The 10 Most Diverse Cities In Alabama For 2021


We used data and science to determine the most diverse cities in Alabama.

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Editor’s Note: We updated this article for 2021. This is our seventh time ranking the most diverse places in Alabama.


Most Diverse Cities In Alabama

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Race relations in America seem to be hitting a tipping point.

While we still haven't dealt with racism as a society, the election of Donald Trump to the presidency has only flamed the tensions that have been mounting for years.

Part of the reason for that tension? The country as a whole continues to self segregate across race, income, and party lines. But it's not all bad on the race relations front.

There are parts of Alabama where there's a high level of diversity -- where people of all walks of life come together. We decided to shine a light on those places today.

Using a standard measure of diversity, we ranked all 104 cities in Alabama from most to least diverse.

Here are the 10 most diverse places in Alabama for 2021:

  1. Irondale
  2. Phenix City
  3. Tarrant
  4. Russellville
  5. Opelika
  6. Gadsden
  7. Talladega
  8. Daleville
  9. Huntsville
  10. Eufaula

So what city is the most diverse in Alabama? According to the most Census data, Irondale took the number one over all spot for diversity in Alabama.

Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked. To see where Alabama ranked as a state, we have a ranking of the most diverse states in Ameria.

And if you already knew these places were diverse, check out:

The 10 Most Diverse Places In Alabama For 2021

Irondale, AL

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 12,637

HHI: 3,861
% White: 48.9%
% African American: 37.3%
% Asian: 0.9%
More on Irondale: PhotosData

Phenix City, AL

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 36,516

HHI: 3,941
% White: 44.5%
% African American: 43.7%
% Asian: 0.9%
More on Phenix City: PhotosData

Tarrant, AL

Overall SnackAbility

1
/10

Population: 6,174

HHI: 4,053
% White: 33.3%
% African American: 53.1%
% Asian: 0.3%
More on Tarrant: PhotosData

Russellville, AL

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 9,781

HHI: 4,156
% White: 51.8%
% African American: 9.4%
% Asian: 1.1%
More on Russellville: PhotosData

Opelika, AL

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 30,232

HHI: 4,205
% White: 49.2%
% African American: 41.9%
% Asian: 2.8%
More on Opelika: PhotosData

Gadsden, AL

Overall SnackAbility

1
/10

Population: 35,486

HHI: 4,265
% White: 54.3%
% African American: 35.5%
% Asian: 1.0%
More on Gadsden: PhotosData

Talladega, AL

Overall SnackAbility

1
/10

Population: 15,522

HHI: 4,291
% White: 44.5%
% African American: 47.7%
% Asian: 0.1%
More on Talladega: PhotosData

Daleville, AL

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 5,123

HHI: 4,293
% White: 60.6%
% African American: 21.1%
% Asian: 2.6%
More on Daleville: PhotosData

Huntsville, AL

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 196,219

HHI: 4,301
% White: 57.7%
% African American: 30.4%
% Asian: 2.6%
More on Huntsville: PhotosData

Eufaula, AL

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 12,065

HHI: 4,328
% White: 47.0%
% African American: 45.8%
% Asian: 0.9%
More on Eufaula: PhotosData

How we determined the most diverse cities in Alabama for 2021

We still believe in the accuracy of data -- especially from the census. So that's where we went to get the breakdown of race across Alabama.

That lead us to the Census's most recently available data, the 2015-2019 American Community Survey data from the US Census.

Specifically, we looked at table B03002: HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN BY RACE. Here are the category names as defined by the Census:

  • White alone*
  • Black or African American alone*
  • American Indian and Alaska Native alone*
  • Asian alone*
  • Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone*
  • Some other race alone*
  • Two or more races*
  • Hispanic or Latino
* Not hispanic or latino

We limited our analysis to non-CDPs with a population greater than 5,000 people. That left us with 104 cities.

We then calculated the HHI for each city by finding the racial breakdown of a city in percent terms, squaring them, and then adding the squares together. This left us with scores ranging from 3,861 (Irondale) to 9,596 (Orange Beach).

Finally, we ranked each city based on the HHI with a lower score being more diverse than a high score. Irondale took the distinction of being the most diverse, while Orange Beach was the least diverse city. You can download the data here.

Read on for more information on how the cities in Alabama ranked for diversity or, for a more general take on diversity in america, head over to our ranking of the most diverse cities in America.

There You Have It - Diversity Across Alabama

If you're looking for a scientific breakdown of diversity across Alabama, this is an accurate list.

If you're curious enough, here are the least diverse places in Alabama:

  1. Orange Beach
  2. Mountain Brook
  3. Tuskegee

For more Alabama reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Most Diverse Cities In Alabama For 2021

Rank City Population HHI
1 Irondale, AL 12,637 3,861
2 Phenix City, AL 36,516 3,941
3 Tarrant, AL 6,174 4,053
4 Russellville, AL 9,781 4,156
5 Opelika, AL 30,232 4,205
6 Gadsden, AL 35,486 4,265
7 Talladega, AL 15,522 4,291
8 Daleville, AL 5,123 4,293
9 Huntsville, AL 196,219 4,301
10 Eufaula, AL 12,065 4,328
11 Tuscaloosa, AL 99,390 4,356
12 Anniston, AL 21,688 4,375
13 Chickasaw, AL 5,817 4,386
14 Decatur, AL 54,478 4,389
15 Mobile, AL 190,432 4,396
16 Roanoke, AL 5,926 4,421
17 Enterprise, AL 27,947 4,441
18 Troy, AL 19,112 4,451
19 Ozark, AL 14,413 4,537
20 Brewton, AL 5,240 4,572
21 Lanett, AL 6,271 4,574
22 Pike Road, AL 9,320 4,621
23 Dothan, AL 67,894 4,644
24 Montgomery, AL 199,783 4,649
25 Fultondale, AL 9,179 4,654
26 Valley, AL 9,286 4,691
27 Demopolis, AL 6,807 4,705
28 Greenville, AL 7,589 4,737
29 Calera, AL 13,856 4,744
30 Tuscumbia, AL 8,444 4,768
31 Bay Minette, AL 9,169 4,786
32 Wetumpka, AL 8,243 4,795
33 Alexander City, AL 14,508 4,797
34 Atmore, AL 9,495 4,861
35 Clay, AL 9,888 4,966
36 Pleasant Grove, AL 9,651 4,966
37 Hueytown, AL 15,540 4,996
38 Sylacauga, AL 12,226 5,023
39 Hoover, AL 85,175 5,039
40 Montevallo, AL 6,693 5,096
41 Auburn, AL 64,054 5,120
42 Monroeville, AL 5,898 5,139
43 Albertville, AL 21,541 5,173
44 Clanton, AL 8,700 5,192
45 Millbrook, AL 15,645 5,240
46 Madison, AL 49,327 5,252
47 Alabaster, AL 33,176 5,348
48 Northport, AL 25,874 5,384
49 Athens, AL 25,922 5,415
50 Birmingham, AL 212,297 5,429
51 Andalusia, AL 8,772 5,455
52 Oxford, AL 21,323 5,470
53 Pinson, AL 7,109 5,477
54 Sheffield, AL 8,986 5,480
55 Lincoln, AL 6,681 5,495
56 Fort Payne, AL 14,115 5,539
57 Bessemer, AL 26,680 5,678
58 Jacksonville, AL 12,651 5,686
59 Prattville, AL 35,925 5,687
60 Center Point, AL 16,353 5,706
61 Florence, AL 40,309 5,797
62 Homewood, AL 25,534 5,802
63 Pelham, AL 23,428 5,804
64 Attalla, AL 5,836 5,822
65 Daphne, AL 25,901 5,912
66 Helena, AL 18,463 5,942
67 Jasper, AL 13,649 6,128
68 Leeds, AL 12,600 6,134
69 Foley, AL 18,533 6,243
70 Midfield, AL 5,085 6,400
71 Rainsville, AL 5,041 6,449
72 Opp, AL 6,455 6,505
73 Saraland, AL 14,391 6,524
74 Oneonta, AL 6,568 6,576
75 Semmes, AL 5,284 6,579
76 Rainbow City, AL 9,589 6,604
77 Smiths Station, AL 5,364 6,669
78 Muscle Shoals, AL 14,103 6,817
79 Guntersville, AL 8,468 6,882
80 Selma, AL 18,276 6,937
81 Robertsdale, AL 6,473 7,269
82 Gardendale, AL 14,016 7,387
83 Pell City, AL 13,781 7,433
84 Boaz, AL 9,277 7,582
85 Fairhope, AL 21,083 7,587
86 Spanish Fort, AL 8,601 7,599
87 Vestavia Hills, AL 34,307 7,626
88 Moody, AL 12,840 7,748
89 Hartselle, AL 14,428 7,806
90 Scottsboro, AL 14,526 7,860
91 Trussville, AL 21,876 7,860
92 Cullman, AL 15,729 7,920
93 Chelsea, AL 13,098 7,947
94 Prichard, AL 21,773 7,958
95 Satsuma, AL 6,159 7,985
96 Hamilton, AL 6,682 8,007
97 Fairfield, AL 10,720 8,340
98 Arab, AL 8,293 8,767
99 Glencoe, AL 5,077 9,015
100 Southside, AL 8,811 9,091

How Is The Area In ?

About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.