Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety10#831/924
Economy38#576/925
Housing100#1/925
Health26#684/925
Healthcare26#685/923
Environment49#472/917
Education19#748/925
Infrastructure10#836/925
Community34#610/925
Leisure & amenities75#231/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Alexander City, AL micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Effective property tax rate · low0.24%
99/100Alabama 0.37%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Pharmacies · high2.7 /10k
95/100Alabama 2.3 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Rent-burdened households · low36.4%
94/100Alabama 48.8%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Rent as share of income · low24.2%
94/100Alabama 29.5%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Public libraries · high1.5 /10k
89/100Alabama 0.6 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAggregated from counties
Unemployment rate · low3.1%
88/100Alabama 2.8%United States 4.3%2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPartial year

Weaknesses

Mental health providers · low44 /100k
2/100Alabama 156 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Dentists · low27 /100k
4/100Alabama 49 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Firearm deaths · high27.0 /100k
7/100Alabama 21.7 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Homicide rate · high10.1 /100k
8/100Alabama 9.8 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Average weekly wage · low$937
9/100Alabama $1,240United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Loneliness · high37.6%
11/100Alabama 36.3%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 54% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+54 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Gyms and fitness centersImproving
0.5 /10k (2020) → 1.2 /10k (2025)
+152%5 yearsUS 1.2 /10k → 1.3 /10k
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
49.7% (2015-2019) → 36.4% (2020-2024)
−13 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Grocery storesImproving
1.2 /10k (2020) → 2.0 /10k (2025)
+61%5 yearsUS 1.7 /10k → 1.7 /10k
Flu vaccinationsWorsening
46.0% (2019) → 35.0% (2023)
−11 pts4 yearsUS 48.0% → 44.0%
Drug overdose deathsImproving
18.8 /100k (2021) → 9.2 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−51%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k

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, Alexander City, AL micropolitan area improved on 20 of 30 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 6 moved within the margin of error and 3 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved20

Gyms+152%0.5 /10k → 1.2 /10k
Grocery stores+61%1.2 /10k → 2.0 /10k
High school++6.6 points80.5% → 87.1%
Rent / income−5.7 points29.9% → 24.2%
Rent burden−13 points49.7% → 36.4%

Declined1

Property crime+12%1,352 /100k → 1,519 /100k

All 30 measures

Change of every measure of Alexander City, AL micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.4 /10k2020	4.9 /10k2025	+44%	Improved	95%
Average commute time	28.2 min2015-2019	25.2 min2020-2024	−3.0 min	Within the margin of error	99%
Bachelor's degree or higher	17.2%2015-2019	20.3%2020-2024	+3.1 points	Improved	58%
Broadband subscriptions	73.8%2015-2019	83.9%2020-2024	+10 points	Improved	63%
Child poverty rate	29.9%2015-2019	23.6%2020-2024	−6.2 points	Improved	84%
Distance to an airport	71 mi2020	71 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	10.3 /100k2020	9.2 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−11%	Improved	36%
Effective property tax rate	0.25%2015-2019	0.24%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	10%
Firearm deaths	38.8 /100k2020	27.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−30%	Improved	92%
Grocery stores	1.2 /10k2020	2.0 /10k2025	+61%	Improved	98%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.5 /10k2020	1.2 /10k2025	+152%	Improved	98%
High school diploma or higher	80.5%2015-2019	87.1%2020-2024	+6.6 points	Improved	99%
Home price to income ratio	2.4×2015-2019	2.7×2020-2024	+0.3×	Within the margin of error	65%
Homicide rate	16.6 /100k2020	10.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−39%	Improved	66%
Income adjusted for local prices	$50,0752019	$66,2212024	+32%	Improved	55%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4662015-2019	0.4772020-2024	+0.010	Within the margin of error	28%
Median household income	$43,9412015-2019	$59,3562020-2024	+35%	Improved	86%
New business applications	8.8 /1k2020	13.0 /1k2025	+49%	Improved	54%
Pharmacies	2.2 /10k2020	2.7 /10k2025	+23%	Improved	95%
Poverty rate	17.8%2015-2019	16.3%2020-2024	−1.5 points	Within the margin of error	63%
Property crime rate	1,352 /100k2020	1,519 /100k2025	+12%	Declined	2%
Public libraries	1.5 /10k2019	1.5 /10k2024	−1.4%	Little change	53%
Rent as share of income	29.9%2015-2019	24.2%2020-2024	−5.7 points	Improved	98%
Rent-burdened households	49.7%2015-2019	36.4%2020-2024	−13 points	Improved	99%
Restaurants and bars	6.5 /10k2020	8.5 /10k2025	+31%	Improved	97%
Suicide rate	16.8 /100k2020	17.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+4.8%	Little change	50%
Traffic deaths	20.7 /100k2015-2019	18.5 /100k2020-2024	−11%	Improved	78%
Unemployment rate	8.2%2020	3.1%2025	−5.1 points	Improved	93%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	10.2%2015-2019	10.8%2020-2024	+0.6 points	Within the margin of error	26%
Violent crime rate	570 /100k2020	422 /100k2025	−26%	Improved	68%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Alexander City, AL micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Alexander City, AL micropolitan area 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, Alexander City, AL micropolitan area itself moved +12.3 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

40,938 residents

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

17,076 households (±461)

Alexander City, AL micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k23%3,935
$25k–50k20%3,422
$50k–75k19%3,300

Homes

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

Owners and renters

17,076 households (±461)

Alexander City, AL micropolitan area
United States share

Own76%12,989
Rent24%4,087

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

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

16,936 workers (±687)

Alexander City, AL micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone84%14,301
Carpool8.1%1,364
Public transit0.3%†55

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Alexander City, AL micropolitan area.

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.

Alexander City, AL has 823 employer establishments, 202 for every 10,000 residents (0.81× the US rate of 248), with 10,554 paid employees at an average annual pay of $42,003. The Census Bureau also counts 3,033 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 823; 3,033 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 202; US 248
Paid employees: 10,554
Average annual pay: $42,003; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Alexander City, AL by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	61	14.9	0.81×About typical	1,051	$17,452	15
Ambulatory health care services	57	14	0.67×Fewer than typical	410	$61,761	83
Religious organizations	50	12.3	2.21×More than typical	324	$15,349	—
Specialty trade contractors	44	10.8	0.70×Fewer than typical	268	$44,407	253
Construction of buildings	33	8.1	1.07×About typical	128	$55,586	168
Gasoline stations	33	8.1	2.49×More than typical	147	$21,633	—
Services to buildings and dwellings	31	7.6	1.13×About typical	126	$36,960	308
Limited-service restaurants	30	7.4	0.92×About typical	615	$14,937	—
Lessors of real estate	28	6.9	0.56×Fewer than typical	77	$53,896	286
Full-service restaurants	25	6.1	0.80×Fewer than typical	393	$21,715	9
Landscaping services	23	5.6	1.61×More than typical	66	$43,955	116
Offices of physicians	22	5.4	0.83×About typical	221	$66,814	12

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 40,804 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $2,216 on contracts performed in Alexander City, AL micropolitan area: $0.05 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $2,216; −99% vs FY2025
Per resident: $0.05; US $1,995
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 100%; 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

National Park Service$2,216100%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

109.9KFY2017
767.2KFY2018
2.3MFY2019
-510.7KFY2020
226.4KFY2021
366.3KFY2022
261.7KFY2023
404KFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Other fabricated metal product manufacturing · 3329$2,220100%

Largest awards

ICE RINK DISASSEMBLY AND REASSEMBLY$457.6K
ROBINSON IRON CORP· Tallapoosa County, AL· Construction & real property· Mar 14, 2023 – Sep 3, 2026· 33301123CFC0003
DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE OF CUSTOM CRATES FOR THE ICE RINK DASHER BOARDS AND GLASS PANELS. REFERENCE TO SOW.$64.3K
ROBINSON IRON CORP· Tallapoosa County, AL· Other equipment & supplies· Jul 18, 2025 – Sep 3, 2026· 33301125PFP0106
HOBE HRS EDITING, COMPLIANCE, ENGAGEMENT$9,991
NEW SOUTH ASSOCIATES, INC.· Tallapoosa County, AL· Professional services· Sep 15, 2023 – Jan 5, 2026· 140P5123P0122
PURCHASE BLACK POWDER, NPS HORSESHOE BEND NATIONAL MILITARY PARK, HOBE

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $355.7M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Alexander City, AL micropolitan area: $8,687 per resident (US $12,957).

Assistance · FY2026: $355.7M; −8.6% vs FY2025
Per resident: $8,687; US $12,957
Loan face value: $10.8M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.2%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$201.5M57%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$45.8M13%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$34.1M9.6%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$15.9M4.5%
64.015 · Veterans State Nursing Home Care$12.1M3.4%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$11.8M3.3%
20.272 · Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP)$5.1M1.4%
20.279 · National Highway Performance Program (NHPP)$5M1.4%

Top recipients (organizations)

VETERANS AFFAIRS, ALABAMA DEPT OF$12.1M3.4%
HUNTSVILLE, AL
ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$11.6M3.3%
MONTGOMERY, AL
CENTRAL ALABAMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE$4.8M1.4%
ALEXANDER CITY, AL
THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF ALEXANDER CITY$4.8M1.4%
ALEXANDER CITY, AL
COMMUNITY ACTION COMMITTEE, INC OF CHAMBERS-TALLAPOOSA-COOSA

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$275M77%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$39M11%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Under Secretary for Health/Veterans Health Administration$12.3M3.4%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$11.6M3.3%
Department of Transportation
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing

Assistance by fiscal year

299.1MFY2021
308.6MFY2022
322.6MFY2023
354.8MFY2024
389.1MFY2025
355.7MFY2026

County aggregates

89%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Alexander City, AL

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Tallapoosa CountyCentral county2940,953

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Alexander CityPrincipal city14,606

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Alabama

Areas based in Alabama, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M10760

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved20

Declined1

Metro and micro areas like Alexander City, AL micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Alexander City, AL

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Alabama

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved20

Declined1

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type