Gadsden, AL
Census place 0128696 · pop 33,374
Home to Noccalula Falls, a 90-foot waterfall plunging through a city park and tied to a Cherokee legend.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
49.0% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
40.2% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
21.6% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$40,345 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
28.1% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-6.0% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
15.5% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
19.9% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
582 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
2596 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
86.3% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.48 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
14.3% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
55.7% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
47 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 77/100 · better than most cities
82/100 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 24 min · better than most cities
21 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.1% 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 1 days · better than most cities
0 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 0.99% · better than most cities
0.47% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$116,800 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$875/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
Frequently asked
- Is Gadsden, AL a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Gadsden scores 40/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is rent and its weakest is adult obesity. 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 Gadsden, AL?
- Gadsden reports 582 violent crimes per 100k and 2596 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Gadsden, AL expensive to live in?
- Gadsden has a median home value of $116,800 and typical rent around $875/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Gadsden, AL?
- Its weakest measured area is adult obesity (49.0%) — 0/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Gadsden, AL best at?
- Its strongest measured area is rent ($875/mo) — 99/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Home to Noccalula Falls, a 90-foot waterfall plunging through a city park and tied to a Cherokee legend.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.