The unfortunate fact of the matter is that some places in the Heart Of Dixie have a larger percent of their population that never graduated from high school.
While the emphasis on going to college might be overblown, the fact is that not graduating from high school puts you at a significant disadvantage on average. Educational attainment might not be the best way to measure one person’s intelligence, but it does shine a light on the state.
We will use Saturday Night Science to determine what places in Alabama have the highest percentage of adults without a high school degree.
A recent study we published found that Alabama is actually the 47th smartest state in the United States, with an average IQ of 96.
But that doesn’t mean that a few cities in Alabama are a bit slower than others due to a lack of basic education.
After crunching the numbers, we ranked the ten dumbest cities in the Heart Of Dixie.
The 10 Most Boring Places In Alabama
Don’t freak out.
Some places are just smarter than others, but that says nothing about the character of the people living there. It’s another data point a real estate agent would never tell you.
For this ranking, we only looked at cities with populations greater than 5,000, leaving us 100 cities in Alabama to rank. You can take a look at the data below.
For more Alabama reading, check out:
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Dumbest Places In Alabama For 2023
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 29.0%
% Highly Educated: 8.0%
More on Atmore: Cost Of Living
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 30.0%
% Highly Educated: 11.0%
More on Russellville: Cost Of Living
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 23.0%
% Highly Educated: 8.0%
More on Bay Minette: Cost Of Living | Crime Report
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 21.0%
% Highly Educated: 8.0%
More on Tarrant: Cost Of Living | Crime Report
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 20.0%
% Highly Educated: 8.0%
More on Hamilton: Cost Of Living | Crime Report
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 24.0%
% Highly Educated: 12.0%
More on Lanett: Cost Of Living | Crime Report
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 26.0%
% Highly Educated: 14.0%
More on Talladega: Cost Of Living | Crime Report
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 17.0%
% Highly Educated: 6.0%
More on Attalla: Cost Of Living
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 19.0%
% Highly Educated: 11.0%
More on Prichard: Cost Of Living | Crime Report
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 17.0%
% Highly Educated: 10.0%
More on Roanoke: Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Methodology: How we determined the dumbest cities in the Heart Of Dixie
We realize that formal education is only part of it when it comes to being intelligent, but on the other hand, knowing the difference between they’re, their, and there is always going to make you look pretty stupid.
So, we narrowed down our criteria to focus on a city’s educational opportunities and what percentage of the population takes advantage of those opportunities.
In short, we came up with these criteria to determine the dumbest cities in Alabama:
- % of the city’s population with less than a high school education (Age 25+)
- % of city’s population with a college degree (Age 25+)
We got the data from the U.S. Census 2017-2021 American Community Survey.
Then, our algorithm generates a rank for each place in these categories. After crunching all the numbers, a ranking of the cities in Alabama from dumbest to brightest.
For this ranking, we used every Alabama city with at least 5,000 residents. We updated this article for 2023, and it’s our tenth time ranking the dumbest cities in Alabama.
There You Have It – Now That You’re Asleep
If you’re measuring the locations in Alabama where there are a high number of dropouts and adults who never received a formal education, this is an accurate ranking.
If you’re also curious enough, here are the smartest places in Alabama, according to science:
- Mountain Brook
- Homewood
- Vestavia Hills
For more Alabama reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Alabama
- Cheapest Places To Live In Alabama
- Most Dangerous Cities In Alabama
- Richest Cities In Alabama
- Safest Places In Alabama
- Worst Places To Live In Alabama
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Alabama
You’d expect authors so concerned with intelligence to muster more nuanced, evocative writing than that of a catty 7th grader. Please go back to school. Your education really wasn’t long enough to rid you of your ignorance and your thoroughly pedestrian style.
I totally agree!
Just because you don’t complete high school don’t mean your dumb. Common sense means a lot to and that’s something you can’t learn in school. I like how people like you put some people down :/ Grow up!!!
Noneya, I agree. However, what you meant to post is this:
“Just because you don’t complete high school doesn’t mean you’re dumb. Common sense means a lot too, and that’s something you can’t learn in school. I like how people like you put some people down :/ Grow up!!!”
Hope that helps!
Not having a basic education really doesn’t mean someone is dumb, it simply means that they are uneducated. My grandfather only made it through the 3rd grade due to the Great Depression and having to help out on the farm, but he loved to read, and he became a Sargent in the Army Corp of Engineers at an early age. He also worked security at Redstone Arsenal after the war. My grandfather had loads of common sense (enough to survive the Battle of Normandy!), and he was quite wiley. I know people who speak English, Latin, Spanish, and a bit of French. They can tell you about everything there is to know about everything. No subject is too trivial for them to have something to say about it. They can tell you the major thoroughfares in Helsinki, Beijing, and Seattle… but they can’t tell you what major thoroughfares are in their own city. They can’t change lightbulbs or adjust the water pressure on a toilet. They don’t know how to pick up after themselves, or mow their own yards, or cook a meal. So, while they may have enlightening things to say about the history of the Methodist Church, or can tell you all about the mating habits of the African Swallow, or can describe in great detail how ancient Egyptian boats were constructed, they can seem like the “dumbest” yokels when it comes to life’s basics, or plain old good common sense.
Your data could be 100% accurate, but using Wikipedia as your source throws your credibility out the window.
The dumbest list fails to take several things into account. First, at least a couple of those cities have a large immigrant population, which will, of course, skew these numbers, but also create cultural diversity within those communities. There is also no mention of municipal infrastructure and tax bases, which both have a great bearing on educational opportunities and resources available to city residents. Also of note, there is no Alexander, Alabama. I believe the city for which you may have been reaching was Alexander City, Alabama. At least the residents there know the name of their city and use it properly.
“It’s nice that their honest, because while folks here may be nice, they sure aren’t the brightest bulbs in the room.”
(“Their” should be “they’re”)
Bud, you should move to Fultondale. Maybe you could teach their English classes.
The assumption that one without a high school diploma is “dumb” is foolish. Many people lack education because they could either starve to death while going to school OR drop out and work to help support the family. Many of the people counted in this survey were children of the great depression and had to work to be able to eat. Schooling was a luxury.
I notice that there is no byline on the article. Obviously the writer was ashamed to place his/her name on this flawed article.
How privileged you must feel to write such a nasty spirited piece of trash. There are plenty of things in any state or any city that are not a strong point just as there are those where a city excels. You could find no place where people care more for one another than Albertville, Alabama. When our city was ravaged 2 years in a row with damage from tornados the city pulled together and helped one another with anything a person needed. People who had damage were out grilling food to feed people who were helping with cleaning up despite the fact that the persons may not have been helping them personally. We more than likely have more people with the abilities of being bilingual than the city you call home. As many others have mentioned, I would make certain to have my work proof-read should I write an article calling other people dumb when I could not properly use the English language. Your piece is not “info-tainment” (that would be the proper way to have used it, moron), it is insulting and a waste of time. It is not science, it is the ill use of statistics that you so evidently do not know how to use nor how to document it.
I totally agree!
It’s Alexander City not just Alexander, sounds like this author is pretty dumb themselves.
Great southern hospitality is practiced here, Alabama has a low cost of living. It’s no wonder so many people retire here, Alabama has so many breathtaking mountains,60 miles of beautiful Gulf Coast beaches. We have deep music roots here in Alabama. No matter where you are in Alabama, you’re close to three major cities – Nashville, Atlanta and New Orleans. College football is a huge deal here. After all, Alabama is considered the college football capital of the world. If you love college football, you’ll fit right in. In Alabama, there’s no better place to be on a Friday night than cheering on your local high school football team. There’s always some type of fair or festival going on in Alabama. We have plenty of different food options. Whether you have a craving for country food, seafood, Chinese food, Mexican food, etc. – Alabama has you covered. We experience all four seasons here. Alabama has a very rich history. We love our veterans!.Alabama barbecue can’t be beat! Compared to other states, our cities have little to no traffic. As a matter of fact, some of the smaller towns only have a couple of traffic lights.In Alabama, it’s not uncommon to see cars on the side of the road during a funeral procession. We know the meaning of respect! Alabama is home to Space Camp. Alabama truly is a beautiful state! ;~)
Okay. Number one, not everyone who drops out is stupid. They have other stuff going on, that doesn’t make them dumb. I will admit I have met some dumb people here in Gadsden, but there are dumb people everywhere. Frankly, I don’t think the dropout rate has anything to do with being dumb, but it sure makes you look like a judgemental prick.
In Alabama, where I was educated, I was taught not to rely on Wikipedia as a source.
Proud to live in the most beautiful state of Alabama. Roll Tide