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Place dossier plate
SheetAL-MONTEVALLO-AL · Montevallo, AL 7,429 pop · income 27th 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 Montevallo
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Montevallo on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Trumann · lowest
38,079
Trumann · lowest
38,079 median HH income
43.8% of the leader · rank #1
Onawa · near
54,659
Onawa · near
54,659 median HH income
62.9% of the leader · rank #2
Dudley · near
54,659
Dudley · near
54,659 median HH income
62.9% of the leader · rank #3
Medicine Lodge · near
54,663
Medicine Lodge · near
54,663 median HH income
62.9% of the leader · rank #4
Montevallo · this city
54,665
Montevallo · this city
54,665 median HH income
62.9% of the leader · rank #5
Katie · near
54,667
Katie · near
54,667 median HH income
62.9% of the leader · rank #6
Escalon · highest
86,875
Escalon · highest
86,875 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 Montevallo 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: 7,429.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Montevallo - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Montevallo places in the 27th percentile for household income and the 59th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
27th
percentile, household income
46th
percentile, home value
1st
percentile, median rent
59th
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: Montevallo, AL
Alabama's Montevallo is a small town, with 7,429 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Households in Montevallo report a median income of $54,665 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 12.8%. Montevallo's housing stock carries a median value of $210,400, and the median resident age is 26.4 years. 30.9% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 49.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 31 residential building permits were authorized in Montevallo (Construction Slowdown), down 71% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Montevallo reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR figures show 1129.9 crimes per 100,000 residents, below the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than 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. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $936 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Alabama run around $245, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. 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 Montevallo'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 reported crime to schools and households to work and mobility to population change to housing and income to comparison shortlist; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Montevallo, city-specific coverage includes FBI reported-crime rates, commute-mode shares, annual population history, matched public-school count, local building permits.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
Question 1
What can the FBI record say about safety in Montevallo?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 1129.9 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 50% 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.
What does the education layer cover for Montevallo?
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 4 public schools within the city match. 30.9% 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.
What does the journey to work look like in Montevallo?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 72.6%. 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.
Which cities make useful reference points for Montevallo?
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 Greenville (7,229 residents, $40,744 income); Wetumpka (7,182 residents, $54,945 income); Lincoln (7,135 residents, $60,793 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Escalon, CA (7,429 residents); Caribou, ME (7,427 residents); Belen, NM (7,427 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.
Population change
Is Montevallo growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +649 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +9.0% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 31 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
7,223
2025 estimate
7,872
Period change
+9.0%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
How far does income reach against housing in Montevallo?
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 3.8 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 12.8%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Value / income
3.8×
Home value
$210,400
Household income
$54,665
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
Below median income · poverty 12.8% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
88.8 (US=100)
Very affordable · BEA RPP 2024, Alabama average
C-
City profile score · Montevallo, AL
52/100
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.
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 C+
140 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share C
30.9%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Poverty rate F
12.8%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Household income F
$54,665
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Montevallo profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 90/100 (A+) · 88.8 index
Violent crime: 61/100 (C+) · 140 /100k
Bachelor's+ share: 59/100 (C) · 30.9%
Poverty rate: 29/100 (F) · 12.8%
Household income: 27/100 (F) · $54,665
Where Montevallo sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Montevallo'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 - Montevallo highlighted among 11 peers.Read the chart values
Montevallo, AL (this city): home $210,400, crime 1,130/100k
Escalon, CA : home $461,700, crime 1,722/100k
Belen, NM : home $154,600, crime 5,394/100k
Trumann, AR : home $108,000, crime 3,719/100k
Jerseyville, IL : home $124,200, crime 1,711/100k
Batesville, MS : home $190,800, crime 5,102/100k
Greenville, AL : home $117,800, crime 4,420/100k
Wetumpka, AL : home $184,100, crime 1,476/100k
Lincoln, AL : home $181,900, crime 2,667/100k
Demopolis, AL : home $198,900, crime 3,683/100k
Robertsdale, AL : home $198,200, crime 2,912/100k
How does Montevallo compare to other US cities?
Here's how Montevallo stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income27% higher than other cities
Home value46% pricier than other cities
Median rent1% pricier than other cities
Safety59% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Alabama, Montevallo ranks #64 of 222 Alabama cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Montevallo 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 Montevallo near the bottom of Alabama's cities
Among the 556 Alabama cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Montevallo ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Montevallo only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#251 of 530
53rd percentile in Alabama
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 556
0th percentile in Alabama
Median Home Value
#100 of 517
81st percentile in Alabama
Poverty Rate
#251 of 556
55th percentile in Alabama
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#82 of 556
85th 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
27th percentile nationally for median household income · 59th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Montevallo's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Montevallo'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 Montevallo's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$210,400Among the most affordablemore affordable than 54% 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
Montevallo's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.8×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#10,223 of 15,516
More affordable than 34% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#8,059 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 3.8×, Montevallo sits in the moderate band:
national rank #10,223 of 15,516 and #8,059 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
$54,665Montevallo, AL median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Montevallo, 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 Montevallo, AL.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)30.9%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)12.8%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)49.9%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
7,429
Median Income
$54,665
Median Home Value
$210,400
Median Age
26.4
Poverty Rate
12.8%
Labor force participation
49.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
30.9%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
1129.9
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
139.6
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
990.2
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
4
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Montevallo's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
7,223 residents
2021
7,408 residents
2022
7,642 residents
2023
7,726 residents
2024
7,758 residents
2025
7,872 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
31
housing units authorized
Single-Family
31
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
4.2
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
107
107
0
$19.6M
2020
131
131
0
$29.4M
2021
57
57
0
$14.5M
2022
15
15
0
$5.4M
2023
18
18
0
$4.7M
2024
31
31
0
$6.4M
Permit volume decreased 71% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
72.6%
Carpool
6.7%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
7.7%
Work from Home
12.6%
Based on 3,109 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 Montevallo. 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 Montevallo 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 Montevallo sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Montevallo 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 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.