The 10 Worst Small Towns In Alabama For 2024

Most Americans have never been to small town Alabama. However, as the Alabamian who live there know, small town Alabama is an awesome place to call home.

But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, Alabama has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using Saturday Night Science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Heart Of Dixie. Don’t freak out, we will use data to show which places have high crime, poverty, and unemployment.

After analyzing more than 195 of Alabama’s smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in Alabama where you’d never want to live:

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Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table

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These are the worst small towns in Alabama for 2024:

1. Brilliant
2. Vandiver
3. Clio
4. Camp Hill
5. Fort Deposit
6. Bear Creek
7. Unio
8. Union Springs
9. Samson
10. Brundidge

So what is the worst small town to call home in Alabama for 2024? According to the most recent census data, Brilliant is the worst small town to live in Alabama.

While many of these small towns have seen better days, they have wonderful communities and people. This report in no way means to knock the folks that call towns like Brilliant home. Everyone

Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.

And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in Alabama or the worst places to live in Alabama.

If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.

The 10 Worst Small Towns In Alabama For 2024

1. Brilliant

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,145
Median Home Value: $0
Median Income: $39,318
Unemployment Rate: 15.5%

2. Vandiver

Overall SnackAbility

/10

Population: 1,166
Median Home Value: $0
Median Income: $27,113
Unemployment Rate: 6.8%

3. Clio

Overall SnackAbility

2
/10

Population: 1,415
Median Home Value: $108,379
Median Income: $25,290
Unemployment Rate: 5.3%

4. Camp Hill

Overall SnackAbility

2
/10

Population: 1,321
Median Home Value: $101,677
Median Income: $30,931
Unemployment Rate: 21.8%

5. Fort Deposit

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,734
Median Home Value: $115,297
Median Income: $20,542
Unemployment Rate: 22.6%

6. Bear Creek

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,549
Median Home Value: $114,921
Median Income: $38,657
Unemployment Rate: 13.0%

7. Unio

Source: Public Domain

Overall SnackAbility

1
/10

Population: 1,754
Median Home Value: $88,572
Median Income: $24,355
Unemployment Rate: 21.0%

8. Union Springs

Source: Wikipedia User Rivers Langley; SaveRivers | CC BY-SA 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 3,341
Median Home Value: $108,889
Median Income: $24,921
Unemployment Rate: 7.6%

9. Samson

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,513
Median Home Value: $124,147
Median Income: $29,338
Unemployment Rate: 12.5%

10. Brundidge

Source: Wikipedia User Rivers Langley; SaveRivers | CC BY-SA 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 2,309
Median Home Value: $101,173
Median Income: $37,627
Unemployment Rate: 10.1%

Next 10 Towns

Methodology: How do you decide if a small place in Alabama is lousy or not?

To rank the worst small towns to live in Alabama, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. Assuming that people like low crime, solid education, things to do, and a stable economy isn’t a stretch.

We then analyzed the criteria using Saturday Night Science, the thinking you’d use at a bar. It seems like even your crazy Uncle would agree that a town with high crime is worse than a town with low crime; all else the same.

Using FBI crime data and the Census’s 2018-2022 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:

• Population Density (The lower, the worse)
• Highest Unemployment Rates
• Low housing costs (meaning there’s no demand)
• Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
• Education (Number of high school dropouts)
• High Crime

We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which there were many – 195 to be exact.

We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets them from the cities. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.

We base all our research on facts, which is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2024, which is our tenth time ranking the worst small places to live in Alabama.

There You Have It – The Worst Small Towns In Alabama

If you’re analyzing teeny places in the Heart Of Dixie with the worst economic situations, where there’s high crime and there’s not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.

The worst small towns in Alabama are Brilliant, Vandiver, Clio, Camp Hill, Fort Deposit, Bear Creek, Unio, Union Springs, Samson, and Brundidge.

If you’re curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in Alabama, according to science:

1. Priceville (Pop. 3,561)
2. Indian Springs Village (Pop. 2,341)
3. Kimberly (Pop. 4,045)

For more Alabama reading, check out:

Worst Small Towns In Alabama

Rank	Town	Population	Unemployment Rate	Home Value	Median Income
1	Brilliant	1,145	15.5%	$0	$39,318
2	Vandiver	1,166	6.8%	$0	$27,113
3	Clio	1,415	5.3%	$108,379	$25,290
4	Camp Hill	1,321	21.8%	$101,677	$30,931
5	Fort Deposit	1,734	22.6%	$115,297	$20,542
6	Bear Creek	1,549	13.0%	$114,921	$38,657
7	Unio	1,754	21.0%	$88,572	$24,355
8	Union Springs	3,341	7.6%	$108,889	$24,921
9	Samson	1,513	12.5%	$124,147	$29,338
10	Brundidge	2,309	10.1%	$101,173	$37,627
11	Lookout Mountain	1,287	0.0%	$98,963	$32,071
12	Hackleburg	1,463	6.9%	$129,118	$34,757
13	Autaugaville	1,047	8.1%	$150,693	$41,607
14	Skyline	1,114	4.5%	$121,849	$38,537
15	Elmore	1,573	11.9%	$216,141	$29,946
16	Parrish	1,433	19.3%	$143,883	$30,588
17	Ragland	1,552	17.9%	$164,990	$39,241
18	West End-Cobb Town	3,322	16.6%	$60,806	$39,792
19	Ashland	1,674	8.9%	$146,913	$30,850
20	Brighton	2,983	12.4%	$39,182	$34,471
21	Slocomb	1,860	4.2%	$112,009	$38,125
22	Bayou La Batre	2,215	2.4%	$73,971	$40,000
23	Florala	1,745	2.6%	$121,976	$30,313
24	Henagar	2,559	9.0%	$183,514	$44,338
25	Cottonwood	1,244	1.7%	$144,335	$31,591
26	Aliceville	2,325	15.7%	$75,568	$30,152
27	Goodwater	1,117	2.9%	$121,685	$35,724
28	Greensboro	2,417	9.7%	$127,425	$24,820
29	Fayette	4,266	16.6%	$116,280	$32,375
30	Vincent	1,679	16.4%	$228,826	$35,972
31	Steele	1,515	5.9%	$198,726	$53,625
32	East Brewton	3,215	26.4%	$95,741	$40,353
33	Frisco City	1,656	19.1%	$103,911	$33,893
34	Geneva	4,235	8.4%	$120,718	$44,756
35	Egypt	1,282	6.3%	$229,472	$34,779
36	York	2,423	8.2%	$84,925	$33,269
37	Lipscomb	2,390	4.8%	$59,070	$46,767
38	Carbon Hill	1,472	3.2%	$118,520	$27,581
39	Georgiana	1,423	5.9%	$100,864	$27,375
40	Camden	2,149	11.7%	$140,921	$35,583
41	Malvern	1,926	2.2%	$165,399	$50,662
42	Brookside	1,157	6.5%	$132,240	$55,568
43	Bridgeport	2,366	7.9%	$122,592	$34,000
44	West Blocton	1,561	7.4%	$173,600	$38,750
45	Double Springs	1,361	11.6%	$157,480	$31,827
46	Dadeville	3,062	27.9%	$467,154	$46,477
47	Marion	3,128	18.7%	$116,030	$36,618
48	Flomaton	1,606	9.2%	$141,180	$37,500
49	Reform	1,913	3.5%	$112,237	$32,375
50	Elba	3,463	11.2%	$127,778	$41,509
51	Cordova	1,971	4.8%	$124,759	$36,339
52	Luverne	2,728	6.4%	$123,684	$52,264
53	Abbeville	2,309	6.3%	$141,286	$35,147
54	Clayton	2,230	3.7%	$102,982	$30,938
55	Holt	3,665	9.1%	$129,518	$44,135
56	La Fayette	2,700	3.7%	$153,393	$32,031
57	Livingston	3,297	11.1%	$145,812	$20,417
58	Guin	2,636	14.9%	$119,580	$48,587
59	Brent	2,994	8.1%	$163,497	$26,250
60	Adamsville	4,325	6.9%	$133,754	$58,631
61	Altoona	1,358	3.4%	$173,664	$38,750
62	New Brockton	1,282	4.2%	$187,185	$54,643
63	Eutaw	2,890	0.0%	$107,747	$33,371
64	Collinsville	2,036	1.3%	$183,581	$38,438
65	Carlisle-Rockledge	2,232	5.9%	$195,082	$55,065
66	Cedar Bluff	1,672	10.1%	$228,226	$45,861
67	Evergreen	3,497	6.6%	$106,302	$37,679
68	Lineville	2,733	7.2%	$166,600	$35,435
69	Kinsey	2,254	4.6%	$132,086	$51,250
70	Red Bay	3,210	3.6%	$141,202	$33,234
71	Midland City	1,823	1.8%	$161,294	$35,682
72	Dora	2,718	7.5%	$163,638	$55,189
73	Carrollton	1,043	8.5%	$163,661	$28,919
74	Sulligent	1,459	1.3%	$114,482	$30,057
75	Creola	2,428	7.0%	$205,509	$63,125
76	Crossville	2,043	2.0%	$173,396	$47,750
77	Webb	1,395	4.2%	$143,247	$45,365
78	Mount Vernon	1,463	0.8%	$98,557	$41,164
79	Tidmore Bend	1,007	1.9%	$136,075	$44,375
80	Gallant	1,111	4.1%	$199,214	$50,574
81	Ballplay	1,181	12.9%	$162,424	$57,582
82	Linden	2,070	8.0%	$109,478	$35,294
83	Haleyville	4,339	5.9%	$118,033	$52,656
84	Graysville	2,700	9.1%	$103,093	$65,671
85	Citronelle	3,930	5.8%	$159,078	$54,892
86	Selmont-West Selmont	1,894	2.9%	$25,989	$35,417
87	Grove Hill	1,995	13.0%	$136,445	$46,218
88	Stevenson	2,071	6.9%	$158,632	$45,163
89	Munford	1,743	7.4%	$164,444	$47,750
90	Underwood-Petersville	3,077	4.9%	$139,167	$44,375
91	Cleveland	1,252	6.2%	$178,175	$49,387
92	Jackson	4,719	19.0%	$136,032	$52,530
93	Ashville	2,438	0.7%	$243,820	$54,785
94	Vernon	1,801	4.3%	$114,625	$37,350
95	Daleville	4,901	6.8%	$138,020	$42,969
96	Hanceville	3,216	8.2%	$190,723	$34,782
97	Taylor	2,891	3.5%	$157,572	$55,938
98	Pisgah	1,053	5.3%	$185,085	$51,667
99	Blountsville	1,837	2.7%	$176,861	$43,455
100	Centre	3,609	7.5%	$202,284	$41,924