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 2025
- Shelby County
- Madison County
- Autauga County
- Baldwin County
- Elmore County
- Limestone County
- St. Clair County
- Tuscaloosa County
- Lee County
- Colbert County
Shelby County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Alabama. And you should avoid Bullock 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 2025
1. Shelby County
Biggest Place: Birmingham
Population: 226,955
Median Income: $93,543 (best)
Median Home Price: $298,700 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.9% (6th best)
More on Shelby County:
2. Madison County
Biggest Place: Huntsville
Population: 397,135
Median Income: $83,528 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $267,800 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.8% (17th best)
More on Madison County:
3. Autauga County
Biggest Place: Prattville
Population: 59,285
Median Income: $69,841 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $197,900 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.5% (4th best)
More on Autauga County:
4. Baldwin County
Biggest Place: Daphne
Population: 239,945
Median Income: $75,019 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $287,000 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.2% (7th best)
More on Baldwin County:
5. Elmore County
Biggest Place: Prattville
Population: 88,669
Median Income: $75,553 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $213,600 (9th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.9% (19th best)
More on Elmore County:
6. Limestone County
Biggest Place: Huntsville
Population: 107,577
Median Income: $83,534 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $255,100 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.7% (15th best)
More on Limestone County:
7. St. Clair County
Biggest Place: Trussville
Population: 92,903
Median Income: $78,993 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $218,500 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.5% (27th best)
More on St. Clair County:
8. Tuscaloosa County
Biggest Place: Tuscaloosa
Population: 234,036
Median Income: $63,947 (11th best)
Median Home Price: $233,700 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.4% (36th best)
More on Tuscaloosa County:
9. Lee County
Biggest Place: Auburn
Population: 177,663
Median Income: $61,123 (13th best)
Median Home Price: $238,700 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.7% (16th best)
More on Lee County:
10. Colbert County
Biggest Place: Muscle Shoals
Population: 57,648
Median Income: $56,736 (26th best)
Median Home Price: $161,600 (2best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.3% (8th best)
More on Colbert County:
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 2025. 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 Bullock County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Alabama.
Summary: The Best Counties In Alabama To Call Home For 2025
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, Madison County, Autauga County, Baldwin County, Elmore County, Limestone County, St. Clair County, Tuscaloosa County, Lee County, and Colbert 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:
- Bullock County
- Wilcox County
- Monroe County
For more Alabama reading, check out:
- Cheapest Places To Live In Alabama
- Best Places To Buy A House In Alabama
- Best Counties To Live In Alabama
- Safest Places In Alabama
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Alabama
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shelby County | 226,955 | $93,543 | $298,700 |
| 2 | Madison County | 397,135 | $83,528 | $267,800 |
| 3 | Autauga County | 59,285 | $69,841 | $197,900 |
| 4 | Baldwin County | 239,945 | $75,019 | $287,000 |
| 5 | Elmore County | 88,669 | $75,553 | $213,600 |
| 6 | Limestone County | 107,577 | $83,534 | $255,100 |
| 7 | St. Clair County | 92,903 | $78,993 | $218,500 |
| 8 | Tuscaloosa County | 234,036 | $63,947 | $233,700 |
| 9 | Lee County | 177,663 | $61,123 | $238,700 |
| 10 | Colbert County | 57,648 | $56,736 | $161,600 |
| 11 | Jefferson County | 669,744 | $64,589 | $224,900 |
| 12 | Lauderdale County | 95,037 | $59,082 | $185,800 |
| 13 | Lawrence County | 33,182 | $60,040 | $150,700 |
| 14 | Cleburne County | 15,254 | $53,319 | $144,200 |
| 15 | Morgan County | 123,742 | $64,858 | $193,000 |
| 16 | Henry County | 17,450 | $60,135 | $147,800 |
| 17 | Cullman County | 89,463 | $60,916 | $180,500 |
| 18 | Randolph County | 22,310 | $51,551 | $184,000 |
| 19 | Washington County | 15,270 | $60,503 | $152,800 |
| 20 | Coffee County | 54,231 | $64,672 | $180,300 |
| 21 | Marshall County | 98,712 | $60,946 | $183,400 |
| 22 | Mobile County | 413,162 | $58,119 | $176,600 |
| 23 | Cherokee County | 25,224 | $50,769 | $165,900 |
| 24 | Clay County | 14,188 | $51,852 | $144,700 |
| 25 | Houston County | 107,628 | $57,531 | $178,000 |
| 26 | Coosa County | 10,323 | $57,063 | $111,800 |
| 27 | Pike County | 32,953 | $47,961 | $149,000 |
| 28 | Blount County | 59,292 | $61,096 | $169,700 |
| 29 | Montgomery County | 227,197 | $58,153 | $160,100 |
| 30 | Chilton County | 45,500 | $61,873 | $142,300 |
| 31 | Tallapoosa County | 41,070 | $57,185 | $144,800 |
| 32 | Talladega County | 81,170 | $56,249 | $137,900 |
| 33 | Etowah County | 103,208 | $53,070 | $160,600 |
| 34 | Covington County | 37,647 | $50,886 | $142,500 |
| 35 | Calhoun County | 116,141 | $55,826 | $149,500 |
| 36 | Fayette County | 16,173 | $50,733 | $121,200 |
| 37 | Walker County | 64,886 | $54,509 | $131,100 |
| 38 | Lamar County | 13,809 | $47,447 | $112,700 |
| 39 | Marengo County | 19,027 | $44,205 | $103,400 |
| 40 | Jackson County | 52,839 | $49,454 | $145,800 |
| 41 | Dale County | 49,516 | $53,955 | $129,100 |
| 42 | Franklin County | 31,978 | $51,493 | $128,000 |
| 43 | Chambers County | 34,450 | $49,295 | $129,700 |
| 44 | Choctaw County | 12,525 | $44,483 | $111,800 |
| 45 | Crenshaw County | 13,144 | $49,040 | $108,400 |
| 46 | Russell County | 58,858 | $50,046 | $152,300 |
| 47 | Clarke County | 22,802 | $49,167 | $126,400 |
| 48 | Hale County | 14,749 | $41,325 | $126,300 |
| 49 | Conecuh County | 11,411 | $42,266 | $101,300 |
| 50 | Bibb County | 22,152 | $51,215 | $132,600 |
| 51 | Winston County | 23,637 | $48,032 | $110,500 |
| 52 | Geneva County | 26,726 | $50,951 | $120,200 |
| 53 | Marion County | 29,190 | $50,714 | $104,300 |
| 54 | Pickens County | 18,843 | $47,014 | $123,300 |
| 55 | Dekalb County | 71,946 | $51,149 | $135,500 |
| 56 | Macon County | 18,951 | $45,951 | $95,700 |
| 57 | Sumter County | 12,020 | $37,981 | $84,100 |
| 58 | Butler County | 18,807 | $44,881 | $99,700 |
| 59 | Dallas County | 37,536 | $36,810 | $97,400 |
| 60 | Lowndes County | 10,008 | $35,160 | $80,600 |
| 61 | Escambia County | 36,695 | $44,447 | $122,700 |
| 62 | Barbour County | 24,757 | $44,290 | $109,900 |
| 63 | Greene County | 7,589 | $31,495 | $86,400 |
| 64 | Perry County | 8,231 | $34,368 | $87,700 |
| 65 | Monroe County | 19,580 | $40,225 | $114,900 |
| 66 | Wilcox County | 10,347 | $42,236 | $84,200 |
| 67 | Bullock County | 10,157 | $36,723 | $79,400 |