The population of Tuskegee Institute City is estimated at approximately 2,500 people. The city is home to the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System, which employs nearly 1,000 people. It is also home to Tuskegee University, which employs approximately 1,000 people. The main industries in Tuskegee are health care and education, which account for 47 percent of the city's total employment. Other major industries include arts and entertainment, retail sales, public administration, manufacturing, and agriculture, which combine to make up the rest of the city's economy.
The city is home to a weekly newspaper, The Tuskegee News, which has been in print since 1865. Some notable residents include Lt Gen Russell C. Davis, a former Commanding General of the District of Columbia National Guard, R&B singer Rimp Lanier, and Alice Coachman, the first female Olympian from the United States. These notable individuals made the city famous, both in the U.S. and worldwide, and helped shape the course of history.
The Tuskegee Syphilis Study Memorial reminds visitors of a dark chapter in American history. The study, which began during the Great Depression, continued until 1972. Participants were given free medical care and burials. Most patients did not know they were participating in the study, so they were often unknowingly being punished. While there was a lack of funding, Tuskegee was a hub for medical research, which led to advancements in medicine.