Demographics
Limestone County is located in the Tennessee Valley with the Tennessee River running along the southern end of the county and the Elk River defining the southwest boundary. Athens, the county seat, is located at the intersections of I-65, US Hwy 72 and US Hwy 31. Athens is located approximately 100 miles north of Birmingham, AL and 100 miles south of Nashville, TN. Athens has three exits from I-65, rail service and is in close proximity to the Elk and Tennessee Rivers. Pryor Field in Limestone County is the regional airport and Huntsville International is the closest international airport.
View Locations
| | Limestone County | City of Athens |
|---|
| 2000 Census |
65,678 |
18,967 |
|---|
| 2010 Census |
82,782 |
21,890 |
|---|
| 2010 Census 2013 estimate |
88,845 |
24,000 |
|---|
| Population % change 2010-2013 |
7.3% |
9.6% |
|---|
Gender and Age Quick Facts
| | Limestone County | City of Athens |
|---|
| Male |
50.4% |
47.7% |
|---|
| Female |
49.6% |
52.3% |
|---|
| Median Age |
37.9 |
39.2 |
|---|
| Ages 4 and under |
5,352 |
1,461 |
|---|
| Ages 5-17 |
14,507 |
3,541 |
|---|
| Ages 18-6452,73613,358 |
|---|
| Ages 65 and older |
10,187 |
3,537 |
|---|
Household Quick Facts
| | Limestone County | City of Athens |
|---|
| Households (2009-2013) |
31,794 |
9,040 |
|---|
| Median Household Income |
$47,199 |
$45,827 |
|---|
| Median Value Owner-Occupied Housing |
$134,500 |
$139,900 |
|---|
*Sources: U.S. Census Bureau: State and County QuickFacts; 2010 US Census
Did You Know?
- In 2013, al.com named Athens #9 in the Top 10 “Bama’s Best Cities”.
- Limestone County is the 5th fastest growing county out of the 67 counties in Alabama. We are one of the smallest geographically, but continue to grow in population according to the 2010 census data.
- Limestone County was number one in the state in 2011 for new and existing industry investment.
- Limestone County is ranked 64 out of 67 counties in the state for a low unemployment rate. (Counties are ranked highest to lowest based on unemployment rate).
- Limestone County is home to several event and festivals that have been featured as Southeast Tourism Society's "Top 20 Events in the Southeast" including the Athens Storytelling Festival, and the Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention.
- The City of Athens recently took steps to go green and save on fuel costs by going to Compressed Natural Gas Vehicles. The City opted to pursue the CNG program to combat fuel costs and decrease dependency on foreign fuel.
- Athens, Alabama is home to Leak City, a pipeline training facility operated by the Gas Department. This training facility is the only one of its kind in the United States. Leak City is also home to a new slow fill compressed natural gas station.
