State rankings

Best Counties to Live in Alabama

Compare counties in Alabama by overall score, affordability, economy, schools, safety, taxes, and peace & quiet. Rankings are public-data estimates for comparison and research.

#1 in AL

Coffee County

75.5

Overall score

Open county report

#2 in AL

Shelby County

75.4

Overall score

Open county report

#3 in AL

Madison County

72.6

Overall score

Open county report

#4 in AL

Autauga County

69.2

Overall score

Open county report

#5 in AL

Baldwin County

68.4

Overall score

Open county report

Category highlights

Quick entry points for common county search priorities.

National rankings

Best overall

Coffee County

Overall score 75.5

Most affordable

Walker County

Affordability 85.7

Best schools

Madison County

Schools 63.5

Safest

Covington County

Safety 98

Lowest taxes

Autauga County

Taxes 93.2

Best peace & quiet

Perry County

Peace & Quiet 85.9

All Alabama counties

Showing 67 counties ranked by the default generated overall score.

Rank	County	Overall	Economy	Afford.	Schools	Safety	Taxes	Peace & Quiet	Typical home	Income
1	Coffee County FIPS 01031	75.5	69.1	79.6	58.2	90.7	89.1	83.8	$175,288	$68,353
2	Shelby County FIPS 01117	75.4	85.3	62.5	63.3	91.4	86.6	67.8	$359,370	$97,961
3	Madison County FIPS 01089	72.6	83.4	60.4	63.5	82.3	87.7	56.4	$311,719	$86,499
4	Autauga County FIPS 01001	69.2	68.1	65.1	50.2	82.9	93.2	81.6	$260,499	$72,481
5	Baldwin County FIPS 01003	68.4	81.9	42.1	58.9	86.1	92.4	70	$369,803	$78,775
6	Lauderdale County FIPS 01077	67.4	64.4	63.5	41.9	93.6	90.6	78.1	$223,857	$62,649
7	Marion County FIPS 01093	67	54	70.9	47	87.1	93.2	79.8	$159,893	$50,088
8	Cullman County FIPS 01043	66.6	68.7	57.7	50.4	77.6	93.2	79.3	$255,134	$62,656
9	Morgan County FIPS 01103	66.1	71	67.6	26.8	87.1	92.9	75.5	$234,072	$68,845
10	St. Clair County FIPS 01115	65.9	78.9	67.6	25.2	74.6	93.2	75	$271,171	$77,463
11	Cleburne County FIPS 01029	65.8	70.1	58.3	39.7	82.7	93.2	80.1	$230,137	$55,345
12	Limestone County FIPS 01083	65.1	87.7	60.6	20.3	72.5	93.2	75.6	$319,480	$83,629
13	Covington County FIPS 01039	64.6	54.7	73.4	22.2	98	93.2	82	$156,569	$52,456
14	Colbert County FIPS 01033	64.1	57.4	69.1	34	82.7	90.9	83.8	$197,333	$60,628
15	Marshall County FIPS 01095	64	67.4	61.5	29.1	85.8	92.6	76	$241,702	$62,571
16	Elmore County FIPS 01051	63.7	79.8	64.8	19.2	70.2	93.2	76.9	$269,858	$78,243
17	Calhoun County FIPS 01015	63.6	55.1	69.9	27	95.8	88.8	74.1	$171,219	$55,029
18	Walker County FIPS 01127	63.5	57.9	85.7	20.1	69.7	93.2	76.9	$131,100	$56,509
19	Chambers County FIPS 01017	62	57.9	76.3	2.8	97.8	89.9	84	$141,428	$49,656
20	Clay County FIPS 01027	62	58	69.6	12.7	94.2	93.2	82.3	$181,444	$55,250
21	Dale County FIPS 01045	61.4	53.2	72	15.4	90.1	93.2	84.1	$159,481	$54,963
22	Houston County FIPS 01069	61.4	58.9	63.5	30.9	76	93.2	77.6	$200,765	$58,626
23	Lawrence County FIPS 01079	61.4	65.4	71	17.3	69.4	93.2	82.5	$223,086	$66,071
24	Franklin County FIPS 01059	61.1	58	71.6	18.7	76.3	93.2	83.9	$176,949	$53,338
25	Lamar County FIPS 01075	61.1	49.9	78.8	10.8	90	93.2	79.9	$133,416	$50,000
26	Fayette County FIPS 01057	61	46.5	76.5	16.8	90.2	93.2	81.3	$145,035	$49,488
27	Henry County FIPS 01067	60.8	60.9	70.5	5.9	89.7	93.2	79.9	$190,852	$59,931
28	Pike County FIPS 01109	59.9	51.3	64.3	23.2	85.4	93.2	84.4	$164,687	$48,677
29	Mobile County FIPS 01097	59.5	56	67.7	19.5	87.7	83.3	64.4	$194,293	$58,880
30	Geneva County FIPS 01061	59.3	57.4	74.6	12.9	68	93.2	83.3	$162,101	$52,771
31	Talladega County FIPS 01121	59.3	58.1	72.8	10.5	74.8	93.2	79.1	$181,265	$57,776
32	Blount County FIPS 01009	59.2	71.3	68.4	21.9	45.3	93.2	76.5	$230,362	$64,190
33	Winston County FIPS 01133	59.2	55.4	61.3	19.7	86.1	93.2	76.6	$202,083	$57,256
34	Etowah County FIPS 01055	59.1	54.2	68.3	19.6	79.7	89.9	73	$180,673	$54,563
35	Tuscaloosa County FIPS 01125	58.4	61.1	61.6	13.7	80.8	90.4	77.1	$229,616	$66,231
36	Lee County FIPS 01081	58.3	65.8	34.8	52.4	71.3	85.5	69.3	$344,151	$65,824
37	Montgomery County FIPS 01101	58.2	54.5	71.6	2.9	92.3	86.7	70.8	$164,623	$59,386
38	Washington County FIPS 01129	58	60.3	78.8	6.8	-	93.2	76.2	$169,325	$61,042
39	Crenshaw County FIPS 01041	57.4	56.6	74.7	13.4	-	93.2	79.2	$138,753	$48,560
40	Bibb County FIPS 01007	56.8	52.5	61.2	5.8	92.4	93.2	80.2	$214,089	$52,541
41	Chilton County FIPS 01021	56.5	70	70.4	12.5	36.9	93.2	81.1	$217,253	$65,603
42	Jefferson County FIPS 01073	56.3	62.3	66	16.4	76.8	70.4	47.3	$215,144	$66,388
43	Choctaw County FIPS 01023	55.1	39.9	81.8	2.5	74.1	93.2	75	$128,421	$47,813
44	Tallapoosa County FIPS 01123	55	56	47.2	10.1	92.6	93.2	78.7	$269,000	$59,356
45	Randolph County FIPS 01111	54.9	53.1	58.1	4.2	87.1	93.2	77.3	$205,008	$52,338
46	DeKalb County FIPS 01049	54.8	61.6	60	6.8	64.2	93.2	81.4	$210,473	$51,204
47	Cherokee County FIPS 01019	54.6	60.6	54.2	19.8	60.4	91.8	73.2	$225,416	$53,863
48	Marengo County FIPS 01091	54.1	41.9	73.1	7.4	69.1	93.2	83.4	$138,311	$43,825
49	Coosa County FIPS 01037	53.8	56.9	71.3	2.9	53.8	93.2	76.4	$180,903	$57,355
50	Clarke County FIPS 01025	53.6	31.7	74.3	4.9	84.9	93.2	80.5	$136,491	$49,249
51	Russell County FIPS 01113	53.4	51.5	57.4	6.6	77.4	91.4	81.2	$196,108	$51,197
52	Barbour County FIPS 01005	52.3	38.2	68.6	2.1	79	92.6	81.1	$148,560	$46,042
53	Sumter County FIPS 01119	52.2	31.4	73.3	0.3	84.8	90.7	84.3	$102,029	$33,310
54	Butler County FIPS 01013	52.1	45.6	79.3	3.8	45.3	92.3	82.6	$113,980	$44,755
55	Jackson County FIPS 01071	50.9	52.5	66.6	25	17.4	93.2	84	$191,415	$51,908
56	Bullock County FIPS 01011	50.6	42.3	59.4	0.4	78.7	93.2	79.7	$125,153	$31,310
57	Macon County FIPS 01087	50.3	39.2	68.8	0.7	68.1	88.1	82.2	$128,356	$43,707
58	Hale County FIPS 01065	49.8	37.2	51.6	7.1	86.5	93.2	77.5	$176,171	$39,250
59	Pickens County FIPS 01107	49	40.3	72.7	6.6	41.3	93.2	77.3	$143,708	$46,274
60	Monroe County FIPS 01099	48.8	30.7	69.2	3.1	65.8	93.2	80.4	$137,223	$42,292
61	Dallas County FIPS 01047	46.3	21.8	80.1	1.3	51.5	86.6	84.1	$89,767	$35,627
62	Escambia County FIPS 01053	45.9	44.7	71.7	19	0	89.7	81.5	$142,992	$48,225
63	Conecuh County FIPS 01035	40.9	33.6	72.6	6	0	93.2	77	$126,368	$41,327
64	Lowndes County FIPS 01085	39.3	34.7	66.8	0.8	1.4	93.2	83.9	$143,774	$37,052
65	Perry County FIPS 01105	38.4	10.3	75.2	1	21.2	93.2	85.9	$128,590	$37,654
66	Wilcox County FIPS 01131	37.2	16	66.4	0.5	21.7	93.2	78.9	$140,996	$40,640
67	Greene County FIPS 01063	33.9	9.2	49.4	0.4	41.9	89	79.5	$132,681	$29,200