Alabaster receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Jasper
Alabaster
Opportunity
54 · Bottom 45%
vs69 · Top 24%
Growth
53 · Top 45%
vs56 · Top 40%
Climate
76 · Top 26%
vs74 · Top 33%
Physical resilience
22 · Bottom 16%
vs48 · Bottom 40%
Housing affordability
97 · Top 15%
vs100 · Top 8%
Access
80 · Bottom 23%
vs88 · Bottom 35%
Economic stability
35 · Bottom 11%
vs73 · Top 21%
Measured values
| Metric | Jasper | Alabaster | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,442 | 33,917 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $66,238 | $91,357 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,377 | $40,642 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 491/sq mi | 1,292/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $215,700 | $261,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $721 | $1,372 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 66.4% | 87.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 3.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.2% | 41.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.9% | 7.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 41 | 87 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.8 | 2.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 70.8% | -4.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 31°F | 36°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 61.8" | 56.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 36 mi | 24 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.6 min | 32.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.7 | 39.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.98 | 16.15 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 51.9% | 51.9% | 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
Jasper
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, inland flooding, heat wave.
Alabaster
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, inland flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: Jasper, AL · Alabaster, AL · How this is calculated: methodology