Bessemer, AL
Census place 0105980 · pop 25,400
Founded in 1886 as a steel town and named for Sir Henry Bessemer, inventor of the Bessemer steelmaking process.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
7213 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
1748 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$39,613 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
44.7% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
38.2% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
27.9% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
57 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-4.8% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
83.8% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
18.9% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
15.6% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.47 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
13.5% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
96/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
18.6% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities
6 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
57.4% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
26 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,426/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.65% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
2.8% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$135,900 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
Frequently asked
- Is Bessemer, AL a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Bessemer scores 31/100 — a F (Bad) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is housing cost and its weakest is property crime rate. Alabama overall ranks #23 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Bessemer, AL?
- Bessemer reports 1748 violent crimes per 100k and 7213 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Bessemer, AL expensive to live in?
- Bessemer has a median home value of $135,900 and typical rent around $1,426/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Bessemer, AL?
- Its weakest measured area is property crime rate (7213/100k) — 0/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Bessemer, AL best at?
- Its strongest measured area is housing cost ($135,900) — 89/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Founded in 1886 as a steel town and named for Sir Henry Bessemer, inventor of the Bessemer steelmaking process.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.