Chelsea receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Chelsea
Bessemer
Opportunity
72 · Top 19%
vs25 · Bottom 3%
Growth
66 · Top 22%
vs47 · Bottom 44%
Climate
74 · Top 33%
vs74 · Top 33%
Physical resilience
48 · Bottom 40%
vs59 · Top 49%
Housing affordability
99 · Top 11%
vs70 · Bottom 33%
Access
91 · Bottom 48%
vs93 · Top 46%
Economic stability
81 · Top 5%
vs21 · Bottom 2%
Measured values
| Metric | Chelsea | Bessemer | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,260 | 25,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $115,337 | $39,613 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $49,712 | $25,797 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 498/sq mi | 625/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $360,000 | $135,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,414 | $961 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 90.0% | 57.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 48.5% | 15.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 2.7% | 27.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 155 | 93 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 9.5 | 3.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -10.9% | 31.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 36°F | 36°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 56.2" | 56.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 19 mi | 18 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 34.8 min | 27.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.6 | 43.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 14 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.05 | 19.32 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 27.4% | 74.2% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Chelsea
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, inland flooding, earthquake.
Bessemer
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Full profiles: Chelsea, AL · Bessemer, AL · How this is calculated: methodology