The 10 Worst Small Towns In Alabama For 2022


Using science and data, we can tell you which teeny specks in AL are the pits.

Nick Johnson, RoadSnacks
April 7, 2022 - 66,486 views
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Editor’s Note: This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. Don’t freak out we updated this article for 2022. This is our ninth time ranking the worst small places to live in Alabama.

Most Americans have never been to Alabama. However, as the people who live there know, Alabama is an awesome state.

But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, Alabama has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Heart Of Dixie. Don't shoot the messenger, this is all using data.

After analyzing more than 199 of Alabama's smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in Alabama where you'd never want to live:

These are the worst small towns in Alabama for 2022:

  1. Clio
  2. Camp Hill
  3. Bear Creek
  4. Brilliant
  5. Elmore
  6. Frisco City
  7. Dadeville
  8. Florala
  9. Cordova
  10. Webb

So what is the worst small town to call home in Alabama for 2022? According to the most recent census data, Clio is the worst small town to live in Alabama.

Of course, many of these cities would rank highly if they were in other states, since Alabama has its stuff figured out.

Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.

And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in Alabama or the worst places to live in Alabama.

If you're looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.

The 10 Worst Small Towns In Alabama For 2022

1. Clio

Overall SnackAbility

2
/10

Population: 1,037
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $58,200 (6th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 12.2% (24th worst)
More on Clio:  Data

2. Camp Hill

Overall SnackAbility

2
/10

Population: 1,264
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $77,300 (28th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 18.8% (6th worst)
More on Camp Hill:  Data

3. Bear Creek

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,638
Rank Last Year: 14 (Up 11)
Median Home Value: $60,200 (9th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 13.7% (19th worst)
More on Bear Creek:  Data

4. Brilliant

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,235
Rank Last Year: -
Median Home Value: $82,300 (39th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 9.6% (47th worst)
More on Brilliant:  Data

5. Elmore

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,334
Rank Last Year: 5 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $70,900 (18th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 7.0% (76th worst)
More on Elmore:  Data

6. Frisco City

Source: Public Domain
Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,786
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $70,200 (17th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 22.8% (3rd worst)
More on Frisco City:  Data

7. Dadeville

Dadeville, AL

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 3,056
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 4)
Median Home Value: $107,300 (96th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 31.2% (worst)
More on Dadeville:  Data | Photos

8. Florala

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,812
Rank Last Year: 28 (Up 20)
Median Home Value: $85,800 (49th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 6.2% (87th worst)
More on Florala:  Data

9. Cordova

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,655
Rank Last Year: 11 (Up 2)
Median Home Value: $66,400 (13th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 11.5% (33rd worst)
More on Cordova:  Data

10. Webb

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,437
Rank Last Year: 13 (Up 3)
Median Home Value: $71,700 (20th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 11.1% (37th worst)
More on Webb:  Data

How do you decide if a place is lousy or not?

In order to rank the worst small towns to live in Alabama, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. It isn't a stretch to assume that people like low crime, solid education, things to do and a stable economy.

So we scraped the internet for those criteria, and it spit out the answer. Like magic.

How we determined the worst small towns to live in Alabama for 2022

We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using FBI crime data and the Census's 2016-2020 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:

  • Population Density (The lower the worse)
  • Highest Unemployment Rates
  • Low housing costs (meaning there's no demand)
  • Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
  • Education (Number of high school dropouts)
  • High Crime

We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which, there were a lot - 199 to be exact.

Additional note: We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets its crime numbers from the cities themselves. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.

This list is a scientific analysis based on real data and is completely unbiased.

There You Have It - The Worst Small Towns In Alabama

If you're analyzing teeny places in the Heart Of Dixie with the worst economic situations, where there's high crime and there's not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.

If you're curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in Alabama, according to science:

  1. Indian Springs Village (Pop. 2,618)
  2. Morris (Pop. 1,999)
  3. Magnolia Springs (Pop. 1,129)

For more Alabama reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Worst Small Towns In Alabama

Rank Town Population Unemployment Rate Home Value
1 Clio 1,037 12.2% $58,200
2 Camp Hill 1,264 18.8% $77,300
3 Bear Creek 1,638 13.7% $60,200
4 Brilliant 1,235 9.6% $82,300
5 Elmore 1,334 7.0% $70,900
6 Frisco City 1,786 22.8% $70,200
7 Dadeville 3,056 31.2% $107,300
8 Florala 1,812 6.2% $85,800
9 Cordova 1,655 11.5% $66,400
10 Webb 1,437 11.1% $71,700
11 Samson 1,615 11.1% $64,900
12 Aliceville 2,199 21.3% $88,600
13 Forkland 1,229 15.9% $103,100
14 York 2,448 10.9% $34,600
15 Brundidge 2,432 11.6% $78,900
16 Parrish 1,102 15.4% $40,400
17 Red Bay 3,125 6.9% $75,900
18 Unio 1,918 24.5% $47,600
19 Carbon Hill 1,354 6.0% $68,500
20 Holt 4,358 14.0% $67,000
21 Hackleburg 1,483 6.8% $79,300
22 Cottonwood 1,133 3.4% $82,400
23 Greensboro 2,956 11.7% $76,400
24 Steele 1,133 8.5% $77,300
25 Goodwater 1,376 3.9% $79,500
26 Vincent 1,956 11.2% $110,200
27 Henagar 2,457 7.0% $94,700
28 Bayou La Batre 2,332 2.7% $82,900
29 Midland City 1,942 8.7% $100,900
30 Union Springs 3,465 4.2% $72,000
31 Fort Deposit 1,770 18.7% $58,300
32 West End-Cobb Town 3,492 18.0% $58,800
33 Clayton 2,853 6.7% $71,000
34 Bridgeport 2,235 10.4% $64,400
35 Evergreen 3,591 10.0% $86,400
36 Eutaw 2,643 10.2% $119,800
37 Marion 3,196 7.6% $87,400
38 Sulligent 1,887 8.2% $67,500
39 Skyline 1,049 5.8% $85,300
40 Brighton 2,873 11.8% $57,000
41 Lipscomb 2,055 7.3% $79,300
42 Malvern 1,702 4.0% $96,400
43 Flomaton 1,945 14.6% $82,400
44 Elba 3,874 9.4% $82,600
45 Selmont-West Selmont 1,855 8.2% $43,800
46 Guin 2,684 16.9% $87,600
47 Notasulga 1,127 3.3% $80,600
48 Ashland 1,680 6.1% $137,500
49 Ragland 1,795 14.3% $102,400
50 Carrollton 1,158 11.9% $124,800
51 Slocomb 1,941 1.9% $75,900
52 Linden 1,838 12.1% $81,700
53 Mount Vernon 1,504 11.5% $92,000
54 Georgiana 1,597 8.3% $60,700
55 Powell 1,071 1.3% $80,000
56 Brookside 1,120 8.9% $91,100
57 Munford 1,465 11.0% $73,100
58 Collinsville 2,312 0.0% $71,900
59 Abbeville 2,572 9.4% $86,500
60 Whitesboro 2,161 4.5% $85,100
61 West Blocton 1,198 9.3% $87,400
62 Tidmore Bend 1,060 5.9% $85,000
63 East Brewton 3,093 12.3% $80,500
64 Double Springs 1,477 2.5% $95,200
65 New Market 1,115 8.2% $113,000
66 Ashville 2,309 6.2% $118,800
67 Carlisle-Rockledge 2,530 4.3% $124,700
68 Adamsville 4,266 11.9% $102,300
69 Reform 1,846 4.3% $87,800
70 Warrior 3,197 7.3% $116,000
71 La Fayette 2,922 6.6% $110,100
72 Brent 4,768 6.5% $100,800
73 Creola 2,119 6.5% $133,500
74 Taylor 2,742 5.1% $96,000
75 Geneva 4,292 3.2% $90,400
76 Dora 2,429 8.3% $100,200
77 Berry 1,080 8.1% $91,300
78 Livingston 3,286 6.7% $129,900
79 Graysville 2,328 12.1% $92,200
80 Blountsville 2,009 5.7% $115,100
81 Eclectic 1,184 8.4% $112,500
82 Lookout Mountain 1,528 3.3% $86,100
83 Kinsey 2,458 4.6% $94,300
84 Fayette 4,329 15.0% $102,100
85 Hanceville 3,377 12.5% $109,700
86 Citronelle 3,919 2.5% $107,400
87 Midfield 4,984 9.1% $74,300
88 Woodville 1,076 10.4% $100,000
89 Crossville 1,620 2.5% $115,200
90 Vernon 2,204 5.0% $95,600
91 Jackson 4,731 12.4% $128,000
92 Cleveland 1,340 1.4% $96,900
93 Hartford 2,584 1.8% $106,500
94 Locust Fork 1,645 5.5% $126,700
95 Fyffe 1,445 3.2% $103,700
96 Baileyton 1,012 3.8% $79,900
97 Altoona 1,250 2.5% $118,200
98 Heflin 3,453 8.8% $149,700
99 Haleyville 4,139 5.7% $101,400
100 Newton 1,502 4.5% $85,200
Download The Entire Alabama Ranking Data

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About Nick Johnson

Nick Johnson earned his masters in Business Administration from the Drucker School At Claremont Graduate University. He has written for 39 publications across the country and ran the media relations department at Movoto, a real estate portal based in San Francisco. He has been featured in over 500 publications as an expert in real estate and as an authority on real estate trends.

Nick's the creator of the HomeSnacks YouTube channel that now has over 260,000 subscribers and is an excellent source to learn about different parts of the country.

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