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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:
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
/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
/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
/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
/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
/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
/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
/10
8. Florala
/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
/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
/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:
- Indian Springs Village (Pop. 2,618)
- Morris (Pop. 1,999)
- Magnolia Springs (Pop. 1,129)
For more Alabama reading, check out:
Detailed List Of The Worst Small Towns In Alabama
Rank | Town | Population |
---|---|---|
1 | Clio | 1,037 |
2 | Camp Hill | 1,264 |
3 | Bear Creek | 1,638 |
4 | Brilliant | 1,235 |
5 | Elmore | 1,334 |
6 | Frisco City | 1,786 |
7 | Dadeville | 3,056 |
8 | Florala | 1,812 |
9 | Cordova | 1,655 |
10 | Webb | 1,437 |
11 | Samson | 1,615 |
12 | Aliceville | 2,199 |
13 | Forkland | 1,229 |
14 | York | 2,448 |
15 | Brundidge | 2,432 |
16 | Parrish | 1,102 |
17 | Red Bay | 3,125 |
18 | Unio | 1,918 |
19 | Carbon Hill | 1,354 |
20 | Holt | 4,358 |
21 | Hackleburg | 1,483 |
22 | Cottonwood | 1,133 |
23 | Greensboro | 2,956 |
24 | Steele | 1,133 |
25 | Goodwater | 1,376 |
26 | Vincent | 1,956 |
27 | Henagar | 2,457 |
28 | Bayou La Batre | 2,332 |
29 | Midland City | 1,942 |
30 | Union Springs | 3,465 |
31 | Fort Deposit | 1,770 |
32 | West End-Cobb Town | 3,492 |
33 | Clayton | 2,853 |
34 | Bridgeport | 2,235 |
35 | Evergreen | 3,591 |
36 | Eutaw | 2,643 |
37 | Marion | 3,196 |
38 | Sulligent | 1,887 |
39 | Skyline | 1,049 |
40 | Brighton | 2,873 |
41 | Lipscomb | 2,055 |
42 | Malvern | 1,702 |
43 | Flomaton | 1,945 |
44 | Elba | 3,874 |
45 | Selmont-West Selmont | 1,855 |
46 | Guin | 2,684 |
47 | Notasulga | 1,127 |
48 | Ashland | 1,680 |
49 | Ragland | 1,795 |
50 | Carrollton | 1,158 |
51 | Slocomb | 1,941 |
52 | Linden | 1,838 |
53 | Mount Vernon | 1,504 |
54 | Georgiana | 1,597 |
55 | Powell | 1,071 |
56 | Brookside | 1,120 |
57 | Munford | 1,465 |
58 | Collinsville | 2,312 |
59 | Abbeville | 2,572 |
60 | Whitesboro | 2,161 |
61 | West Blocton | 1,198 |
62 | Tidmore Bend | 1,060 |
63 | East Brewton | 3,093 |
64 | Double Springs | 1,477 |
65 | New Market | 1,115 |
66 | Ashville | 2,309 |
67 | Carlisle-Rockledge | 2,530 |
68 | Adamsville | 4,266 |
69 | Reform | 1,846 |
70 | Warrior | 3,197 |
71 | La Fayette | 2,922 |
72 | Brent | 4,768 |
73 | Creola | 2,119 |
74 | Taylor | 2,742 |
75 | Geneva | 4,292 |
76 | Dora | 2,429 |
77 | Berry | 1,080 |
78 | Livingston | 3,286 |
79 | Graysville | 2,328 |
80 | Blountsville | 2,009 |
81 | Eclectic | 1,184 |
82 | Lookout Mountain | 1,528 |
83 | Kinsey | 2,458 |
84 | Fayette | 4,329 |
85 | Hanceville | 3,377 |
86 | Citronelle | 3,919 |
87 | Midfield | 4,984 |
88 | Woodville | 1,076 |
89 | Crossville | 1,620 |
90 | Vernon | 2,204 |
91 | Jackson | 4,731 |
92 | Cleveland | 1,340 |
93 | Hartford | 2,584 |
94 | Locust Fork | 1,645 |
95 | Fyffe | 1,445 |
96 | Baileyton | 1,012 |
97 | Altoona | 1,250 |
98 | Heflin | 3,453 |
99 | Haleyville | 4,139 |
100 | Newton | 1,502 |