City safety & data profile

SelmaAL

Selma, AL is a 20K-resident city in Dallas County with a median household income of $33,197.

Dallas County, Alabama. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Selma, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Selma has a population larger than 43% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $96,500, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

20K
Population
Top 57%
By size
$33,197
Median income
$96,500
Median home
30.8%
Poverty rate

The read on Selma

Selma posts a median household income higher than 0% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the Selma area.

Top 100%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near Selma

Where Selma income ranks nationally

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

$33,197 Bottom 1% higher than 0% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $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 Selma, AL beyond the headline numbers

Selma sits inside Dallas County, Alabama, at roughly 32.41°N, -87.02°W. Population 19,519, $33,197 median household income. Median home value $96,500, median rent $713. Poverty rate 30.8%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Selma's highest-prevalence health measure is high blood pressure at 54.9%, then short sleep duration at 48%. 1 hospital in/around Selma, 2/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

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

Population
19,519
Selma
Median Income
$33,197
-51% vs avg
Median Home Value
$96,500
-58% vs avg
Median Age
38.5
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Dallas County) - Selma'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
37K-14%
Median Income
$35,627+34%
Median Home Value
$94,600+25%
Poverty Rate
31%-13%
Unemployment
11%-45%

Economics

Economics indicators for Selma, AL
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$713/mo
Poverty Rate
30.8% +117% vs avg
Unemployment 14%
Bachelor's Degree+ 19.9%
Work From Home 6.8%
Public Transit 1.2%

Population

White 15.1%
African American 82.5%
Asian 1.2%
Two or More Ethnicities 0.8%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

High Blood Pressure
54.9%
Short Sleep Duration
48%
Obesity
47.4%
Physical Inactivity
37.9%
Diabetes
22.3%
Current Smoking
19.2%
Frequent Mental Distress
18.8%
Frequent Physical Distress
16.9%
Lack of Health Insurance
12.2%
Current Asthma
12%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 46%
Annual Checkup 84.5%

Other Measures

Binge Drinking
9.8%
Coronary Heart Disease
8.9%
Stroke
6.5%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
0
★★
1
★
0
Average Rating
2/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
1
VAUGHAN REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER PARKWAY CAMPUS
SELMA · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★☆☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Selma, AL? ▼
Selma, AL has a population of 19,519 people, located in Dallas County, Alabama.
What is the median household income in Selma? ▼
The median household income in Selma, AL is $33,197 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 30.8%.
What is the median home value in Selma? ▼
The median home value in Selma, AL is $96,500. Median rent is $713/month.
What are the top health concerns in Selma? ▼
The top health indicators in Selma include High Blood Pressure (54.9%), Short Sleep Duration (48%), Obesity (47.4%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Selma? ▼
Selma has 1 hospital with an average rating of 2/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Selma? ▼
The median age in Selma, AL is 38.5 years. 19.9% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Selma, AL is located in Dallas County, Alabama. With a population of 20K and a $33,197 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 Selma 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

Prattville, AL 35K Millbrook, AL 15K Montgomery, AL 195K Calera, AL 13K Alabaster, AL 33K Pelham, AL 23K Helena, AL 18K Tuscaloosa, AL 111K
All cities in Alabama → Compare Selma vs Prattville → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Selma'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 Selma 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 Selma 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 (Dallas 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.