Census place 0153016

Muscle Shoals

A Census profile of the people, homes, and daily patterns that shape this place.

Official Census name: Muscle Shoals city

Relocation snapshot

What stands out in Muscle Shoals.

According to the 2025 estimate, Muscle Shoals has a population of 17,666 and 1,047 residents per square mile. Of the six relocation measures evaluated, the three largest relative differences from the median among 66 covered Alabama places are: population density is 1,047/sq mi, above the comparison median of 813/sq mi; median household income is $75,894, above the comparison median of $65,621; and typical commute is 21.7 minutes, below the comparison median of 23.9 minutes. These unweighted medians compare covered Census places and are not statewide estimates.

population density
1,047/sq mi
Above the comparison median of 813/sq mi
median household income
$75,894
Above the comparison median of $65,621
typical commute
21.7 minutes
Below the comparison median of 23.9 minutes

National context

Follow the metrics.

Compare Muscle Shoals's values with other covered Census places. Rankings are descriptive, not recommendations.

At a glance

A city in numbers.

Population
17,666
2025 estimate
Annual change
+1%
Population estimate
Density
1,047/sq mi
16.9 sq mi land area
Median age
38 years
ACS 5-year estimate

Living here

The everyday equation.

Households, homes, education, and the time it takes to get around.

Median household income
$75,894
Median home value
$199,700
Median gross rent
$1,029
Bachelor’s degree or higher
24%
Typical commute
21.7 min
Drive-alone commute
77.7%
Public transit commute
0.8%
Walked to work
0.3%

Housing

Who rents, and what it takes.

Renter share and rent burden help describe the housing choices visible in this place.

Renter-occupied homes
32.9%
Renters paying 30%+ of income
26.1%

Work

How the workday lands.

Employment status and working-from-home share add context to income and commuting patterns.

Employed residents 16+
62.3%
Unemployed residents 16+
1.5%
Working from home
13.7%

Community

The everyday infrastructure.

Access, mobility, housing growth, and household composition add another layer to a place's day-to-day picture.

Households with broadband
88.2%
Homes built 2020+
2.1%
Households without a vehicle
2%
Households with children
30.2%
Residents with a disability
11.5%
Residents without insurance
7.6%

Environmental context

A record of declared events.

FEMA declarations for Colbert County provide historical context, not a forecast or a property-level risk assessment.

Environmental declarations since 2000
14
Hurricane declarations
7
Severe Storm declarations
7

Climate normals

The long view of weather.

Thirty-year averages, not a forecast. Temperature and precipitation describe the typical conditions recorded from 1991 through 2020.

Representative station: MUSCLE SHOALS AP (1 mi from place center)
Average high
73.6°F
Average low
52.3°F
Annual rainfall
54.2"
Annual snowfall
0"

Month by month

A year in Muscle Shoals.

Typical high and low °F
20°F40°F60°F80°F100°F
JFMAMJJASOND
Typical precipitation inches

Data vintage

Population is from the 2025 Population Estimates Program. Household, housing, education, and commute data are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-year release. Disaster declarations are from FEMA's OpenFEMA dataset and are refreshed with this edition.

Similar places

More places to consider.

Selected by the closest mix of population, density, median home value, and average annual high.

Havelock, NC

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
17,430
Median home
$207,700

Albemarle, NC

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
17,769
Median home
$204,800

Sand Springs, OK

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
20,397
Median home
$197,700

Keep exploring

Compare Muscle Shoals with Havelock