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Place dossier plate
SheetAL-AUBURN-AL · Auburn, AL 78,738 pop · income 29th pct · 48 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Auburn
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Auburn on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Tuscaloosa · lowest
48,536
Tuscaloosa · lowest
48,536 median HH income
36.9% of the leader · rank #1
Halifax · near
56,111
Halifax · near
56,111 median HH income
42.7% of the leader · rank #2
Auburn · this city
56,123
Auburn · this city
56,123 median HH income
42.7% of the leader · rank #3
Pleasant Grove · near
56,129
Pleasant Grove · near
56,129 median HH income
42.7% of the leader · rank #4
Ridgeville · near
56,134
Ridgeville · near
56,134 median HH income
42.7% of the leader · rank #5
Buckland · near
56,136
Buckland · near
56,136 median HH income
42.7% of the leader · rank #6
Madison · highest
131,436
Madison · highest
131,436 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Auburn on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 78,738.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Auburn - the verdict
Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Auburn lands in the 29th percentile for household income and the 60th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
29th
percentile, household income
71st
percentile, home value
1st
percentile, median rent
60th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Auburn, AL
Auburn is a small city in Alabama, home to 78,738 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Auburn brings in $56,123 a year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 9.2%. Auburn's housing stock carries a median value of $342,400, and the median resident age is 25.6 years. Educational attainment runs 62.8% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 56.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 1,024 residential building permits were authorized in Auburn (Construction Slowdown), down 31% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Auburn reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 1086.5 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, below the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 63.6°F with 56.5 inches of precipitation per year and 0.7 inches of snowfall.
Living costs in Alabama run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Alabama scores 88.8 (Well Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $936 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $245 across Alabama, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 61.5 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Moderate).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Auburn's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from housing and income to schools and households to work and mobility to within-city variation to population change to reported crime to climate and hazard context to comparison shortlist; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Auburn, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, within-city Census tract profiles, local building permits, annual population history, FBI reported-crime rates, commute-mode shares.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
1. Housing and income
How far does income reach against housing in Auburn?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 6.1 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 9.2%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 13 public schools within the city match. 62.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
PlainCities matches 48 Census tracts to this city.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
Which cities make useful reference points for Auburn?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Alabama, the closest population matches are Dothan (71,118 residents, $55,052 income); Hoover (92,401 residents, $107,822 income); Madison (58,335 residents, $131,436 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Bloomington, IL (78,703 residents); Bloomington, IN (78,791 residents); Georgetown, TX (78,803 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Work and mobility
What does the journey to work look like in Auburn?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 76.5%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Drive alone
76.5%
Work from home
9.7%
Public transit
1.1%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 35,789 workers age 16+.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +7,994 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +10.4% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 1,024 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
2020 estimate
77,119
2025 estimate
85,113
Period change
+10.4%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Auburn?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 1086.5 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 52% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
Total reported rate
1086.5
Violent rate
107.5
Property rate
979.0
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 63.6°F, with 56.5 inches of precipitation and 0.7 inches of annual snowfall. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Alabama is 61.5 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
FEMA risk index (state avg)
61.5
Annual precipitation
56.5 in
Mean temperature
63.6°F
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
Below median income · poverty 9.2% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
88.8 (US=100)
Very affordable · BEA RPP 2024, Alabama average
C+
City profile score · Auburn, AL
62/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Bachelor's+ share A+
62.8%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Cost of living A+
88.8 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Violent crime B-
108 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Poverty rate D
9.2%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Household income F
$56,123
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Auburn profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 93/100 (A+) · 62.8%
Cost of living: 90/100 (A+) · 88.8 index
Violent crime: 69/100 (B-) · 108 /100k
Poverty rate: 43/100 (D) · 9.2%
Household income: 29/100 (F) · $56,123
Where Auburn sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Auburn's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Auburn highlighted among 11 peers.Read the chart values
Auburn, AL (this city): home $342,400, crime 1,087/100k
Bloomington, IN : home $289,700, crime 3,005/100k
Georgetown, TX : home $398,600, crime 1,361/100k
Napa, CA : home $824,500, crime 1,671/100k
Upland, CA : home $688,800, crime 2,163/100k
Dothan, AL : home $186,600, crime 3,678/100k
Hoover, AL : home $391,300, crime 1,335/100k
Madison, AL : home $367,900, crime 1,538/100k
Decatur, AL : home $190,500, crime 2,916/100k
Tuscaloosa, AL : home $236,600, crime 3,285/100k
Florence, AL : home $174,100, crime 2,647/100k
How does Auburn compare to other US cities?
Where Auburn sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income29% higher than other cities
Home value71% pricier than other cities
Median rent1% pricier than other cities
Safety60% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Alabama alone, Auburn ranks #63 of 222 Alabama cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Auburn against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Alabama only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Alabama-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Auburn near the bottom of Alabama's cities
Among the 556 Alabama cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Auburn ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Auburn only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#234 of 530
56th percentile in Alabama
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 556
0th percentile in Alabama
Median Home Value
#21 of 517
96th percentile in Alabama
Poverty Rate
#337 of 556
39th percentile in Alabama
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#10 of 556
98th percentile in Alabama
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Alabama only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
29th percentile nationally for median household income · 60th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Auburn's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Auburn's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Auburn's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$342,40029th percentilemore affordable than 29% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Auburn's home-value-to-income ratio: 6.1×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#14,176 of 15,516
More affordable than 9% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#585 of 750
Mid-size cities (50,000–199,999)
At 6.1×, Auburn sits in the pressured band:
national rank #14,176 of 15,516 and #585 of 750mid-size cities (50,000–199,999).
Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median, a comparison flag, not a verdict on any household.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$56,123Auburn, AL median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Auburn, AL median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Auburn, AL.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)62.8%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)9.2%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)56.7%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
78,738
Median Income
$56,123
Median Home Value
$342,400
Median Age
25.6
Poverty Rate
9.2%
Labor force participation
56.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
62.8%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
1086.5
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
107.5
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
979.0
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Climate
Avg Temperature
63.6°F
Annual Precipitation
56.5"
Annual Snowfall
0.7"
Schools
Total Schools
13
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Auburn's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
77,119 residents
2021
79,240 residents
2022
80,526 residents
2023
82,393 residents
2024
83,813 residents
2025
85,113 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
1,024
housing units authorized
Single-Family
863
detached homes
Multifamily
161
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
13
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
1,477
530
947
$322.2M
2020
1,521
643
878
$302.6M
2021
820
731
89
$219.3M
2022
1,358
482
876
$279.0M
2023
549
521
28
$182.2M
2024
1,024
863
161
$254.1M
Permit volume decreased 31% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
76.5%
Carpool
6.9%
Public Transit
1.1%
Walk
5.0%
Work from Home
9.7%
Other
0.8%
Based on 35,789 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Alabama statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $245
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Alabama at $245 (electricity about $138 , water and sewer about $45 ).
These are Alabama statewide averages, not a meter reading for Auburn. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Alabama's BEA cost-of-living index is 88.8 (Well Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Auburn is $936/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Alabama statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 61.5 / 100 (Moderate).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Alabama statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Auburn sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Auburn compares to similar-size Alabama cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.