Scores by category

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

Safety24#702/924
Economy25#691/925
Housing79#191/925
Health9#838/925
Healthcare8#849/923
Environment53#429/917
Education6#873/925
Infrastructure27#671/925
Community9#841/925
Leisure & amenities27#671/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Effective property tax rate · low0.25%
99/100Alabama 0.37%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Severe housing problems · low10.1%
90/100Alabama 13.1%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Job growth · high1.9%
89/100Alabama 0.7%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
Child care cost burden · low23.3%
82/100Alabama 25.5%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Unemployment rate · low3.3%
82/100Alabama 2.8%United States 4.3%2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPartial year
Grocery stores · high2.0 /10k
81/100Alabama 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Access to exercise opportunities · low37.7%
2/100Alabama 61.4%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Mental health providers · low52 /100k
3/100Alabama 156 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Bachelor's degree or higher · low15.9%
6/100Alabama 28.4%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Life expectancy · low71.4 yrs
7/100Alabama 73.8 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Premature death · high13,803 /100k
7/100Alabama 11,613 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Dentists · low32 /100k
7/100Alabama 49 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 44% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+44 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Gyms and fitness centersImproving
0.4 /10k (2020) → 0.9 /10k (2025)
+142%5 yearsUS 1.2 /10k → 1.3 /10k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
70.9% (2015-2019) → 89.9% (2020-2024)
+19 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Arts, entertainment and recreationImproving
1.1 /10k (2020) → 2.2 /10k (2025)
+94%5 yearsUS 4.8 /10k → 5.5 /10k
New business applicationsImproving
5.5 /1k (2020) → 7.8 /1k (2025)
+42%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Flu vaccinationsWorsening
43.0% (2019) → 36.0% (2023)
−7 pts4 yearsUS 48.0% → 44.0%

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, Scottsboro, AL micropolitan area improved on 9 of 29 measures with a comparison and declined on 3. 10 moved within the margin of error and 7 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.

Improved9

Gyms+142%0.4 /10k → 0.9 /10k
Arts & recreation+94%1.1 /10k → 2.2 /10k
Broadband+19 points70.9% → 89.9%
Grocery stores+33%1.5 /10k → 2.0 /10k
Weekly wage+29%$774 → $998

Declined3

Homicides+21%4.8 /100k → 5.8 /100k
Price / income+0.6×2.5× → 3.1×
Pharmacies−12%2.1 /10k → 1.8 /10k

All 29 measures

Change of every measure of Scottsboro, AL micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	1.1 /10k2020	2.2 /10k2025	+94%	Improved	99%
Average commute time	26.4 min2015-2019	27.3 min2020-2024	+0.9 min	Within the margin of error	32%
Average weekly wage	$7742020	$9982025	+29%	Improved	89%
Bachelor's degree or higher	14.0%2015-2019	15.9%2020-2024	+1.9 points	Within the margin of error	30%
Broadband subscriptions	70.9%2015-2019	89.9%2020-2024	+19 points	Improved	96%
Child poverty rate	24.2%2015-2019	23.7%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	27%
Distance to an airport	39 mi2020	39 mi2025	+0 mi	Little change	24%
Drug overdose deaths	13.5 /100k2020	13.5 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	0%	Little change	27%
Effective property tax rate	0.27%2015-2019	0.25%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	12%
Firearm deaths	19.0 /100k2020	18.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−1.6%	Little change	52%
Grocery stores	1.5 /10k2020	2.0 /10k2025	+33%	Improved	94%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.4 /10k2020	0.9 /10k2025	+142%	Improved	98%
High school diploma or higher	83.2%2015-2019	82.8%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	4%
Home price to income ratio	2.5×2015-2019	3.1×2020-2024	+0.6×	Declined	37%
Homicide rate	4.8 /100k2020	5.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+21%	Declined	12%
Income adjusted for local prices	$44,2572019	$57,7652024	+31%	Improved	40%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4522015-2019	0.4522020-2024	+0.001	Within the margin of error	53%
Median household income	$41,7692015-2019	$51,9082020-2024	+24%	Improved	34%
New business applications	5.5 /1k2020	7.8 /1k2025	+42%	Improved	43%
Pharmacies	2.1 /10k2020	1.8 /10k2025	−12%	Declined	41%
Poverty rate	18.6%2015-2019	17.3%2020-2024	−1.3 points	Within the margin of error	61%
Public libraries	1.0 /10k2019	0.9 /10k2024	−4.2%	Little change	28%
Rent as share of income	27.8%2015-2019	27.4%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	67%
Rent-burdened households	42.0%2015-2019	44.8%2020-2024	+2.8 points	Within the margin of error	34%
Restaurants and bars	5.3 /10k2020	5.5 /10k2025	+3.7%	Little change	62%
Suicide rate	18.5 /100k2020	18.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+1.1%	Little change	59%
Traffic deaths	28.5 /100k2015-2019	27.5 /100k2020-2024	−3.6%	Little change	69%
Unemployment rate	6.6%2020	3.3%2025	−3.3 points	Improved	59%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	11.7%2015-2019	13.0%2020-2024	+1.3 points	Within the margin of error	16%

“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 Scottsboro, AL micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Scottsboro, 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, Scottsboro, AL micropolitan area itself moved +2.2 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

53,053 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

21,795 households (±348)

Scottsboro, AL micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k22%4,810
$25k–50k26%5,644
$50k–75k17%3,793

Homes

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

Owners and renters

21,795 households (±348)

Scottsboro, AL micropolitan area
United States share

Own75%16,374
Rent25%5,421

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

21,074 workers (±605)

Scottsboro, AL micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone84%17,629
Carpool9.6%2,021
Public transit0.1%†17

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 Scottsboro, 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.

Scottsboro, AL has 876 employer establishments, 164 for every 10,000 residents (0.66× the US rate of 248), with 13,444 paid employees at an average annual pay of $44,292. The Census Bureau also counts 3,536 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 876; 3,536 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 164; US 248
Paid employees: 13,444
Average annual pay: $44,292; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	93	17.4	0.83×About typical	691	$50,959	98
Restaurants and other eating places	65	12.1	0.66×Fewer than typical	1,051	$17,082	22
Specialty trade contractors	60	11.2	0.72×Fewer than typical	456	$53,750	453
Religious organizations	40	7.5	1.35×More than typical	215	$22,800	—
Limited-service restaurants	38	7.1	0.89×About typical	707	$18,132	4
Gasoline stations	36	6.7	2.08×More than typical	189	$20,587	—
Building equipment contractors	33	6.2	1.02×About typical	188	$55,314	92
Offices of physicians	32	6	0.92×About typical	236	$59,869	20
Truck transportation	31	5.8	1.15×About typical	260	$53,192	146
Automotive repair and maintenance	27	5	1.00×About typical	92	$43,522	89
Banks and credit unions	24	4.5	1.39×More than typical	193	$57,192	4
Offices of other health practitioners	24	4.5	0.74×Fewer than typical	98	$42,602	29

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 53,508 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 $582.7K on contracts performed in Scottsboro, AL micropolitan area: $10.73 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $582.7K; −70% vs FY2025
Per resident: $10.73; US $1,994
Sole-source: 6.4%; US 30%
Single offer: 8.8%; 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

Defense Logistics Agency$637.5K100%
Department of the Navy$6,795

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 $367.7M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Scottsboro, AL micropolitan area: $6,774 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $367.7M; −8.5% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,774; US $12,955
Loan face value: $16M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 1.2%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$228M62%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$43.9M12%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$36.8M10%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$26.8M7.3%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$10.5M2.9%
64.110 · Veterans Dependency and Indemnity Compensation for Service-Connected Death$3M0.8%
93.224 · Health Center Program$2.6M0.7%
14.195 · Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA)$2.2M0.6%

Top recipients (organizations)

NORTHEAST ALABAMA HEALTH SERVICES$2.6M0.7%
SCOTTSBORO, AL
SCOTTSBORO HOUSING AUTHORITY$1.9M0.5%
SCOTTSBORO, AL
ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$1.2M0.3%
MONTGOMERY, AL
CITY OF SCOTTSBORO$972.2K0.3%
SCOTTSBORO, AL
STEVENSON, CITY OF$538.1K

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$309.2M84%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$42.1M11%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Farm Service Agency$3M0.8%
Department of Agriculture
Health Resources and Services Administration$2.8M0.8%
Department of Health and Human Services
Assistant Secretary for Housing--Federal Housing Commissioner

Assistance by fiscal year

316.6MFY2021
323.1MFY2022
345.6MFY2023
368.5MFY2024
401.7MFY2025
367.7MFY2026

County aggregates

96%

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 Scottsboro, 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.

Jackson CountyCentral county1654,281

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

ScottsboroPrincipal city15,712

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

JSON · /api/v1/places/M42460

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved9

Declined3

Metro and micro areas like Scottsboro, 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

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Scottsboro, 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

Improved9

Declined3

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 programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Top buying agencies

By type

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

What was bought

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards