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 places 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 helping people find the best places to live in America for years.
So, 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.
After the analytic dust settled, we identified the 10 best counties to live in Heart Of Dixie for 2022.
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Alabama For 2022
Shelby County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Alabama. And you might want to avoid Greene County if you can — at least according to the data.
So if you’re thinking of making the move Alabama, we’ve got you covered. Keep on reading for a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Alabama and the cheapest places to live in Alabama.
The Best Counties To Live In Alabama For 2022
1. Shelby County
Biggest Place: Birmingham
Population: 216,350
Median Income: $78,889.0 (best)
Median Home Price: $220,700.0 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.8% (9th best)
More on Shelby County: Photos | Data
2. Madison County
Biggest Place: Huntsville
Population: 367,686
Median Income: $66,887.0 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $190,200.0 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.5% (17th best)
More on Madison County: Photos | Data
3. Elmore County
Biggest Place: Prattville
Population: 81,526
Median Income: $62,324.0 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $171,100.0 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.1% (13th best)
More on Elmore County: Photos | Data
4. Autauga County
Biggest Place: Prattville
Population: 55,639
Median Income: $57,982.0 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $161,200.0 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.9% (2nd best)
More on Autauga County: Photos | Data
5. Baldwin County
Biggest Place: Daphne
Population: 218,289
Median Income: $61,756.0 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $211,600.0 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.9% (10th best)
More on Baldwin County: Photos | Data
6. St. Clair County
Biggest Place: Trussville
Population: 88,929
Median Income: $62,531.0 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $165,900.0 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.2% (28th best)
More on St. Clair County: Photos | Data
7. Lauderdale County
Biggest Place: Florence
Population: 92,870
Median Income: $48,428.0 (22nd best)
Median Home Price: $149,500.0 (12th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.7% (18th best)
More on Lauderdale County: Photos | Data
8. Limestone County
Biggest Place: Huntsville
Population: 96,921
Median Income: $64,270.0 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $167,800.0 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.1% (24th best)
More on Limestone County: Photos | Data
9. Jefferson County
Biggest Place: Birmingham
Population: 658,615
Median Income: $55,088.0 (9th best)
Median Home Price: $165,000.0 (9th best)
Unemployment Rate: 6.3% (40th best)
More on Jefferson County: Photos | Data
10. Lee County
Biggest Place: Auburn
Population: 163,461
Median Income: $52,930.0 (11th best)
Median Home Price: $173,700.0 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.7% (19th best)
More on Lee County: Photos | 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 need to make some assumptions about what’s a “best county” and what isn’t. And, for reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, don’t take this analysis to court.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best sources of data on the internet; the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent time 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, quiet, and best counties to raise a family in the Heart Of Dixie.
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 2018
It turns out living in Alabama can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
But now you the know the really good parts and the parts to avoid and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day. And for that, you are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Alabama according to the data:
- Greene County
- Wilcox County
- Escambia County
For more Alabama reading, check out:
- Cheapest Places To Live In Alabama
- Best Places To Retire In Alabama
- Best Places To Buy A House In Alabama
- Safest Places In Alabama