Census tract · Jefferson County
Census Tract 42, Jefferson County, Alabama
Census Tract 42, GEOID 01073004200, in Jefferson County, Alabama, entirely within Birmingham. 1,633 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±357); the 2020 Census counted 1,741.
Residents, 2020-2024
1,633
±357 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 1,741
Median household income
$38,666
±$3,674 (90% margin)
Jefferson County: $66,388
Median home value
$127,300
±$52,211 (90% margin)
Jefferson County: $240,000
Median gross rent
$699
±$186 (90% margin)
Jefferson County: $1,193
Where is Census Tract 42?
Census Tract 42 is one of 189 census tracts in Jefferson County, Alabama. It covers 1.18 square miles of land, 1,475 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 01073004200, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Birmingham | 100% |
8 census tracts border Census Tract 42: Tract 29 ($17,205), Tract 30.02 ($38,153), Tract 40 ($18,189), Tract 45.01 ($41,333), Tract 45.02 ($57,689), Tract 50 ($60,645), Tract 51.01 ($31,941) and Tract 51.03 ($41,774). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 42?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 42's population at 1,633 (±357) in 844 households; the 2020 Census counted 1,741 residents and 1,170 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 42 | Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,633±357 | 198,173 |
| Households | 844±248 | 88,788 |
| Average household size | 1.73±0.30 | 2.12 |
| Housing units | 1,194±276 | 109,349 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 42?
The median resident of Census Tract 42 is 39.8 years old; 12.0% are under 18 and 13.2% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic Black residents at 84.8%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 10.3%.
| Measure | Tract 42 | Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.8±10.0 | 35.6 |
| Under 18 years | 12.0%±6.1 pts | 18.9% |
| 65 years and over | 13.2%±3.6 pts | 16.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4.7%±7.8 pts | 4.8% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 10.3%±6.7 pts | 24.2% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 84.8%±8.4 pts | 66.7% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.3%±0.5 pts | 1.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±2.4 pts | 0.1% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±2.4 pts | 0.1% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.0%±2.4 pts | 2.2% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±2.4 pts | 0.6% |
| Born outside the United States | 4.5%±5.0 pts | 4.7% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 7.0%±7.1 pts | 6.9% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 15.8%±13.7 pts | 5.2% |
| With a disability | 20.6%±7.1 pts | 17.7% |
| No health insurance coverage | 15.8%±7.2 pts | 12.8% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 87.8%±7.0 pts | 89.0% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 14.2%±8.4 pts | 31.1% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 6.8%±5.0 pts | 12.3% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 86.7%±7.1 pts | 82.6% |
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 Census Tract 42 earn?
Half of the 844 households in Census Tract 42 earn less than $38,666 a year (±$3,674), against $66,388 across Jefferson County: 150th highest of the county's 183 tracts with a reliable estimate. 26.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 42 | Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $38,666±$3,674 | $46,051 |
| Mean household income | $50,829±$12,760 | $69,447 |
| Per capita income | $26,758±$7,129 | $32,216 |
| People below the poverty line | 26.7%±13.2 pts | 24.7% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 0.0%±21.1 pts | 40.4% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 18.5%±10.1 pts | 21.9% |
| Households with a computer | 93.1%±4.6 pts | 94.0% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 86.4%±7.3 pts | 87.0% |
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 Census Tract 42?
Owners occupy 30.8% of Census Tract 42's occupied homes and renters 69.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $127,300 by its owner (±$52,211). The median renter pays $699 a month including utilities, and 42.7% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 42 | Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $127,300±$52,211 | $158,800 |
| Median gross rent | $699±$186 | $1,107 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 42.7%±24.2 pts | 46.1% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,340±$188 | $1,377 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 30.8%±11.8 pts | 45.5% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 69.2%±11.8 pts | 54.5% |
| Housing units | 1,194±276 | 109,349 |
| Single-family detached homes | 54.6%±13.3 pts | 58.0% |
| Mobile homes | 0.0%±3.3 pts | 0.8% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0%±3.3 pts | 0.8% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 6.4%±4.8 pts | 6.7% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 23.5%±10.6 pts | 18.3% |
| Households with no vehicle | 18.6%±9.4 pts | 12.0% |
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 do people in Census Tract 42 get to work?
75.0% of Census Tract 42's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 14.2 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 42 | Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 53.4%±10.8 pts | 59.4% |
| Unemployment rate | 10.3%±7.2 pts | 5.8% |
| Drove alone to work | 75.0%±14.1 pts | 73.7% |
| Carpooled | 12.9%±11.7 pts | 9.5% |
| Public transportation | 7.2%±6.2 pts | 1.2% |
| Walked | 4.1%±4.4 pts | 3.5% |
| Worked from home | 0.8%±1.5 pts | 9.9% |
| Mean travel time to work | 14.2 min±2.7 | 20.8 min |
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
How does Census Tract 42 compare with the other tracts in Jefferson County?
Among Jefferson County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 42 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Jefferson County | In Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 172nd of 188 | 59th of 70 |
| Residents per square mile | 106th of 189 | 54th of 72 |
| Median household income | 150th of 183 | 43rd of 68 |
| Per capita income | 125th of 189 | 28th of 71 |
| Median home value | 132nd of 179 | 33rd of 66 |
| Median gross rent | 159th of 172 | 64th of 69 |
| Poverty rate | 42nd of 134 | 28th of 63 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 135th of 175 | 41st of 60 |
| Median age | 84th of 189 | 32nd of 71 |
| Owner-occupied share | 167th of 181 | 54th of 65 |
The tracts next to it on Jefferson County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 136.01 | 147th | $38,990±$12,959 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 138.01 | 148th | $38,942±$14,413 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 4 | 149th | $38,731±$17,194 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 42 | 150th | $38,666±$3,674 |
| Tract 30.02 | 151st | $38,153±$9,172 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 15 | 152nd | $38,036±$13,533 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 119.01 | 153rd | $36,667±$12,291 · within the margin of this tract |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 42?
3 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 42 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.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). 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 · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections