Scores by category

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

Safety31#636/924
Economy21#730/925
Housing73#251/925
Health4#887/925
Healthcare18#754/923
Environment45#506/917
Education14#799/925
Infrastructure23#716/925
Community25#693/925
Leisure & amenities16#779/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Effective property tax rate · low0.32%
97/100Alabama 0.37%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Pharmacies · high2.5 /10k
92/100Alabama 2.3 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Cost of buying a home today · low23.9%
92/100Alabama 26.3%United States 34.1%Aug 2026Zillow Research
Unemployment rate · low3.0%
90/100Alabama 2.8%United States 4.3%2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPartial year
Child care cost burden · low23.0%
84/100Alabama 25.5%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Social associations · high14.2 /10k
82/100Alabama 11.6 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Mammography screening · low32.0%
3/100Alabama 43.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Preventable hospital stays · high4,630 /100k
3/100Alabama 3,481 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Life expectancy · low70.8 yrs
4/100Alabama 73.8 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Adult obesity · high43.6%
6/100Alabama 40.8%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Premature death · high14,214 /100k
6/100Alabama 11,613 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Average weekly wage · low$922
7/100Alabama $1,240United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Trends

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

Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 26% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+26 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Property crime rateImproving
2,906 /100k (2019) → 1,198 /100k (2025)
−59%6 yearsUS 2,082 /100k → 1,535 /100k
New business applicationsImproving
7.3 /1k (2020) → 11.6 /1k (2025)
+58%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
76.5% (2015-2019) → 87.5% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
44.7% (2010 & 2021) → 54.7% (2022 & 2024)
+10 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Violent crime rateImproving
383 /100k (2019) → 203 /100k (2025)
−47%6 yearsUS 369 /100k → 328 /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, Gadsden, AL metro area improved on 11 of 29 measures with a comparison and declined on 6. 9 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.

Improved11

Unemployment−4.9 points7.9% → 3.0%
Suicides−21%23.2 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Arts & recreation+28%2.0 /10k → 2.6 /10k
Child poverty−5.8 points28.9% → 23.0%
Restaurants+7.9%5.8 /10k → 6.3 /10k

Declined6

Libraries−10%1.1 /10k → 1.0 /10k
Homicides+29%7.5 /100k → 9.7 /100k
Overdose deaths+32%18.4 /100k → 24.2 /100k
Gyms−11%0.9 /10k → 0.8 /10k
Price / income+0.5×2.5× → 3.1×

All 29 measures

Change of every measure of Gadsden, AL metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	2.0 /10k2020	2.6 /10k2025	+28%	Improved	85%
Average commute time	24.0 min2015-2019	25.5 min2020-2024	+1.5 min	Within the margin of error	20%
Average weekly wage	$7912020	$9222025	+17%	Improved	7%
Bachelor's degree or higher	17.8%2015-2019	18.1%2020-2024	+0.3 points	Within the margin of error	9%
Broadband subscriptions	76.5%2015-2019	87.5%2020-2024	+11 points	Improved	70%
Child poverty rate	28.9%2015-2019	23.0%2020-2024	−5.8 points	Improved	82%
Distance to an airport	52 mi2020	52 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	18.4 /100k2020	24.2 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+32%	Declined	13%
Effective property tax rate	0.33%2015-2019	0.32%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	12%
Firearm deaths	23.2 /100k2020	20.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−12%	Improved	70%
Grocery stores	1.4 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	−0.4%	Little change	49%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.9 /10k2020	0.8 /10k2025	−11%	Declined	24%
High school diploma or higher	84.6%2015-2019	86.1%2020-2024	+1.5 points	Within the margin of error	46%
Home price to income ratio	2.5×2015-2019	3.1×2020-2024	+0.5×	Declined	41%
Homicide rate	7.5 /100k2020	9.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+29%	Declined	9%
Income adjusted for local prices	$43,2812019	$55,7912024	+29%	Improved	28%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4592015-2019	0.4622020-2024	+0.003	Within the margin of error	46%
Median household income	$44,6372015-2019	$54,5632020-2024	+22%	Improved	24%
New business applications	7.3 /1k2020	11.6 /1k2025	+58%	Improved	67%
Pharmacies	2.7 /10k2020	2.5 /10k2025	−7.5%	Declined	51%
Poverty rate	17.4%2015-2019	16.9%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	38%
Public libraries	1.1 /10k2019	1.0 /10k2024	−10%	Declined	11%
Rent as share of income	27.7%2015-2019	29.0%2020-2024	+1.3 points	Within the margin of error	31%
Rent-burdened households	44.2%2015-2019	48.4%2020-2024	+4.2 points	Within the margin of error	22%
Restaurants and bars	5.8 /10k2020	6.3 /10k2025	+7.9%	Improved	74%
Suicide rate	23.2 /100k2020	18.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−21%	Improved	87%
Traffic deaths	19.3 /100k2015-2019	19.2 /100k2020-2024	−0.3%	Little change	64%
Unemployment rate	7.9%2020	3.0%2025	−4.9 points	Improved	92%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	12.9%2015-2019	13.8%2020-2024	+1 points	Within the margin of error	20%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 786 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; 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 Gadsden, AL metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Gadsden, AL metro 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, Gadsden, AL metro area itself moved −1.4 points in standing on average over the same 28 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

103,105 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

39,411 households (±707)

Gadsden, AL metro area
United States share

Under $25k24%9,459
$25k–50k22%8,823
$50k–75k19%7,322

Homes

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

Owners and renters

39,411 households (±707)

Gadsden, AL metro area
United States share

Own74%29,128
Rent26%10,283

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

42,690 workers (±1,097)

Gadsden, AL metro area
United States share

Drive alone87%36,942
Carpool7.2%3,063
Public transit0.3%†109

Jobs and pay

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

The 10 largest occupations in Gadsden, AL employ 7,850 people. 10 pay a median below the US median.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Gadsden, AL by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Registered Nurses1,210 jobs	1,210	$77,810US $97,550	−20%	1.68×
Retail Salespersons1,130 jobs	1,130	$28,300

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.

Gadsden, AL has 1,954 employer establishments, 189 for every 10,000 residents (0.76× the US rate of 248), with 28,155 paid employees at an average annual pay of $42,012. The Census Bureau also counts 8,601 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,954; 8,601 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 189; US 248
Paid employees: 28,155
Average annual pay: $42,012; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	223	21.6	1.04×About typical	2,781	$66,986	364
Restaurants and other eating places	170	16.5	0.90×About typical	3,529	$17,177	57
Religious organizations	121	11.7	2.11×More than typical	737	$17,347	—
Specialty trade contractors	107	10.4	0.67×Fewer than typical	742	$57,519	864
Limited-service restaurants	97	9.4	1.17×About typical	2,020	$16,502	18
Offices of physicians	82	7.9	1.23×About typical	1,029	$93,123	64
Gasoline stations	70	6.8	2.09×More than typical	337	$24,727	9
Building equipment contractors	66	6.4	1.06×About typical	514	$58,198	201
Full-service restaurants	63	6.1	0.79×Fewer than typical	1,419	$18,227	27
Lessors of real estate	46	4.5	0.36×Fewer than typical	139	$34,460	589
Offices of other health practitioners	46	4.5	0.73×Fewer than typical	637	$46,887	118
Services to buildings and dwellings	45	4.4	0.65×Fewer than typical	584	$40,123	817

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 103,227 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 $12.8M on contracts performed in Gadsden, AL metro area: $123 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $12.8M; −3.9% vs FY2025
Per resident: $123; US $1,994
Sole-source: 55%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.5%; 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

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management$8M63%
Agricultural Marketing Service$6.8M53%
Department of Veterans Affairs$127K1.0%
Federal Acquisition Service$91.9K0.7%
Defense Information Systems Agency$18K0.1%
Defense Logistics Agency$1,3500.0%

Top recipients

CHUGACH SOLUTIONS ENTERPRISE, LLC$6.9M54%
TYSON FOODS INC.$6.8M53%
STRATEGIX MANAGEMENT LLC$1.2M9.0%
APEX PROSTHETICS AND PEDIATRIC ORTHOTICS, LLC$97.3K0.8%
AUTOMAX RENT A CAR INC$91.9K0.7%

Spending by fiscal year

24.7MFY2017
6.9MFY2018
11.1MFY2019
19.4MFY2020
8.3MFY2021
62.4MFY2022
30.4MFY2023
24.2M

Top industries (NAICS)

Technical and trade schools · 6115$8M63%
Animal slaughtering and processing · 3116$6.8M53%
Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing · 3391$127K1.0%
Automotive equipment rental and leasing · 5321$91.9K0.7%
Management, scientific, and technical consulting services · 5416$52.9K0.4%
Iron and steel mills and ferroalloy manufacturing · 3311$24.6K

Largest awards

GADSDEN JCC OA & CTS$21.5M
STRATEGIX MANAGEMENT LLC· Etowah County, AL· Education & social services· Oct 30, 2023 – Jul 21, 2026· 1605JE24C0001
GADSDEN JCC W/ OA CTS 8A ANC$6.6M
CHUGACH SOLUTIONS ENTERPRISE, LLC· Etowah County, AL· Education & social services· Apr 30, 2026 – Aug 27, 2026· 1605JE26C0001
COMMODITIES FOR USG FOOD DONATIONS: 2000011311/4100034290/CHICKEN FILLETS UNBRD FRZ CTN-30 LB,CHICKEN STRIPS FRZ CTN-30 LB$4.1M
TYSON FOODS INC.· Etowah County, AL· Other equipment & supplies· May 21, 2026 – Sep 11, 2026· 123J1426C1222
COMMODITIES FOR USG FOOD DONATIONS: 2000010977/4400002414/4100032826/CHICKEN FAJITA STRIPS CTN-30 LB

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.

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 $781.6M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Gadsden, AL metro area: $7,523 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $781.6M; −1.4% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,523; US $12,955
Loan face value: $23.4M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.2%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$416.1M53%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$101.3M13%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$77.4M9.9%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$54.2M6.9%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$28.2M3.6%
20.279 · National Highway Performance Program (NHPP)$24.3M3.1%
93.224 · Health Center Program$15.9M2.0%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$15.1M1.9%

Top recipients (organizations)

ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$33.6M4.3%
MONTGOMERY, AL
GADSDEN STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE$17.1M2.2%
GADSDEN, AL
QUALITY OF LIFE HEALTH SERVICES, INC.$15.9M2.0%
GADSDEN, AL
GREATER GADSDEN HOUSING AUTHORITY$7.6M1.0%
GADSDEN, AL
GADSDEN-ETOWAH COUNTY PROGRESS COUNCIL, INC.

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$599.8M77%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$92.4M12%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$33.6M4.3%
Department of Transportation
Department of Education$18.6M2.4%
Health Resources and Services Administration$15.9M

Assistance by fiscal year

758.9MFY2021
685.6MFY2022
709.3MFY2023
785.8MFY2024
792.4MFY2025
781.6MFY2026

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 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Gadsden, 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.

Etowah CountyCentral county20103,886

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

GadsdenPrincipal city33,374

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
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M23460

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved11

Declined6

Metro and micro areas like Gadsden, AL metro 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 Gadsden, 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

Improved11

Declined6

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

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought