Side-by-side metrics and state or size-class ranks use the same Census and FBI fields shown on this profile. Results stay in the URL so you can bookmark or share them.
Place dossier plate
SheetAL-CARBON-HILL-AL · Carbon Hill, AL 1,440 pop · income 1st pct
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 Carbon Hill
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Carbon Hill on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Farmerville · lowest
22,191
Farmerville · lowest
22,191 median HH income
17.0% of the leader · rank #1
Banks Springs · near
22,240
Banks Springs · near
22,240 median HH income
17.1% of the leader · rank #2
La Esperanza · near
22,270
La Esperanza · near
22,270 median HH income
17.1% of the leader · rank #3
Vaiden · near
22,273
Vaiden · near
22,273 median HH income
17.1% of the leader · rank #4
Lydia · near
22,275
Lydia · near
22,275 median HH income
17.1% of the leader · rank #5
Carbon Hill · this city
22,283
Carbon Hill · this city
22,283 median HH income
17.1% of the leader · rank #6
La Villita · highest
130,357
La Villita · highest
130,357 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 Carbon Hill 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: 1,440.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Carbon Hill - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Carbon Hill places in the 1st percentile for household income and the 93rd percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
1st
percentile, household income
3rd
percentile, home value
1st
percentile, median rent
93rd
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: Carbon Hill, AL
1,440 people live in Carbon Hill, Alabama - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $22,283 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 22.8%. Typical homes in Carbon Hill are valued around $78,200, and the median resident age is 42.5 years. About 6.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 43.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Carbon Hill reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 290.2 incidents per 100,000 residents, below the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
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. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $936 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Alabama run around $245, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 61.5 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Moderate).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Carbon Hill'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 schools and households to population change to housing and income to comparison shortlist to reported crime to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Carbon Hill, city-specific coverage includes annual population history, commute-mode shares, matched public-school count, FBI reported-crime rates.
No matched row is reported here for local building permits, within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for Carbon Hill?
The matched institution count is small, so district boundaries and schools outside the city line may matter more than the municipal count suggests. Use the number as a coverage cue, then verify attendance zones with the district before making a household decision.
The NCES join finds 2 public schools within the city match. 6.8% 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.
Is Carbon Hill growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -39 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -2.2% change. No comparable local building-permit series is available here, so population change should not be read as a housing-supply measure. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.
How far does income reach against housing in Carbon Hill?
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. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.5 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 22.8%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Which cities make useful reference points for Carbon Hill?
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 New Brockton (1,440 residents, $69,135 income); Sulligent (1,440 residents, $30,625 income); Ardmore (1,444 residents, $43,542 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Nanawale Estates, HI (1,440 residents); La Villita, NM (1,440 residents); Mount Gay-Shamrock, WV (1,440 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.
Reported crime
What can the FBI record say about safety in Carbon Hill?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 290.2 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 87% 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
290.2
Violent rate
0.0
Property rate
290.2
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
What does the journey to work look like in Carbon Hill?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 87.7%. 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. The profile is strongly car-oriented, so a relocation comparison should put trip distance, vehicle access, and household fuel costs ahead of a citywide commute average. The same-state peer links offer a more relevant benchmark than a national label.
Drive alone
87.7%
Work from home
1.5%
Public transit
0.0%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 536 workers age 16+.
Lowest-decile income · poverty 22.8% (Highest-decile poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
88.8 (US=100)
Very affordable · BEA RPP 2024, Alabama average
F
City profile score · Carbon Hill, AL
39/100
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.
Violent crime A+
0 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
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.
Poverty rate F
22.8%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Household income F
$22,283
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Bachelor's+ share F
6.8%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Carbon Hill profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Violent crime: 97/100 (A+) · 0 /100k
Cost of living: 90/100 (A+) · 88.8 index
Poverty rate: 9/100 (F) · 22.8%
Household income: 0/100 (F) · $22,283
Bachelor's+ share: 0/100 (F) · 6.8%
Where Carbon Hill sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Carbon Hill'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 - Carbon Hill highlighted among 27 peers.Read the chart values
Carbon Hill, AL (this city): home $78,200, crime 290/100k
Colma, CA : home $1,040,900, crime 59,652/100k
New Brockton, AL : home $180,800, crime 1,644/100k
Sulligent, AL : home $132,400, crime 1,486/100k
Ardmore, AL : home $183,600, crime 1,516/100k
Georgiana, AL : home $57,900, crime 1,989/100k
Killen, AL : home $162,800, crime 1,061/100k
New York, NY : home $751,700, crime 3,039/100k
Los Angeles, CA : home $879,500, crime 2,212/100k
Chicago, IL : home $315,200, crime 4,012/100k
Houston, TX : home $253,400, crime 5,442/100k
Phoenix, AZ : home $381,900, crime 3,125/100k
Philadelphia, PA : home $232,400, crime 5,457/100k
San Antonio, TX : home $219,700, crime 5,218/100k
San Diego, CA : home $848,500, crime 2,082/100k
Dallas, TX : home $295,300, crime 4,010/100k
San Jose, CA : home $1,187,800, crime 3,195/100k
Austin, TX : home $512,700, crime 3,709/100k
Fort Worth, TX : home $277,300, crime 3,158/100k
Columbus, OH : home $234,500, crime 3,088/100k
Indianapolis, IN : home $207,000, crime 4,214/100k
San Francisco, CA : home $1,380,500, crime 4,526/100k
Seattle, WA : home $912,100, crime 5,783/100k
Denver, CO : home $586,700, crime 5,755/100k
Oklahoma City, OK : home $215,100, crime 3,570/100k
El Paso, TX : home $171,700, crime 1,772/100k
Washington, DC : home $724,600, crime 4,514/100k
How does Carbon Hill compare to other US cities?
Where Carbon Hill sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income1% higher than other cities
Home value3% pricier than other cities
Median rent1% pricier than other cities
Safety93% 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, Carbon Hill ranks #9 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 Carbon Hill 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 Carbon Hill near the bottom of Alabama's cities
Among the 556 Alabama cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Carbon Hill ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Carbon Hill only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#522 of 530
2nd percentile in Alabama
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 556
0th percentile in Alabama
Median Home Value
#466 of 517
10th percentile in Alabama
Poverty Rate
#97 of 556
83rd percentile in Alabama
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#484 of 556
12th 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
1st percentile nationally for median household income · 93rd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Carbon Hill's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Carbon Hill'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 Carbon Hill's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$78,200Among the most affordablemore affordable than 97% 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
Carbon Hill's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.5×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#8,997 of 15,516
More affordable than 42% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#7,262 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 3.5×, Carbon Hill sits in the moderate band:
national rank #8,997 of 15,516 and #7,262 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
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
$22,283Carbon Hill, AL median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Carbon Hill, 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 Carbon Hill, AL.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)6.8%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)22.8%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)43.9%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
1,440
Median Income
$22,283
Median Home Value
$78,200
Median Age
42.5
Poverty Rate
22.8%
Labor force participation
43.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
6.8%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
290.2
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
0.0
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
290.2
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.
Schools
Total Schools
2
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Carbon Hill's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
1,762 residents
2021
1,732 residents
2022
1,730 residents
2023
1,736 residents
2024
1,729 residents
2025
1,723 residents
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
87.7%
Carpool
10.8%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
1.5%
Based on 536 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 Carbon Hill. 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 Carbon Hill 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 Carbon Hill sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Carbon Hill 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, NCES CCD, 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.