Scottsboro receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Scottsboro
Alexander City
Opportunity
38 · Bottom 15%
vs38 · Bottom 14%
Growth
50 · Bottom 49%
vs47 · Bottom 45%
Climate
77 · Top 23%
vs72 · Top 43%
Physical resilience
37 · Bottom 30%
vs29 · Bottom 23%
Housing affordability
93 · Top 25%
vs96 · Top 18%
Access
77 · Bottom 19%
vs69 · Bottom 11%
Economic stability
33 · Bottom 10%
vs26 · Bottom 4%
Measured values
| Metric | Scottsboro | Alexander City | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,712 | 14,606 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $53,929 | $47,022 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,454 | $28,658 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 310/sq mi | 317/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $190,400 | $155,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $830 | $721 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 68.2% | 62.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.7% | -2.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.6% | 20.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 18.6% | 25.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 43 | 65 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.7 | 4.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -2.3% | -9.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 88°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 30°F | 32°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 55.1" | 57.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 41 mi | 50 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.5 min | 21.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.2 | 41.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.49 | 17.29 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 48.7% | 64.8% | 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
Scottsboro
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, earthquake, inland flooding.
Alexander City
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Scottsboro
58
Your Score
56
Area Score
Alexander City
54
Your Score
52
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Scottsboro, AL · Alexander City, AL · How this is calculated: methodology