Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment, is Alabama a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best counties to live in Alabama.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Heart Of Dixie based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
The question becomes if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Alabama, where would you go? To answer that, we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 67 counties in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Alabama For 2024
Shelby County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Alabama. And you should avoid Greene County if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in Alabama. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Alabama and the cheapest places to live in Alabama.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In Alabama For 2024
1. Shelby County
Biggest Place: Birmingham
Population: 223,916
Median Income: $90,618 (best)
Median Home Price: $337,455 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.1% (5th best)
More on Shelby County: Data
2. Autauga County
Biggest Place: Prattville
Population: 58,761
Median Income: $68,315 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $234,298 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.8% (2nd best)
More on Autauga County: Data
3. Madison County
Biggest Place: Huntsville
Population: 389,781
Median Income: $78,058 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $300,468 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.2% (2best)
More on Madison County: Data
4. Baldwin County
Biggest Place: Daphne
Population: 233,420
Median Income: $71,039 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $374,435 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.4% (8th best)
More on Baldwin County: Data
5. Elmore County
Biggest Place: Prattville
Population: 87,694
Median Income: $73,258 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $247,802 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.2% (19th best)
More on Elmore County: Data
6. Limestone County
Biggest Place: Huntsville
Population: 104,199
Median Income: $80,146 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $308,059 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.1% (18th best)
More on Limestone County: Data
7. St. Clair County
Biggest Place: Trussville
Population: 91,719
Median Income: $73,218 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $249,883 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.3% (22nd best)
More on St. Clair County: Data
8. Lee County
Biggest Place: Auburn
Population: 175,126
Median Income: $59,288 (13th best)
Median Home Price: $297,179 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.8% (12th best)
More on Lee County: Data
9. Tuscaloosa County
Biggest Place: Tuscaloosa
Population: 231,558
Median Income: $61,645 (11th best)
Median Home Price: $220,215 (11th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.5% (38th best)
More on Tuscaloosa County: Data
10. Lauderdale County
Biggest Place: Florence
Population: 94,329
Median Income: $56,081 (20th best)
Median Home Price: $206,078 (19th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (10th best)
More on Lauderdale County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Alabama county is the best?
To give you the best county in Alabama, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Alabama across each of the criteria from one to 67, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Alabama.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Heart Of Dixie.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the best counties to live in Alabama.
Read on to see why Shelby County is the best county, while Greene County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Alabama.
Summary: The Best Counties In Alabama To Call Home For 2024
Living in Alabama can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in Alabama are Shelby County, Autauga County, Madison County, Baldwin County, Elmore County, Limestone County, St. Clair County, Lee County, Tuscaloosa County, and Lauderdale County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Alabama according to the data:
- Greene County
- Macon County
- Wilcox County
For more Alabama reading, check out:
- Best Places To Buy A House In Alabama
- Safest Places In Alabama
- Cheapest Places To Live In Alabama
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Alabama
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Alabama
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shelby County | 223,916 | $90,618 | $337,455 |
| 2 | Autauga County | 58,761 | $68,315 | $234,298 |
| 3 | Madison County | 389,781 | $78,058 | $300,468 |
| 4 | Baldwin County | 233,420 | $71,039 | $374,435 |
| 5 | Elmore County | 87,694 | $73,258 | $247,802 |
| 6 | Limestone County | 104,199 | $80,146 | $308,059 |
| 7 | St. Clair County | 91,719 | $73,218 | $249,883 |
| 8 | Lee County | 175,126 | $59,288 | $297,179 |
| 9 | Tuscaloosa County | 231,558 | $61,645 | $220,215 |
| 10 | Lauderdale County | 94,329 | $56,081 | $206,078 |
| 11 | Colbert County | 57,270 | $56,149 | $180,123 |
| 12 | Jefferson County | 672,265 | $63,595 | $208,948 |
| 13 | Morgan County | 123,102 | $61,588 | $220,119 |
| 14 | Cullman County | 88,284 | $58,119 | $228,745 |
| 15 | Coosa County | 10,329 | $52,279 | $177,702 |
| 16 | Cleburne County | 15,144 | $51,553 | $211,181 |
| 17 | Lawrence County | 33,116 | $54,786 | $195,658 |
| 18 | Marshall County | 97,923 | $58,272 | $214,145 |
| 19 | Coffee County | 53,559 | $62,199 | $186,902 |
| 20 | Randolph County | 22,179 | $49,879 | $187,289 |
| 21 | Washington County | 15,434 | $51,184 | $141,654 |
| 22 | Chilton County | 45,140 | $62,471 | $210,081 |
| 23 | Henry County | 17,282 | $58,395 | $170,906 |
| 24 | Blount County | 59,077 | $57,440 | $217,094 |
| 25 | Marengo County | 19,180 | $42,975 | $138,444 |
| 26 | Houston County | 107,040 | $55,064 | $180,556 |
| 27 | Cherokee County | 25,069 | $46,621 | $213,837 |
| 28 | Mobile County | 413,878 | $55,352 | $184,042 |
| 29 | Lamar County | 13,885 | $49,565 | $115,469 |
| 30 | Tallapoosa County | 41,251 | $53,282 | $222,954 |
| 31 | Clay County | 14,209 | $48,074 | $146,297 |
| 32 | Etowah County | 103,348 | $52,177 | $161,691 |
| 33 | Pike County | 32,997 | $42,616 | $159,458 |
| 34 | Conecuh County | 11,576 | $39,888 | $113,653 |
| 35 | Montgomery County | 228,132 | $56,707 | $147,382 |
| 36 | Dale County | 49,455 | $52,813 | $150,324 |
| 37 | Talladega County | 81,105 | $52,457 | $178,107 |
| 38 | Chambers County | 34,612 | $48,805 | $120,390 |
| 39 | Walker County | 64,978 | $52,987 | $177,675 |
| 40 | Calhoun County | 116,162 | $54,339 | $149,540 |
| 41 | Crenshaw County | 13,205 | $48,557 | $121,254 |
| 42 | Covington County | 37,542 | $48,772 | $137,709 |
| 43 | Winston County | 23,655 | $49,494 | $191,827 |
| 44 | Bibb County | 22,251 | $50,669 | $184,601 |
| 45 | Pickens County | 18,925 | $45,339 | $124,289 |
| 46 | Geneva County | 26,647 | $47,608 | $142,275 |
| 47 | Franklin County | 32,011 | $47,359 | $153,498 |
| 48 | Choctaw County | 12,669 | $43,299 | $104,393 |
| 49 | Marion County | 29,203 | $49,743 | $140,681 |
| 50 | Russell County | 58,849 | $47,420 | $168,479 |
| 51 | Jackson County | 52,618 | $46,748 | $179,526 |
| 52 | Hale County | 14,742 | $35,851 | $155,615 |
| 53 | Dekalb County | 71,680 | $47,920 | $159,578 |
| 54 | Butler County | 18,981 | $44,429 | $107,807 |
| 55 | Lowndes County | 10,153 | $33,125 | $127,876 |
| 56 | Sumter County | 12,196 | $31,726 | $115,473 |
| 57 | Fayette County | 16,297 | $45,650 | $121,199 |
| 58 | Clarke County | 23,058 | $47,549 | $133,467 |
| 59 | Dallas County | 38,326 | $37,180 | $70,105 |
| 60 | Barbour County | 24,877 | $39,712 | $139,407 |
| 61 | Monroe County | 19,816 | $39,965 | $128,044 |
| 62 | Escambia County | 36,755 | $41,153 | $145,281 |
| 63 | Perry County | 8,479 | $32,332 | $113,721 |
| 64 | Bullock County | 10,328 | $36,136 | $108,457 |
| 65 | Wilcox County | 10,441 | $38,208 | $133,582 |
| 66 | Macon County | 19,198 | $41,206 | $89,781 |
| 67 | Greene County | 7,706 | $32,796 | $106,617 |