City profile · Alabama · Census ACS 2023

Saraland, AL

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Saraland - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

16,304
Residents
$60,577
Median income
$210,500
Median home
$1,083
Median rent (state)

Saraland - the verdict

Saraland ranks in the 36th percentile for household income and the 37th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

36th
percentile, household income
46th
percentile, home value
27th
percentile, median rent
37th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Saraland, AL

Alabama's Saraland is a small town, with 16,304 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. The typical household in Saraland brings in $60,577 a year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 7.9%. Saraland's housing stock carries a median value of $210,500, and the median resident age is 43.9 years. 24.2% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 54.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 132 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Building Boom), up 222% from five years earlier. Saraland reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR figures show 1787.3 crimes per 100,000 residents, below the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score).

Living costs in Alabama run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Alabama at 88.8 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Below Average). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,083 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $245 across Alabama, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 98.0 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

16,304 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Alabama

Median Household Income

$60,577 /yr

Poverty 7.9%

Cost of Living Index (state)

88.8 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Alabama average

How does Saraland compare to other US cities?

Saraland measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 36% higher than other cities
Home value 46% pricier than other cities
Median rent 27% pricier than other cities
Safety 37% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Alabama, Saraland ranks #108 of 222 Alabama cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Saraland's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Alabama, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

36thIncome percentile
37thSafety percentile

36th percentile nationally for median household income · 37th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Saraland's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Saraland's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 46 Avg. percentile National median
Saraland's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Saraland's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$210,500 Among the most affordable more affordable than 54% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). This entry sits in this band. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Saraland $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Saraland, AL Saraland, AL's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Saraland, AL-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Saraland, AL median $60,577/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Saraland, AL's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Saraland, AL. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 24.2%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 7.9%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 54.5%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
16,304
Median Income
$60,577
Median Home Value
$210,500
Median Age
43.9
Poverty Rate
7.9%
Labor force participation
54.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
24.2%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1787.3
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
84.8
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1702.5
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
4
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
16,300 residents16,400 residents16,500 residents16,600 residents16,700 residents 202020212022202320242025 16,337 residents 16,652 residents ▲ +1.9%
Saraland's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
132
housing units authorized
Single-Family
58
detached homes
Multifamily
74
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
8.1
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 41
2020 118
2021 98
2022 39
2023 36
2024 132

Permit volume increased 222% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
89.8%
Carpool
4.9%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.1%
Work from Home
4.3%
Other
0.9%

Based on 6,947 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Alabama - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$138
avg/month
Natural Gas
$62
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$245
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Alabama state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Alabama state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Saraland sits in

Cost of Living Index
88.8
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,083/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
98.0 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Alabama

Center Point
16,125 people
Gardendale
16,110 people
Hueytown
16,541 people
Muscle Shoals
16,670 people
Gulf Shores
15,785 people
Chelsea
15,731 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Saraland's 16,304 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Pearl River, NY
16,282 people
Sunnyside, WA
16,329 people
Ocean Pointe, HI
16,276 people
Mattoon, IL
16,334 people
Lady Lake, FL
16,337 people
Stone Ridge, VA
16,340 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Saraland's $60,577 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Augusta, KS
$60,581 median income
Little Rock, AR
$60,583 median income
Milford, IA
$60,571 median income
Homestead Meadows South, TX
$60,571 median income
Yadkin College, NC
$60,568 median income
Redfield, SD
$60,586 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Saraland, AL Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Saraland, AL - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 79.6% 15.3% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 0.8% White 79.6% Black or African American 15.3% Asian 0.6% American Indian 0.7% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.4% Two or more races 3.4% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Saraland compares to nearby Alabama cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Saraland (this city) 16,304 $60,577
Center Point 16,125 $52,401
Gardendale 16,110 $81,215
Hueytown 16,541 $62,362
Census ACS 5-year FIPS AL FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Saraland, AL?

What is the population of Saraland, AL? +

Saraland, AL has a population of 16,304 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Saraland, AL? +

The median household income in Saraland is $60,577 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Saraland? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Saraland; the closest available measure is the Alabama state average, a cost of living index of 88.8 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Alabama vary by metro area.

Is Saraland, AL safe? +

Saraland has a total crime rate of 1787.3 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Saraland, AL? +

The median home value in Saraland is $210,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.