Town · Alabama
Shorter, Alabama
Shorter, town, in Macon County, Alabama. Shorter had 356 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 7.5% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 385 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 404 (±118). GEOID 0170128.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
356
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 385 · ACS 2020-2024: 404 ±118
Median household income
$48,125
±$24,882 (90% margin)
Alabama: $63,999
Median home value
$98,600
±$96,170 (90% margin)
Alabama: $209,900
Median gross rent
not published
Alabama: $1,007
Where is Shorter and what county is it in?
Shorter is a town in Macon County, Alabama. It covers 4.5 square miles of land, 85 residents per square mile in 2020.
Shorter is in the Auburn-Opelika, 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 Shorter, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 356 people lived in Shorter on July 1, 2025, down 7.5% since 2020, while Alabama grew 3.3%. The 2020 Census counted 385 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 404 (±118).
| Measure | Shorter | Macon County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 404 ±118 | 18,691 | no clear change |
| Households | 179 ±50 | 7,237 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.26 ±0.44 | 2.22 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 197 ±51 | 9,653 | no clear change |
Shorter's population since 2000
From 355 in 2000 to 356 in 2025: up 0.3%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Shorter 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 Shorter?
The median resident of Shorter is 60.6 years old. The largest group is non-Hispanic Black residents at 73.8%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 15.8%.
| Measure | Shorter | Macon County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 60.6 ±5.7 | 37.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 16.1% ±10.8 pts | 15.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 37.6% ±14.1 pts | 21.2% | – |
| Male | 54.0% ±8.7 pts | 45.8% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5.2% ±6.1 pts | 2.2% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 15.8% ±7.6 pts | 16.8% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 73.8% ±11.0 pts | 77.5% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.5% ±1.0 pts | 0.3% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.7% ±1.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±9.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.0% ±4.4 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±9.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.5% ±2.0 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.8% ±2.6 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 14.2% ±6.3 pts | 6.2% | – |
| With a disability | 24.0% ±8.0 pts | 17.3% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 6.2% ±3.7 pts | 9.4% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 78.3% ±8.4 pts | 84.6% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 14.8% ±7.0 pts | 21.1% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 7.2% ±5.9 pts | 9.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 97.7% ±2.1 pts | 91.1% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±9.6 pts | 2.6% | – |
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 Shorter earn?
Half of Shorter's 179 households earn less than $48,125 a year (±$24,882), against $43,707 in Macon County and $63,999 in Alabama. In 2015-2019 it was $36,921 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 28.0% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Shorter | Macon County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $48,125 ±$24,882 | $43,707 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $57,551 ±$15,982 | $63,220 | – |
| Per capita income | $25,712 ±$7,523 | $26,341 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 28.0% ±16.2 pts | 24.3% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 76.9% ±25.0 pts | 40.7% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 22.9% ±13.0 pts | 24.1% | – |
| Households with a computer | 86.6% ±9.8 pts | 87.3% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 73.7% ±11.5 pts | 79.1% | – |
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 Shorter?
Owners occupy 83.2% of Shorter's occupied homes and renters 16.8%.
| Measure | Shorter | Macon County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $98,600 ±$96,170 | $102,000 | – |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 66.7% ±66.7 pts | 45.1% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,429 ±$458 | $1,127 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 83.2% ±10.8 pts | 61.5% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 16.8% ±10.8 pts | 38.5% | – |
| Housing units | 197 ±51 | 9,653 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±23.2 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±60.1 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 86.3% ±8.8 pts | 63.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 12.7% ±8.7 pts | 17.2% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 4.1% ±5.4 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 4.6% ±3.9 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 4.6% ±4.2 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 12.3% ±6.9 pts | 9.5% | – |
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 Shorter building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Shorter in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 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 Shorter work and get to work?
83.7% of Shorter's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 23.0 minutes.
| Measure | Shorter | Macon County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 41.7% ±10.9 pts | 51.2% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 1.4% ±2.2 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 83.7% ±13.3 pts | 69.7% | – |
| Carpooled | 12.1% ±12.3 pts | 11.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±24.3 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±24.3 pts | 8.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 4.3% ±4.6 pts | 7.6% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 23.0 min ±5.0 | 23.7 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 Shorter?
No census tract lies mostly in Shorter; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 2322Macon County | 1,866 | $52,530 |
| Tract 2316.01Macon County | 1,155 | $54,000 |
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 Shorter) · Census block assignment files
How does Shorter compare with other places in Alabama?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Shorter is the 14,555th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 357th-most populous of 463 in Alabama.
Shorter is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 357th | 463 |
Shorter's figures with every place in Alabama (CSV)
Every place in Alabama, sortable · Compare Shorter 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 Shorter?
24 of the 56 figures for Shorter 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 Shorter 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 Shorter.