Moving to Tuscaloosa, Alabama

About Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa ( TUS-kə-LOO-sə) is a city in and the county seat of Tuscaloosa County in west-central Alabama, United States, on the Black Warrior River where the Gulf Coastal and Piedmont plains meet. Alabama's fifth-most populous city, the population was 99,600 at the 2020 census, and was estimated to be 111,338 in 2023. It was known as Tuskaloosa until the early 20th century. It is also known as "the Druid City" because of the numerous water oaks planted in its downtown streets since the 1840s.

Incorporated on December 13, 1819, it was named after Tuskaloosa, the chief of a band of Muskogean-speaking people defeated by the forces of Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto in 1540 in the Battle of Mabila, in what is now central Alabama. It served as Alabama's capital city from 1826 to 1846, where in 1846 it was moved to its present location in Montgomery.

Tuscaloosa is the regional center of industry, commerce, healthcare and education for the area of west-central Alabama known as West Alabama. It is the principal city of the Tuscaloosa Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Tuscaloosa, Hale and Pickens counties.

It is the home of the University of Alabama, Stillman College and Shelton State Community College. While it attracted international attention when Mercedes-Benz announced on September 30, 1993 that it would build its first North American automotive assembly plant in Tuscaloosa County, the University of Alabama remains the city's dominant economic and cultural engine, making it a college town. City leaders adopted the moniker "The City of Champions" after the Alabama Crimson Tide football team won the College Football National Championship in their 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2020 seasons.

In 2008, Tuscaloosa hosted the USA Olympic Triathlon trials for the Beijing Games.

Gender
Gender Tuscaloosa Alabama Country
Female 51.7% 51.7% 50.8%
Male 48.3% 48.3% 49.2%
Gender

Household Income


Income Tuscaloosa Alabama Country
Less than $10,000 12.5% 8.1% 5.8%
$10,000 to $14,999 7.3% 5.6% 4.1%
$15,000 to $24,999 10.8% 10.9% 8.5%
$25,000 to $34,999 11.1% 10.5% 8.6%
$35,000 to $49,999 12.2% 13.2% 12.0%
$50,000 to $74,999 15.7% 17.5% 17.2%
$75,000 to $99,999 8.5% 11.8% 12.8%
$100,000 to $149,999 12.5% 13.1% 15.6%
$150,000 to $199,999 3.9% 4.9% 7.1%
$200,000 or more 5.4% 4.4% 8.3%
Education


Education Tuscaloosa Alabama Country
< 9th Grade 3% 4% 5.0%
9-12th Grade 6% 9% 7.0%
High School or GED 26% 30% 27.0%
Other College 19% 22% 20.0%
Associate's Degree 7% 9% 9%
Bachelor's Degree 22% 16% 20.0%
Master's Degree 11% 7% 9.0%
Professional Degree 2% 2% 2.0%
Doctorate Degree 4% 1% 1.0%
Household Income
Education
Race / Ethnicity


Ethnicity Tuscaloosa Alabama Country
White 49.4% 65.2% 60.1%
African American 43.9% 26.4% 12.2%
American Indian 0.2% 0.4% 0.6%
Asian 2.5% 1.4% 5.6%
Hawaiian 0% 0% 0.2%
Other 0.1% 0.2% 0.3%
Multiracial 1.1% 1.9% 2.8%
Hispanic 2.8% 4.4% 18.2%
Race / Ethnicity