City safety & data profile

Muscle ShoalsAL

Muscle Shoals, AL is a 14K-resident city in Colbert County with a median household income of $75,894.

Colbert County, Alabama. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Muscle Shoals, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Muscle Shoals has a population larger than 22% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $199,700, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

14K
Population
Top 78%
By size
$75,894
Median income
$199,700
Median home
12.8%
Poverty rate

The read on Muscle Shoals

Muscle Shoals posts a median household income higher than 45% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the Muscle Shoals area.

Top 55%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near Muscle Shoals

Where Muscle Shoals income ranks nationally

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

$75,894 Bottom 45% higher than 45% 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%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). This entry sits in this band. $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 Muscle Shoals, AL beyond the headline numbers

Muscle Shoals sits inside Colbert County, Alabama, at roughly 34.74°N, -87.67°W. Population 13,706, $75,894 median household income. Median home value $199,700, median rent $1,029. Poverty rate 12.8%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Muscle Shoals's highest-prevalence health measure is high blood pressure at 41%, then short sleep duration at 39.8%. 1 hospital in/around Muscle Shoals, 0 with an ER.

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

Population
13,706
Muscle Shoals
Median Income
$75,894
+12% vs avg
Median Home Value
$199,700
-12% vs avg
Median Age
38
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Colbert County) - Muscle Shoals'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
58K+7%
Median Income
$60,628+55%
Median Home Value
$171,000+72%
Poverty Rate
17.4%-3%
Unemployment
3.1%-69%

Economics

Economics indicators for Muscle Shoals, AL
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,029/mo
Poverty Rate
12.8% -10% vs avg
Unemployment 2.3%
Bachelor's Degree+ 24%
Work From Home 13.7%
Public Transit 0.8%

Population

White 78%
African American 15.3%
Asian 1.4%
Two or More Ethnicities 2.2%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

High Blood Pressure
41%
Short Sleep Duration
39.8%
Obesity
35.7%
Physical Inactivity
25.2%
Frequent Mental Distress
16.8%
Binge Drinking
14.8%
Current Smoking
14%
Frequent Physical Distress
13.6%
Diabetes
13.1%
Current Asthma
10.2%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 61.2%
Annual Checkup 80.3%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
8.6%
Coronary Heart Disease
6.8%
Stroke
3.7%

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Muscle Shoals, AL? ▼
Muscle Shoals, AL has a population of 13,706 people, located in Colbert County, Alabama.
What is the median household income in Muscle Shoals? ▼
The median household income in Muscle Shoals, AL is $75,894 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 12.8%.
What is the median home value in Muscle Shoals? ▼
The median home value in Muscle Shoals, AL is $199,700. Median rent is $1,029/month.
What are the top health concerns in Muscle Shoals? ▼
The top health indicators in Muscle Shoals include High Blood Pressure (41%), Short Sleep Duration (39.8%), Obesity (35.7%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Muscle Shoals? ▼
Muscle Shoals has 1 hospital. 0 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Muscle Shoals? ▼
The median age in Muscle Shoals, AL is 38 years. 24% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Muscle Shoals, AL is located in Colbert County, Alabama. With a population of 14K and a $75,894 median household income, the community faces health challenges including high blood pressure and short sleep duration. Residents have access to 1 hospital. Safety alerts for the Muscle Shoals 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

Florence, AL 40K East Florence, AL 36K Lawrenceburg, TN 11K Athens, AL 25K Decatur, AL 55K Hartselle, AL 14K Corinth, MS 15K Madison, AL 47K
All cities in Alabama → Compare Muscle Shoals vs Florence → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Muscle Shoals'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 Muscle Shoals 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 Muscle Shoals 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 (Colbert 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.