Town · Alabama
Vernon, Alabama
Vernon, town, in Lamar County, Alabama. Vernon had 1,823 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 5.2% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,921 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,714 (±352). GEOID 0178480.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,823
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,921 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,714 ±352
Median household income
$27,967
±$7,680 (90% margin)
Alabama: $63,999
Median home value
$103,800
±$19,521 (90% margin)
Alabama: $209,900
Median gross rent
$530
±$55 (90% margin)
Alabama: $1,007
Where is Vernon and what county is it in?
Vernon is a town in Lamar County, Alabama. It covers 5.9 square miles of land, 326 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Vernon, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,823 people lived in Vernon on July 1, 2025, down 5.2% since 2020, while Alabama grew 3.3%. The 2020 Census counted 1,921 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,714 (±352).
| Measure | Vernon | Lamar County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,714 ±352 | 13,693 | no clear change |
| Households | 814 ±177 | 5,086 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.10 ±0.26 | 2.67 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,011 ±192 | 7,123 | no clear change |
Vernon's population since 2000
From 2,143 in 2000 to 1,823 in 2025: down 14.9%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Vernon 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 Vernon?
The median resident of Vernon is 38.3 years old; 21.8% are under 18 and 18.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 76.5%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 18.9%.
| Measure | Vernon | Lamar County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.3 ±14.3 | 44.2 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 21.8% ±5.5 pts | 22.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 18.4% ±6.5 pts | 22.4% | – |
| Male | 39.3% ±5.9 pts | 48.8% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.6% ±3.3 pts | 1.9% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 76.5% ±8.6 pts | 85.6% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 18.9% ±7.9 pts | 10.0% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.3 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.6% ±1.9 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.3 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.4% ±0.5 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.4% ±0.6 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 4.3% ±2.8 pts | 6.9% | – |
| With a disability | 28.6% ±6.6 pts | 22.6% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 4.4% ±3.5 pts | 8.0% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 90.8% ±5.2 pts | 83.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 9.6% ±5.3 pts | 12.1% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.6% ±5.0 pts | 5.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 93.1% ±6.5 pts | 95.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±2.3 pts | 1.4% | – |
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 Vernon earn?
Half of Vernon's 814 households earn less than $27,967 a year (±$7,680), against $50,000 in Lamar County and $63,999 in Alabama. In 2015-2019 it was $35,549 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 34.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Vernon | Lamar County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $27,967 ±$7,680 | $50,000 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $41,068 ±$9,676 | $63,065 | – |
| Per capita income | $20,818 ±$4,109 | $26,045 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 34.8% ±12.4 pts | 18.0% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 45.5% ±27.1 pts | 20.4% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 42.5% ±11.6 pts | 20.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 84.0% ±7.9 pts | 86.7% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 75.8% ±9.4 pts | 77.7% | – |
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 Vernon?
Owners occupy 46.6% of Vernon's occupied homes and renters 53.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $103,800 by its owner (±$19,521). The median renter pays $530 a month including utilities, and 35.5% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Vernon | Lamar County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $103,800 ±$19,521 | $114,000 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $530 ±$55 | $549 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 35.5% ±20.3 pts | 42.4% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,305 ±$773 | $1,122 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 46.6% ±11.6 pts | 75.7% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 53.4% ±11.6 pts | 24.3% | – |
| Housing units | 1,011 ±192 | 7,123 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±10.0 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 13.0% ±10.4 pts | 12.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 51.3% ±11.7 pts | 60.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 4.6% ±3.9 pts | 24.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±3.9 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 2.0% ±1.6 pts | 7.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 2.3% ±2.7 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 18.4% ±9.0 pts | 6.1% | – |
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 Vernon building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Vernon 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 Vernon work and get to work?
83.2% of Vernon's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 22.8 minutes.
| Measure | Vernon | Lamar County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 49.2% ±7.9 pts | 51.0% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 12.1% ±11.9 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 83.2% ±11.6 pts | 80.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 10.2% ±8.5 pts | 11.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±6.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 3.4% ±5.5 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Worked from home | 3.2% ±4.2 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 22.8 min ±5.5 | 25.4 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 Vernon?
No census tract lies mostly in Vernon; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 301.01Lamar County | 2,989 | $50,863 |
| Tract 301.02Lamar County | 2,222 | $32,337 |
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 Vernon) · Census block assignment files
How does Vernon compare with other places in Alabama?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Vernon is the 8,008th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 204th-most populous of 463 in Alabama.
Vernon ranks 296th 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 | 204th | 463 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 227th | 257 |
| Residents per square mile | 182nd | 311 |
| Median household income | 296th | 305 |
| Per capita income | 279th | 311 |
| Median home value | 265th | 304 |
| Median gross rent | 258th | 274 |
| Poverty rate | 21st | 258 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 266th | 295 |
| Median age | 177th | 309 |
| Owner-occupied share | 296th | 310 |
| Travel time to work | 227th | 310 |
Vernon's figures with every place in Alabama (CSV)
Every place in Alabama, sortable · Compare Vernon 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 Vernon?
22 of the 57 figures for Vernon 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 Vernon 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 Vernon.