Gardendale, AL

Census place 0129056 · pop 16,534

D58/ 100
😐 Meh
B
in AL
📍 Alabama ranks #23 of 50 states →
🏆 Growth+18.0% · top 8%
🚽 Air57 AQI · bottom 8%
Taxes
0.51% property · US 0.99%9.46% sales · US 7.00%up to 5.00% income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide.

The breakdown — worst first

Air quality (AQI)County-level57 AQI8

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.

Natural disaster riskCounty-level96/10025

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.

Unhealthy air daysCounty-level6 days31

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.

Commute time26 min35

U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities

26 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Property crime rate1618/100k40

U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities

1618 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.

Violent crime rate192/100k51

U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities

192 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.

Bachelor's degree or higher31.2%52

U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities

31.2% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Physical inactivity24.4%54

U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities

24.4% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Housing cost$252,60056

U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities

$252,600 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Adult smoking12.4%59

U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities

12.4% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Median household income$82,19259

U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities

$82,192 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Adult obesity32.2%66

U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities

32.2% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Poor mental health15.8%69

U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities

15.8% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Uninsured adults7.6%70

U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities

7.6% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Broadband access94.5%74

U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities

94.5% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Homeownership78.2%83

U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities

78.2% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Income inequality0.3984

U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities

Gini 0.39 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Unemployment rateCounty-level2.8%87

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.

Property-tax burden0.51%90

U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities

0.51% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Poverty rate4.3%90

U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities

4.3% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Population growth (5yr)+18.0%92

U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities

+18.0% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Not measured for Gardendale: Rent. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.

Frequently asked

Is Gardendale, AL a good place to live?
By the numbers, Gardendale scores 58/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 21 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is population growth (5yr) and its weakest is air quality (aqi). 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 Gardendale, AL?
Gardendale reports 192 violent crimes per 100k and 1618 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
Is Gardendale, AL expensive to live in?
Gardendale has a median home value of $252,600 — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Gardendale, AL?
Its weakest measured area is air quality (aqi) (57 AQI) — 8/100, worse than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
What is Gardendale, AL best at?
Its strongest measured area is population growth (5yr) (+18.0%) — 92/100, better than most U.S. cities.

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.