What share of people in Dothan are on low incomes?

38.7% of residents of Dothan had incomes below twice the poverty line in 2020-2024, 181st highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 28.2%; Alabama: 34.4%).

Poverty and living standards in Dothan, Alabama: official figures

19.3% of residents of Dothan (13,606 people) had incomes below the federal poverty line in the 2020-2024 American Community Survey, 139th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 12.5%; Alabama: 15.6%).

Poverty rate

19.3%

2020-2024

Child poverty rate (under 18)

31.1%

2020-2024

Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent

47.1%

2020-2024

How many children live in poverty in Dothan?

31.1% of children under 18 in Dothan lived below the poverty line in 2020-2024 (4,965 children), 68th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 16.1%; Alabama: 21.3%).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

What is the poverty rate for older people in Dothan?

By age, the poverty rate in Dothan was 37.8% for children under 6 and 12.5% for residents aged 60 and over in 2020-2024 (US: 17.2% and 11.0%).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

How many people in Dothan live in deep poverty?

6,892 people in Dothan, 9.8% of residents, had incomes below half the poverty line in 2020-2024, 121st highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 6.0%).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

How many renters in Dothan are cost-burdened?

47.1% of renting households in Dothan spent 30% or more of their income on rent and utilities in 2020-2024 (5,479 households), 179th lowest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 51.1%; Alabama: 48.8%).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

How many households in Dothan spend half their income on rent?

22.5% of renting households in Dothan spent half or more of their income on rent and utilities, 192nd lowest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 25.9%).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

How many people in Dothan are food insecure?

An estimated 24.7% of adults in Dothan experienced food insecurity in the past year, joint 118th highest of 592 US cities of 50,000 or more with an estimate, and 18.7% housing insecurity (CDC PLACES model-based estimate for 2023, age-adjusted).

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · saved copy

How Dothan compares with other cities in the United States

Residents below the poverty line (2020-2024)

Dothan ranks 139 of 823, highest first.

Rank	City	Residents below the poverty line
136	West New York	19.4%
137	Decatur	19.4%
138	Miami	19.4%
139	Dothan	19.3%
140	Columbia	19.3%
141	Chattanooga	19.1%
142	Hammond	19.1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

Children under 18 below the poverty line (2020-2024)

Dothan ranks 68 of 823, highest first.

Rank	City	Children under 18 below the poverty line
65	Newark	31.2%
66	Anderson	31.2%
67	New Haven	31.2%
68	Dothan	31.1%
69	Elkhart	31.0%
70	Pittsburgh	30.8%
71	Brownsville	30.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

Residents with incomes below half the poverty line (2020-2024)

Dothan ranks 121 of 823, highest first.

Rank	City	Residents with incomes below half the poverty line
118	Hamilton	9.9%
119	Passaic	9.9%
120	South Bend	9.9%
121	Dothan	9.8%
122	Taylor	9.8%
123	El Cajon	9.8%
124	St. Louis	9.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

Renting households spending 30% or more of income on rent (2020-2024)

Dothan ranks 645 of 823, highest first.

Rank	City	Renting households spending 30% or more of income on rent
642	Lincoln	47.2%
643	La Crosse	47.2%
644	Harlingen	47.1%
645	Dothan	47.1%
646	Centennial	47.1%
647	Union City	47.1%
648	Franklin	47.1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

Adults experiencing food insecurity (age-adjusted model estimate) (2023)

Dothan ranks 119 of 592, highest first.

Rank	City	Adults experiencing food insecurity (age-adjusted model estimate)
116	Kansas City	24.8%
117	Springfield	24.8%
118	Mount Vernon	24.7%
119	Dothan	24.7%
120	New York	24.6%
121	Yuma	24.5%
122	Chicago	24.4%

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · saved copy

More on Dothan: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · government budget · all cities in the United States

Sources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: PLACES: Place Data (GIS Friendly Format), 2025 release: model-based age-adjusted prevalence among adults, for every place (data.cdc.gov API, columns used), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b2174bcc660f…)
U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B17020: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months by Age (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 e79a292f34605560506b7f4b5c8ea242c9d6e203c8e95ba675565ddb7758571e), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 41bab025d213…)
U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table C17002: Ratio of Income to Poverty Level in the Past 12 Months (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 dc3dc675113683ec3ff2a0e29a840f43e03268151d7f14b922658d7306da5187), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 31aa364bfddf…)
U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B25070: Gross Rent as a Percentage of Household Income in the Past 12 Months (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 862ccc17d913305d11e6f802ce4518d76b30585ea0b05b251cd8cf21f8661386), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4f8d499d9e95…)

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