What share of people in Montgomery are on low incomes?

40.7% of residents of Montgomery had incomes below twice the poverty line in 2020-2024, 140th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 28.2%; Alabama: 34.4%).

Poverty and living standards in Montgomery, Alabama: official figures

21.5% of residents of Montgomery (40,757 people) had incomes below the federal poverty line in the 2020-2024 American Community Survey, 89th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 12.5%; Alabama: 15.6%).

Poverty rate

21.5%

2020-2024

Child poverty rate (under 18)

32.5%

2020-2024

Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent

53.6%

2020-2024

How many children live in poverty in Montgomery?

32.5% of children under 18 in Montgomery lived below the poverty line in 2020-2024 (14,808 children), 53rd 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 Montgomery?

By age, the poverty rate in Montgomery was 37.5% for children under 6 and 15.1% 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 Montgomery live in deep poverty?

18,029 people in Montgomery, 9.5% of residents, had incomes below half the poverty line in 2020-2024, 138th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 6.0%).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

How many renters in Montgomery are cost-burdened?

53.6% of renting households in Montgomery spent 30% or more of their income on rent and utilities in 2020-2024 (18,350 households), 368th highest 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 Montgomery spend half their income on rent?

30.7% of renting households in Montgomery spent half or more of their income on rent and utilities, 198th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 25.9%).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

How many people in Montgomery are food insecure?

An estimated 28.0% of adults in Montgomery experienced food insecurity in the past year, joint 69th highest of 592 US cities of 50,000 or more with an estimate, and 21.7% housing insecurity (CDC PLACES model-based estimate for 2023, age-adjusted).

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · saved copy

How Montgomery compares with other cities in the United States

Residents below the poverty line (2020-2024)

Montgomery ranks 89 of 823, highest first.

Rank	City	Residents below the poverty line
86	Jackson	22.2%
87	Dearborn Heights	21.9%
88	Trenton	21.6%
89	Montgomery	21.5%
90	Boulder	21.5%
91	Galveston	21.4%
92	La Crosse	21.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

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

Montgomery ranks 53 of 823, highest first.

Rank	City	Children under 18 below the poverty line
50	Taylor	33.2%
51	Springfield	32.6%
52	New Orleans	32.5%
53	Montgomery	32.5%
54	Baton Rouge	32.4%
55	Jackson	32.1%
56	Dearborn Heights	32.1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

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

Montgomery ranks 138 of 823, highest first.

Rank	City	Residents with incomes below half the poverty line
135	Baytown	9.5%
136	Brownsville	9.5%
137	Portsmouth	9.5%
138	Montgomery	9.5%
139	New Bedford	9.5%
140	Tulsa	9.5%
141	Chattanooga	9.5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

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

Montgomery ranks 368 of 823, highest first.

Rank	City	Renting households spending 30% or more of income on rent
365	San Antonio	53.7%
366	Fontana	53.6%
367	Santa Ana	53.6%
368	Montgomery	53.6%
369	Twin Falls	53.6%
370	Orange	53.5%
371	Elizabeth	53.5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

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

Montgomery ranks 69 of 592, highest first.

Rank	City	Adults experiencing food insecurity (age-adjusted model estimate)
66	San Jacinto	28.2%
67	Tulare	28.1%
68	Wilmington	28.1%
69	Montgomery	28.0%
70	Dayton	28.0%
71	Hesperia	27.9%
72	National City	27.9%

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · saved copy

More on Montgomery: 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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