,382 $32,350 $118,10046%
Tract 9735Franklin County2,329 $77,727 $144,70041%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Red Bay) · Census block assignment files

How does Red Bay compare with other places in Alabama?

By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Red Bay is the 6,133rd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 141st-most populous of 463 in Alabama.

Red Bay ranks 269th of 305 places in Alabama with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.

Red Bay's rank in Alabama (1 = highest): by population among the state's incorporated places with a 2025 estimate; by the other measures among places of 1,000+ residents with a reliable estimate
MeasureRankOf
Population, July 2025 estimate141st463
Growth 2020-2025 (PEP)169th257
Residents per square mile178th311
Median household income269th305
Per capita income179th311
Median home value256th304
Median gross rent254th274
Poverty rate107th258
Bachelor's degree or higher131st295
Median age40th309
Owner-occupied share252nd310
Travel time to work285th310

Red Bay's figures with every place in Alabama (CSV)

Every place in Alabama, sortable · Compare Red Bay with other places

Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed

How reliable are the figures for Red Bay?

20 of the 57 figures for Red Bay on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.

The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation

How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections

Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Red Bay are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Red Bay.