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 2026
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 2026
1. Shelby County
Biggest Place: Birmingham
Population: 230,211
Median Income: $97,961 (best)
Median Home Price: $359,369 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.9% (5th best)
More on Shelby County: Data
2. Autauga County
Biggest Place: Prattville
Population: 59,947
Median Income: $72,481 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $260,499 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.4% (2nd best)
More on Autauga County: Data
3. Madison County
Biggest Place: Huntsville
Population: 405,718
Median Income: $86,499 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $311,718 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (11th best)
More on Madison County: Data
4. Baldwin County
Biggest Place: Daphne
Population: 246,989
Median Income: $78,775 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $369,802 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.0% (6th best)
More on Baldwin County: Data
5. Limestone County
Biggest Place: Huntsville
Population: 111,233
Median Income: $83,629 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $319,479 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.3% (8th best)
More on Limestone County: Data
6. Elmore County
Biggest Place: Prattville
Population: 89,526
Median Income: $78,243 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $269,858 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.6% (27th best)
More on Elmore County: Data
7. St. Clair County
Biggest Place: Trussville
Population: 94,166
Median Income: $77,463 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $254,927 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.6% (26th best)
More on St. Clair County: Data
8. Lee County
Biggest Place: Auburn
Population: 181,134
Median Income: $65,824 (13th best)
Median Home Price: $344,150 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.5% (9th best)
More on Lee County: Data
9. Lauderdale County
Biggest Place: Florence
Population: 95,830
Median Income: $62,649 (17th best)
Median Home Price: $223,857 (17th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.1% (2best)
More on Lauderdale County: Data
10. Lawrence County
Biggest Place: Moulton
Population: 33,276
Median Income: $66,071 (12th best)
Median Home Price: $223,086 (18th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.0% (best)
More on Lawrence 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 2026. This report is our eleventh 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 2026
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, Limestone County, Elmore County, St. Clair County, Lee County, Lauderdale County, and Lawrence 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
- Macon County
For more Alabama reading, check out:
- Best Counties To Live In Alabama
- Best Places To Retire In Alabama
- Best Places To Buy A House 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 | 230,211 | $97,961 | $359,369 |
| 2 | Autauga County | 59,947 | $72,481 | $260,499 |
| 3 | Madison County | 405,718 | $86,499 | $311,718 |
| 4 | Baldwin County | 246,989 | $78,775 | $369,802 |
| 5 | Limestone County | 111,233 | $83,629 | $319,479 |
| 6 | Elmore County | 89,526 | $78,243 | $269,858 |
| 7 | St. Clair County | 94,166 | $77,463 | $254,927 |
| 8 | Lee County | 181,134 | $65,824 | $344,150 |
| 9 | Lauderdale County | 95,830 | $62,649 | $223,857 |
| 10 | Lawrence County | 33,276 | $66,071 | $223,086 |
| 11 | Tuscaloosa County | 237,552 | $66,231 | $229,615 |
| 12 | Colbert County | 58,022 | $60,628 | $197,333 |
| 13 | Washington County | 15,143 | $61,042 | $169,324 |
| 14 | Cleburne County | 15,426 | $55,345 | $230,137 |
| 15 | Jefferson County | 667,755 | $66,388 | $215,143 |
| 16 | Morgan County | 124,471 | $68,845 | $234,071 |
| 17 | Tallapoosa County | 40,938 | $59,356 | $269,000 |
| 18 | Cullman County | 90,566 | $62,656 | $255,134 |
| 19 | Cherokee County | 25,443 | $53,863 | $225,415 |
| 20 | Clay County | 14,192 | $55,250 | $181,444 |
| 21 | Mobile County | 412,590 | $58,880 | $194,292 |
| 22 | Blount County | 59,518 | $64,190 | $230,361 |
| 23 | Chilton County | 45,992 | $65,603 | $217,252 |
| 24 | Coffee County | 54,920 | $68,353 | $175,287 |
| 25 | Houston County | 108,140 | $58,626 | $200,765 |
| 26 | Marshall County | 99,748 | $62,571 | $241,701 |
| 27 | Coosa County | 10,300 | $57,355 | $180,902 |
| 28 | Henry County | 17,647 | $59,931 | $190,851 |
| 29 | Talladega County | 81,021 | $57,776 | $181,264 |
| 30 | Randolph County | 22,510 | $52,338 | $205,008 |
| 31 | Winston County | 23,682 | $57,256 | $202,083 |
| 32 | Montgomery County | 226,718 | $59,386 | $164,623 |
| 33 | Calhoun County | 116,090 | $55,029 | $171,219 |
| 34 | Pike County | 32,987 | $48,677 | $164,687 |
| 35 | Pickens County | 18,721 | $46,274 | $143,707 |
| 36 | Etowah County | 103,105 | $54,563 | $180,673 |
| 37 | Jackson County | 53,053 | $51,908 | $191,414 |
| 38 | Choctaw County | 12,380 | $47,813 | $128,420 |
| 39 | Crenshaw County | 13,122 | $48,560 | $138,753 |
| 40 | Dale County | 49,599 | $54,963 | $159,481 |
| 41 | Lamar County | 13,693 | $50,000 | $133,415 |
| 42 | Russell County | 58,811 | $51,197 | $196,108 |
| 43 | Walker County | 64,841 | $56,509 | $131,099 |
| 44 | Marion County | 29,184 | $50,088 | $159,893 |
| 45 | Covington County | 37,628 | $52,456 | $156,569 |
| 46 | Bibb County | 22,130 | $52,541 | $214,089 |
| 47 | Franklin County | 31,966 | $53,338 | $176,948 |
| 48 | Chambers County | 34,192 | $49,656 | $141,428 |
| 49 | Hale County | 14,829 | $39,250 | $176,170 |
| 50 | Fayette County | 16,053 | $49,488 | $145,035 |
| 51 | Marengo County | 18,851 | $43,825 | $138,311 |
| 52 | Clarke County | 22,543 | $49,249 | $136,490 |
| 53 | Conecuh County | 11,275 | $41,327 | $126,368 |
| 54 | Geneva County | 26,887 | $52,771 | $162,100 |
| 55 | Dekalb County | 72,269 | $51,204 | $172,016 |
| 56 | Escambia County | 36,629 | $48,225 | $142,991 |
| 57 | Lowndes County | 9,833 | $37,052 | $143,773 |
| 58 | Greene County | 7,424 | $29,200 | $132,681 |
| 59 | Dallas County | 36,858 | $35,627 | $89,767 |
| 60 | Perry County | 8,031 | $37,654 | $128,589 |
| 61 | Monroe County | 19,388 | $42,292 | $137,223 |
| 62 | Sumter County | 11,878 | $33,310 | $102,028 |
| 63 | Barbour County | 24,643 | $46,042 | $148,559 |
| 64 | Butler County | 18,630 | $44,755 | $113,979 |
| 65 | Macon County | 18,691 | $43,707 | $128,355 |
| 66 | Wilcox County | 10,172 | $40,640 | $140,996 |
| 67 | Bullock County | 10,058 | $31,310 | $125,152 |