Black Health Profile
Black health in Alabama
1,301,247
Black residents (ACS)
25.90%
Of state population
Roughly 1.3 million Black residents live in Alabama — one in four people in the state. Alabama has the highest pregnancy-related mortality rate and one of the largest Black–white infant mortality gaps in the United States. The state has not adopted Medicaid expansion, a decision the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Maternity Care Deserts research links directly to the loss of obstetric hospital units in the state's Black-belt counties since 2011.
The largest Black health disparity tracked on these pages varies by metric. Use the ten topic pages below to see each one cited against the state's primary-source dataset.
On the positive side, every US state now has CDC-funded maternal mortality review committees, and most have at least one HRSA-designated federally qualified health center serving low-income Black residents. The ten facet pages below point to state-specific programs and providers.
Key takeaways
- Black residents: 1,301,247 (25.9% of the state).
- Medicaid expansion not adopted — lowest-income adults without dependent children have no direct path to coverage.
- Medicaid does not cover doula services.
- Midwife coverage under Medicaid is restricted.
- 12-month postpartum Medicaid extension active.
Health outcomes & coverage
Ten race-stratified indicators drawn from CDC, Census, KFF, and SAMHSA primary sources. Each page links the underlying dataset, compares to the national average, and frames the state-specific drivers and policy levers.
maternal mortality
Black women in Alabama die from pregnancy-related causes at 43.5 per 100,000 live births — 2.3× the US national rate of 19.
Read the maternal mortality breakdown
infant mortality
Black infants in Alabama die before age one at 14.5 per 1,000 live births — compared to the US all-race rate of 5.4.
Read the infant mortality breakdown
cardiovascular mortality
Age-adjusted cardiovascular mortality among Black residents of Alabama: 398.4 deaths per 100,000 (CDC WONDER, ICD-10 I00-I99).
Read the cardiovascular mortality breakdown
diabetes prevalence
17.5% of Black adults in Alabama have been diagnosed with diabetes — compared to the US all-race rate of 11.6%.
Read the diabetes prevalence breakdown
breast cancer mortality
Age-adjusted breast cancer mortality among Black women in Alabama: 30.2 per 100,000 (CDC WONDER, ICD-10 C50).
Read the breast cancer mortality breakdown
prostate cancer mortality
Age-adjusted prostate cancer mortality among Black men in Alabama: 43.2 per 100,000 (CDC WONDER, ICD-10 C61).
Read the prostate cancer mortality breakdown
life expectancy
Life expectancy at birth for Black residents of Alabama: 72.1 years (US all-race: 77.5).
Read the life expectancy breakdown
uninsured rate
14.6% of Black residents of Alabama have no health insurance coverage — vs. a US all-race uninsured rate of 8%.
Read the uninsured rate breakdown
Medicaid coverage
About 34% of Black residents of Alabama receive Medicaid coverage. Alabama is a Medicaid non-expansion state.
Read the Medicaid coverage breakdown
mental health access
61.4% of Black adults in Alabama who experienced a past-year mental health need reported not receiving the treatment they needed (SAMHSA NS…
Read the mental health access breakdown
Policy context in Alabama
Alabama has not adopted Medicaid expansion. Low-income Black adults without dependent children earning above state Medicaid eligibility thresholds and below the ACA marketplace subsidy threshold fall into the coverage gap — uninsured by default. Medicaid does not currently cover doula services. Postpartum Medicaid coverage extends for 12 months after delivery, the federal recommended standard.
Alabama extended postpartum Medicaid to 12 months effective April 2023 under a state plan amendment (SPA 22-0026). Doula services remain uncovered. The University of Alabama at Birmingham runs the state's sole CDC-funded Perinatal Quality Collaborative, and state Medicaid pays higher rates for certified nurse-midwife deliveries at approved facilities.
Find Black health providers & resources in Alabama
Counties in Alabama
County-level Black Health profiles for the 1 Alabama county with the fullest race-stratified data and editorial coverage.
Data sources & refresh cadence
- US Census ACS 5-year 2019–2023, Table B02001 (race) & S1903 (income).
- CDC WONDER Multiple Cause of Death (D69) & Underlying Cause of Death (D76), 2018–2022 release.
- KFF Medicaid expansion and state coverage trackers, Q1 2026.
- SAMHSA National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2022 state annual.
- HRSA NHSC workforce data, 2024.
Last upstream refresh: