RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Alabama >> Jefferson County >> Vestavia Hills >> Census DataIndex...










Learn About
The Commemorative
Quarter for
Alabama


The Commemorative Quarter for Alabama







Census Data for Vestavia Hills

Population ...

The most recent Census Estimate<1> was for 2019 and it gave Vestavia Hills a population of 34,477 people.

The last Decennial Census<2> was in 2010, which gave Vestavia Hills a population of 34,033 people.

The city of Vestavia Hills is located in Jefferson County. The 2010 Census gave Jefferson County; a population of 658,466 people. This means that Vestavia Hills had 5.17% of the county's total population, making it Jefferson's 3rd most populous community.

At the same time, Alabama had a population of 4,779,736 people, meaning that Vestavia Hills had 0.71% of the total population of Alabama - making it the state's 13th most populous community.

Area ...

The 2010 Census shows that the sampling area for Vestavia Hills has a total area of 19.63 square miles [50.8 km²]. Of this total, 19.41 square miles [50.3 km²] is land, with the balance (1.11%) being water (0.22 square miles [0.6 km²]).

Jefferson County has a land area of 1,111 square miles [2,878.2 km²]. At 19.41 square miles [50.3 km²], Vestavia Hills has 1.75% of the county's total land area.

  • Continue Reading ...
    • When the Census Bureau conducts a census for a city like Vestavia Hills, they draw a boundary around the area in which they are going to conduct their count - this defines the sampling area (usually a polygon). The shape of the sampling area can be quite complex and it's important to keep in mind that the boundaries of the sampling area may or may not match the recognized boundaries of the city.
    • Things like population, area and housing for Vestavia Hills reflect the sampling area. Since the shape of the sampling area and the actual boundaries of Vestavia Hills might be different, it's best to check with the U.S. Census Bureau to resolve any difference between the two.
    • Not only does the sampling area define boundaries, it also has a GPS location (latitude & longitude) that indicates a point within the sampling area (usually the center of the polygon, known as the centroid). At the time of the 2010 Census, the sampling area was located at:
    • Lat:   33° 27' 44"   (or 33.46°)
    • Lon:   -86° 44' 22"   (or -86.74°)
    • More information on this topic and the changes between the 2000 Census and the 2010 Census can be found in the section for our Census-to-Census Observations ... (see below).

Housing Units ...

At the time of the 2010 Census, Vestavia Hills had 14,952 Housing Units<3> and with its population of 34,033 people, this averages 2.28 people per Housing Unit.

  • Continue Reading ...
    • The 2010 Census shows Vestavia Hills had a land area of 19.41 square miles [50.3 km²]. This translates to 761 Housing Units per square mile [294.1 housing units/km²].
    • From the Census of 2000: Vestavia Hills had 10,523 Housing Units, a population of 24,476 people and a land area of 14.63 square miles [37.9 km²]. This gives a density of 2.33 people per Housing Unit and 718 Housing Units per square mile [277.5 housing units/km²].
    • Note: Repeating the caution above (under Population Density), be aware that when comparing Housing Units between the 2010 and the 2000 Census, there were changes in the sampling area for Vestavia Hills and you need to be careful when comparing results between the censuses. More information about the nature of these the changes can be found in the section called Census-to-Census Observations ... (see below).

Jefferson County ...

Vestavia Hills is primarily located in Jefferson County<4>. A portion of Vestavia Hills extends into Shelby County.

The county had a population of 658,466 people at the 2010 Census. With it's population of 34,033 people, Vestavia Hills represented 5.17% of the county's total.

In addition, where the city of Vestavia Hills has a population density of 1,733 people per square mile [669 people/km²], Jefferson County averages 592 people per square mile [228.8 people/km²].

For more information, please visit our Census Page for Jefferson County.

Census-to-Census Observations ...

Introduction ...

When the Census Bureau takes a census count (or enumeration) for Vestavia Hills, they start by specifying the boundaries of the area to be counted. This area (or sampling area) is a polygon and its shape can be quite complex - it may or may not match the geographical boundaries of Vestavia Hills. It's important to note that from one Census to the next, the shape and location of the polygon can change.

  • Continue Reading ...
    • Although we don't have specific information about the shape of the polygon for Vestavia Hills or how it changed has over time, there is some information that can give us some hints. For example, since the shape of the sampling area is directly related to the shape of the polygon, any change to area probably indicates a new shape for the polygon.
    • If you need precision or details about the methodology of the Census, you should visit the U.S. Census Bureau for a definitive answer.

Location ...

While generally coinciding with the GPS location (latitude/longitude) of Vestavia Hills, the latitude and longitude given by the Census Bureau actually indicates the GPS location of the polygon for Vestavia Hills.

  • Continue Reading ...
    • For the 2010 Census, the location was given as:
    • Lat:   33.462496°   (or 33°27'44" N)
    • Lon:   -86.739508°   (or -86°44'22" W)
    • For the 2000 Census, the location given was:
    • Lat:   33.433057°   (or 33°25'59" N)
    • Lon:   -86.778894°   (or -86°46'44" W)
    • The difference indicates that the U.S. Census Bureau moved the location of the polygon for the 2010 Census 3 miles to the northeast<5> of the location that was used in the 2000 Census.
    • The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) have assigned a unique GNIS identifier (#2405646) to Vestavia Hills. This identifier also marks a GPS point on the map, and that point lies within the boundaries of Vestavia Hills. The GNIS point has been mapped to the latitude/longitude:
    • Lat:   33.453880°   (or 33°27'13" N)
    • Lon:   -86.739704°   (or -86°44'22" W)
    • The GPS location given for the 2010 Census lies 3,141 feet to the north<6> of the point given by the GNIS for Vestavia Hills. For more information about this and the relationship of the various Federal Codes, please visit our Misc Page for Vestavia Hills.

Miscellaneous Information for Vestavia Hills ...

The Federal government has assigned various identifying codes to each community, county and state. At one time or another, the US Census Bureau has used one (or more) of the following identifiers when referring to either Jefferson County or the city of Vestavia Hills:

  • The GNIS Codes ...
    • The current system of identification is called the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). The following GNIS codes relate to Vestavia Hills:
    • GNIS ID for Vestavia Hills: 2405646
    • GNIS ID for Jefferson County: 161562
    • GNIS ID for State of Alabama: 1779775
  • Misc. Census Codes ...
    • Vestavia Hills is located in Census Region #3 (the South Region) and Division #6 (the East South-Central Division).
  • The US Postal Service ZIP Code ...
    • While some people have used a ZIP code to identify a community, the purpose of the ZIP code was to make mail delivery more efficient by grouping addresses together. Although the ZIP Code doesn't specifically identify a city like Vestavia Hills, it does identify addresses that are in (or near) Vestavia Hills. It's important to remember that the boundaries of a ZIP Code can be changed, re-assigned or overlapped with other ZIP Codes.
    • The ZIP code for Vestavia Hills:35216<7>
  • Census ZCTA Codes ...
    • The US Census Bureau created statistical entities that they call ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) and these ZCTAs are frequently confused with the ZIP codes that come from the US Postal Service (USPS).
    • ZCTAs were first created for the 2000 Census and at that time, they were based upon the USPS ZIP codes. While largely covering the same areas, the boundaries of a ZCTA do not necessarily match the boundaries of a postal ZIP code with the same number. For example, while a postal ZIP code can cross a county or state line, a Census ZCTA can not. They should be treated as separate entities with no correlation between them.

For more information about the various Federal identification codes, please visit our Misc Page for Vestavia Hills.

The official website for Vestavia Hills: www.vestaviahills.net/

The official website for Jefferson County: www.jeffcointouch.com/

The official website for State of Alabama: https://www.alabama.gov/

The official website of the U.S. Census Bureau

The official website of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN)

The official website of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

Footnotes ...

<1>Every year, the US Census Bureau creates a population estimate for the preceeding year. Keep in mind that this value is an estimate and not an actual count. The most recent Census estimate is for the year 2019.
<2>Every 10 years (eg- 1990, 2000, 2010), the US Census Bureau conducts a Constitutionally-mandated count (or enumeration) of people living within the United States. This count is called a Decennial Census. The last Decennial Census was the 2010 Census, with the next one planned for 2020.
<3>A Housing Unit is a broad term for those places where people live (whether occupied or temporarily vacant), such as a house, an apartment, a mobile home, or an area that is considered as a separate living quarter. Separate living quarters (consisting of one or more rooms) are considered to be those places where people live, sleep and eat separately from others and that have access to the outside (either directly or by a shared hallway).
<4>If you're interested in how the shape of Alabama's counties, including Jefferson, have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
<5>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the 2010 Census location is 311 degrees and a distance of 3 miles.
<6>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the GNIS point is 358 degrees and a distance of 3,141 feet.
<7>When looking for a ZIP Code, whether Vestavia Hills or elsewhere, it's always best to check the website of the United States Postal Service (USPS).









 

Copyright 2024
All Rights Reserved

Thank you for visiting our website.

In closing, please keep in mind that we can not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of the information on this website, so use with care. We encourage you to double-check the information that is critical to you.

If you've found an error or have additional information that you would like to share, please don't hesitate to write: Click here to contact us.

This page was last modified/updated: 09 Mar 2024