Town · Marion County, Alabama

Bear Creek, Alabama

Bear Creek is a town in Marion County, Alabama. It has 1,474 residents. Bear Creek, Alabama has a quality-of-life score of 13 out of 100 (very low), ranking #13,551 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Alabama it ranks #163 of 319 cities and towns. It ranks best on pharmacies (high), effective property tax rate (low) and home price to income ratio (low). It ranks worst on access to exercise opportunities (low), adult smoking (high) and mental health providers (low).

13Very low

Quality-of-life score: #13,551 of 15,651 cities and towns
Alabama: #163 of 319 in AL
Population: 1,474 (2020-2024)
Land area: 14 mi²
Density: 108.2 /mi²
FIPS code: 0104852

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 73 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety39#9,594/15,637
Economy4#14,968/15,631
Housing95#778/14,977
Health7#14,549/15,609
Healthcare11#13,899/15,650
Environment55#6,889/15,453
Education14#13,407/15,649
Infrastructure11#13,927/15,650
Community11#13,878/15,651
Leisure & amenities25#11,687/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Bear Creek, Alabama ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Marion County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Pharmacies · high3.1 /10k
97/100Alabama 2.3 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMarion County value
Effective property tax rate · low0.31%
97/100Alabama 0.37%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090High uncertainty
Home price to income ratio · low1.9×
89/100Alabama 3.3×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077High uncertainty
Time spent in the emergency room · low121 min
87/100Alabama 155 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesMarion County value
Public libraries · high1.4 /10k
84/100Alabama 0.6 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesMarion County value
Injury deaths · low69 /100k
79/100Alabama 97 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMarion County value

Weaknesses

Access to exercise opportunities · low31.3%
2/100Alabama 61.4%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMarion County value
Adult smoking · high24.1%
3/100Alabama 18.1%United States 16.1%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Mental health providers · low34 /100k
3/100Alabama 156 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMarion County value
Frequent mental distress · high22.4%
4/100Alabama 19.6%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Adult obesity · high45.1%
5/100Alabama 40.8%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Arts, entertainment and recreation · low1.4 /10k
5/100Alabama 3.3 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMarion County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
1,205 (2015-2019) → 1,474 (2020-2024)
+22%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
56.6% (2015-2019) → 79.2% (2020-2024)
+23 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
14.3% (2015-2019) → 27.5% (2020-2024)
+13 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Median household incomeImproving
$33,462 (2015-2019) → $50,188 (2020-2024)
+50%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Uninsured residents (under 65)Worsening
8.9% (2015-2019) → 16.4% (2020-2024)
+7.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
7.1% (2015-2019) → 13.4% (2020-2024)
+6.3 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Bear Creek, Alabama improved on 1 of 8 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 7 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved1

Broadband+23 points56.6% → 79.2%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 8 measures

Change of every measure of Bear Creek, Alabama between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	20.0 min2015-2019	21.7 min2020-2024	+1.6 min	Within the margin of error	30%
Bachelor's degree or higher	7.1%2015-2019	13.4%2020-2024	+6.3 points	Within the margin of error	76%
Broadband subscriptions	56.6%2015-2019	79.2%2020-2024	+23 points	Improved	93%
High school diploma or higher	71.0%2015-2019	76.8%2020-2024	+5.8 points	Within the margin of error	85%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3862015-2019	0.4572020-2024	+0.071	Within the margin of error	10%
Median household income	$33,4622015-2019	$50,1882020-2024	+50%	Within the margin of error	85%
Poverty rate	21.3%2015-2019	16.4%2020-2024	−4.9 points	Within the margin of error	80%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Bear Creek, Alabama five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Bear Creek, Alabama in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Bear Creek, Alabama itself moved −5.2 points in standing on average over the same 6 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,474 residents (±448)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

447 households (±159)

Bear Creek, Alabama
Alabama share

Under $25k29%†130
$25k–50k21%†92
$50k–75k

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

447 households (±159)

Bear Creek, Alabama
Alabama share

Own82%†367
Rent18%†80

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

459 workers (±170)

Bear Creek, Alabama
Alabama share

Drive alone90%†415
Carpool4.4%†20
Public transit

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Marion County, the county holding most of Bear Creek's residents.

Marion County has 546 employer establishments, 186 for every 10,000 residents (0.75× the US rate of 248; 0.90× Alabama's), with 7,761 paid employees at an average annual pay of $42,740. The Census Bureau also counts 1,967 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 546; 1,967 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 186; US 248 · Alabama 207
Paid employees: 7,761
Average annual pay: $42,740; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Marion County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	54	18.4	0.88×About typical	435	$48,260	56
Restaurants and other eating places	43	14.7	0.80×Fewer than typical	585	$16,332	8
Truck transportation	35	12	2.36×More than typical	124	$60,597	204
Religious organizations	30	10.2	1.85×More than typical	201	$25,070	—
Gasoline stations	29	9.9	3.06×More than typical	273	$19,722	—
Limited-service restaurants	26	8.9	1.11×About typical	447	$15,785	5
Automotive repair and maintenance	18	6.1	1.22×About typical	65	$35,662	59
Offices of other health practitioners	18	6.1	1.01×About typical	110	$32,809	24
Banks and credit unions	15	5.1	1.59×More than typical	219	$50,210	—
Full-service restaurants	15	5.1	0.67×Fewer than typical	126	$18,937	—
Grocery and convenience stores	15	5.1	1.73×More than typical	127	$16,260	8
General merchandise stores	14	4.8	2.71×More than typical	451	$30,002	12

Rank places for an industry Open Marion County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 29,277 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Bear Creek, Alabama: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

58.7FY2017
119.3FY2018
49.1KFY2024
-12.5KFY2025

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Bear Creek, Alabama, so they do not add up across cities.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Bear Creek is mostly in Marion County.

See federal money in Marion County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Bear Creek, Alabama is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Robert B. AderholtR-AL-4 · 100% of residentsWith party 97%Missed 3.0%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Marion County18100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Marion County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/0104852

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends