City · Alabama
Sheffield, Alabama
Sheffield, city, in Colbert County, Alabama. Sheffield had 9,416 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 0.3% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 9,403 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 9,340 (±21). GEOID 0169648.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
9,416
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 9,403 · ACS 2020-2024: 9,340 ±21
Median household income
$39,733
±$5,945 (90% margin)
Alabama: $63,999
Median home value
$133,800
±$14,784 (90% margin)
Alabama: $209,900
Median gross rent
$829
±$89 (90% margin)
Alabama: $1,007
Where is Sheffield and what county is it in?
Sheffield is a city in Colbert County, Alabama. It covers 7.0 square miles of land, 1,345 residents per square mile in 2020.
Sheffield is in the Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 2 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Sheffield, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 9,416 people lived in Sheffield on July 1, 2025, up 0.3% since 2020, slower than Alabama (+3.3%). The 2020 Census counted 9,403 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 9,340 (±21).
| Measure | Sheffield | Colbert County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 9,340 ±21 | 58,022 | +354 |
| Households | 4,732 ±350 | 24,301 | +686 |
| Average household size | 1.96 ±0.15 | 2.37 | −0.25 |
| Housing units | 5,453 ±351 | 28,040 | no clear change |
Sheffield's population since 2000
From 9,652 in 2000 to 9,416 in 2025: down 2.4%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Sheffield 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.
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 Sheffield?
The median resident of Sheffield is 45.8 years old; 16.7% are under 18 and 25.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 67.8%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 23.7%.
| Measure | Sheffield | Colbert County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.8 ±5.5 | 42.9 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 16.7% ±3.7 pts | 21.3% | – |
| 65 years and over | 25.6% ±4.1 pts | 20.4% | – |
| Male | 50.0% ±3.2 pts | 48.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.8% ±1.9 pts | 3.5% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 67.8% ±4.2 pts | 77.1% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 23.7% ±4.2 pts | 15.5% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 0.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.4% ±1.9 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 1.0% ±1.1 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.8% ±0.7 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.2% ±1.5 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.9% ±2.1 pts | 7.3% | – |
| With a disability | 24.2% ±4.5 pts | 18.3% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 7.1% ±2.0 pts | 7.9% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 87.0% ±3.5 pts | 87.4% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 18.4% ±3.7 pts | 21.7% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 6.6% ±2.0 pts | 8.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 88.6% ±3.8 pts | 88.2% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 4.1% ±2.7 pts | 2.5% | – |
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 Sheffield earn?
Half of Sheffield's 4,732 households earn less than $39,733 a year (±$5,945), against $60,628 in Colbert County and $63,999 in Alabama. In 2015-2019 it was $42,082 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 26.6% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Sheffield | Colbert County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $39,733 ±$5,945 | $60,628 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $53,151 ±$6,618 | $77,445 | – |
| Per capita income | $28,163 ±$2,848 | $33,817 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 26.6% ±5.5 pts | 17.4% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 40.4% ±13.3 pts | 28.9% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 16.8% ±4.1 pts | 14.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 88.3% ±4.0 pts | 90.8% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 82.0% ±5.1 pts | 81.9% | – |
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 Sheffield?
Owners occupy 60.2% of Sheffield's occupied homes and renters 39.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $133,800 by its owner (±$14,784). The median renter pays $829 a month including utilities, and 48.9% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Sheffield | Colbert County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $133,800 ±$14,784 | $171,000 | +$23,038 |
| Median gross rent | $829 ±$89 | $887 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 48.9% ±11.0 pts | 35.2% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,134 ±$109 | $1,243 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 60.2% ±6.2 pts | 71.3% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 39.8% ±6.2 pts | 28.7% | – |
| Housing units | 5,453 ±351 | 28,040 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.5% ±0.8 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 5.3% ±4.8 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 75.2% ±4.9 pts | 76.8% | – |
| Mobile homes | 2.0% ±1.5 pts | 7.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 2.0% ±1.5 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 4.5% ±2.3 pts | 12.3% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 14.9% ±3.4 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 5.5% ±2.4 pts | 4.6% | – |
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 Sheffield building?
Builders took permits for 9 new housing units in Sheffield in 2025 (9 in single-family houses), 1.0 per 1,000 residents against 3.7 across Alabama.
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 Sheffield work and get to work?
79.0% of Sheffield's workers drive alone and 6.6% work from home. The average trip to work takes 19.4 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 5.2%.
| Measure | Sheffield | Colbert County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 52.0% ±5.2 pts | 57.2% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% ±2.8 pts | 3.1% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 79.0% ±5.0 pts | 80.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 12.6% ±4.5 pts | 9.6% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±1.0 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Walked | 0.7% ±0.9 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Worked from home | 6.6% ±2.8 pts | 7.2% | +5.0 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 19.4 min ±2.6 | 22.5 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 Sheffield?
4 census tracts lie mostly in Sheffield, and 2 more reach into it (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $16,943 (Tract 203) to $73,854 (Tract 204).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 201Colbert County | 3,445 | $41,004 |
| Tract 203Colbert County | 2,156 | $16,943 |
| Tract 202Colbert County | 1,985 | $62,908 |
| Tract 204Colbert County | 1,777 | $73,854 |
| Tract 207.05Colbert County | 1,438 | $55,139 |
| Tract 207.04Colbert County | 4,277 | $62,604 |
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 Sheffield) · Census block assignment files
How does Sheffield compare with other places in Alabama?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Sheffield is the 3,342nd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 69th-most populous of 463 in Alabama.
Sheffield ranks 253rd of 305 places in Alabama with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 69th | 463 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 146th | 257 |
| Residents per square mile | 27th | 311 |
| Median household income | 253rd | 305 |
| Per capita income | 189th | 311 |
| Median home value | 213th | 304 |
| Median gross rent | 157th | 274 |
| Poverty rate | 55th | 258 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 161st | 295 |
| Median age | 50th | 309 |
| Owner-occupied share | 242nd | 310 |
| Work from home | 94th | 138 |
| Travel time to work | 290th | 310 |
Sheffield's figures with every place in Alabama (CSV)
Every place in Alabama, sortable · Compare Sheffield 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 Sheffield?
14 of the 57 figures for Sheffield 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 Sheffield 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 Sheffield.