City safety & data profile

Fort PayneAL

Fort Payne, AL is a 14K-resident city in DeKalb County with a median household income of $47,479.

DeKalb County, Alabama. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Fort Payne, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Fort Payne has a population larger than 24% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $157,000, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

14K
Population
Top 76%
By size
$47,479
Median income
$157,000
Median home
32.5%
Poverty rate

The read on Fort Payne

Fort Payne posts a median household income higher than 6% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the Fort Payne area.

Top 94%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near Fort Payne

Where Fort Payne income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$47,479 Bottom 6% higher than 6% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. AL $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. 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, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Fort Payne, AL beyond the headline numbers

Fort Payne sits inside DeKalb County, Alabama, at roughly 34.44°N, -85.72°W. Population 14,150, $47,479 median household income. Median home value $157,000, median rent $679. Poverty rate 32.5%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Fort Payne's highest-prevalence health measure is high blood pressure at 43.5%, then short sleep duration at 40.3%. 1 hospital in/around Fort Payne, 2/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Fort Payne from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
14,150
Fort Payne
Median Income
$47,479
-30% vs avg
Median Home Value
$157,000
-31% vs avg
Median Age
37.4
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (DeKalb County) - Fort Payne's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
72K+2%
Median Income
$51,204+35%
Median Home Value
$152,700+63%
Poverty Rate
22.4%+13%
Unemployment
4.1%-64%

Economics

Economics indicators for Fort Payne, AL
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$679/mo
Poverty Rate
32.5% +129% vs avg
Unemployment 5%
Bachelor's Degree+ 17.3%
Work From Home 7.2%
Public Transit 0%

Population

White 75.6%
African American 1.3%
Asian 0.2%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

High Blood Pressure
43.5%
Short Sleep Duration
40.3%
Obesity
39.2%
Physical Inactivity
34.3%
Current Smoking
19.3%
Frequent Mental Distress
19.2%
Frequent Physical Distress
17.5%
Lack of Health Insurance
16.4%
Diabetes
15.5%
Binge Drinking
14%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 50.3%
Annual Checkup 77.9%

Other Measures

Current Asthma
10.2%
Coronary Heart Disease
8.5%
Stroke
4.5%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
0
★★
1
★
0
Average Rating
2/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
1
DEKALB REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
FORT PAYNE · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★☆☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Fort Payne, AL? ▼
Fort Payne, AL has a population of 14,150 people, located in DeKalb County, Alabama.
What is the median household income in Fort Payne? ▼
The median household income in Fort Payne, AL is $47,479 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 32.5%.
What is the median home value in Fort Payne? ▼
The median home value in Fort Payne, AL is $157,000. Median rent is $679/month.
What are the top health concerns in Fort Payne? ▼
The top health indicators in Fort Payne include High Blood Pressure (43.5%), Short Sleep Duration (40.3%), Obesity (39.2%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Fort Payne? ▼
Fort Payne has 1 hospital with an average rating of 2/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Fort Payne? ▼
The median age in Fort Payne, AL is 37.4 years. 17.3% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Fort Payne, AL is located in DeKalb County, Alabama. With a population of 14K and a $47,479 median household income, the community faces health challenges including high blood pressure and short sleep duration. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 2/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Fort Payne area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Alabama

Real-time AQI for every monitored Alabama location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Scottsboro, AL 15K Gadsden, AL 36K Albertville, AL 21K Rome, GA 36K Jacksonville, AL 12K Chattanooga, TN 181K East Ridge, TN 21K Saks, AL 11K
All cities in Alabama → Compare Fort Payne vs Scottsboro → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Fort Payne's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Fort Payne area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Fort Payne against Alabama peers on any ranking lens. Explore Alabama

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (DeKalb County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.