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Place dossier plate
SheetAL-RAINSVILLE-AL · Rainsville, AL 5,613 pop · income 42nd 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 Rainsville
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Rainsville on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Adel · lowest
35,897
Adel · lowest
35,897 median HH income
19.3% of the leader · rank #1
Byron · near
64,135
Byron · near
64,135 median HH income
34.5% of the leader · rank #2
Pittsburgh · near
64,137
Pittsburgh · near
64,137 median HH income
34.5% of the leader · rank #3
Rainsville · this city
64,140
Rainsville · this city
64,140 median HH income
34.5% of the leader · rank #4
Canton · near
64,141
Canton · near
64,141 median HH income
34.5% of the leader · rank #5
Rockwell · near
64,141
Rockwell · near
64,141 median HH income
34.5% of the leader · rank #6
Kings Point · highest
185,811
Kings Point · highest
185,811 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 Rainsville 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: 5,613.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Rainsville - the verdict
Nationally, Rainsville sits in the 42nd percentile for household income and the 87th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
42nd
percentile, household income
45th
percentile, home value
1st
percentile, median rent
87th
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: Rainsville, AL
5,613 people live in Rainsville, Alabama - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Rainsville households earn a median of $64,140 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 4.0%. Typical homes in Rainsville are valued around $207,800, and the median resident age is 46.4 years. About 28.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 57.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 14 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 58% from five years earlier. Rainsville reports a comparatively low crime rate: per-100,000 total crime stands at 444.5 in FBI UCR data, below the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Living costs in Alabama run below the national norm: the state registers 88.8 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. 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. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 61.5 out of 100 (Moderate).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Rainsville'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 housing and income to population change to work and mobility to schools and households to comparison shortlist; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Rainsville, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares, annual population history, matched public-school count, local building permits, FBI reported-crime rates.
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 Rainsville?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 444.5 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 81% 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.
How far does income reach against housing in Rainsville?
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 3.2 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 4.0%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Is Rainsville growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +489 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +8.8% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 14 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.
Which cities make useful reference points for Rainsville?
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 Highland Lakes (5,673 residents, $169,833 income); Margaret (5,538 residents, $97,075 income); Holtville (5,700 residents, $73,250 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Kings Point, NY (5,614 residents); Leesville, LA (5,610 residents); Imperial, MO (5,617 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 Rainsville?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 93.2%. 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
93.2%
Work from home
4.7%
Public transit
0.0%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 2,595 workers age 16+.
What does the education layer cover for Rainsville?
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 1 public school within the city match. 28.1% 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.
Poverty estimate
4.0%
Bachelor's degree+
28.1%
Matched public schools
1
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
Below median income · poverty 4.0% (Below-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
88.8 (US=100)
Very affordable · BEA RPP 2024, Alabama average
B
City profile score · Rainsville, AL
70/100
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+
17 /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 B
4.0%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share C
28.1%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income D
$64,140
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Rainsville profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Violent crime: 93/100 (A+) · 17 /100k
Cost of living: 90/100 (A+) · 88.8 index
Poverty rate: 72/100 (B) · 4.0%
Bachelor's+ share: 55/100 (C) · 28.1%
Household income: 41/100 (D) · $64,140
Where Rainsville sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Rainsville'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 - Rainsville highlighted among 25 peers.Read the chart values
Rainsville, AL (this city): home $207,800, crime 445/100k
Bowie, TX : home $182,400, crime 2,082/100k
Margaret, AL : home $224,700, crime 105/100k
Semmes, AL : home $211,100, crime 5,864/100k
Attalla, AL : home $120,400, crime 3,957/100k
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 Rainsville compare to other US cities?
Rainsville measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income42% higher than other cities
Home value45% pricier than other cities
Median rent1% pricier than other cities
Safety87% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Zoom in to just Alabama and the picture shifts: Rainsville ranks #18 of 222 Alabama cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Rainsville 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 Rainsville near the bottom of Alabama's cities
Among the 556 Alabama cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Rainsville ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Rainsville only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#168 of 530
68th percentile in Alabama
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 556
0th percentile in Alabama
Median Home Value
#104 of 517
80th percentile in Alabama
Poverty Rate
#445 of 556
19th percentile in Alabama
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#98 of 556
82nd 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
42nd percentile nationally for median household income · 87th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Rainsville's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Rainsville'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 Rainsville's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$207,800Among the most affordablemore affordable than 55% 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
Rainsville's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.2×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#7,875 of 15,516
More affordable than 49% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#6,480 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 3.2×, Rainsville sits in the moderate band:
national rank #7,875 of 15,516 and #6,480 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
$64,140Rainsville, AL median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Rainsville, 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 Rainsville, AL.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)28.1%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)4.0%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)57.6%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
5,613
Median Income
$64,140
Median Home Value
$207,800
Median Age
46.4
Poverty Rate
4.0%
Labor force participation
57.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
28.1%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
444.5
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
17.1
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
427.4
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
1
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Rainsville's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
5,531 residents
2021
5,621 residents
2022
5,686 residents
2023
5,780 residents
2024
5,977 residents
2025
6,020 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
14
housing units authorized
Single-Family
14
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2.5
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
33
33
0
$2.7M
2020
46
46
0
$3.3M
2021
42
42
0
$3.2M
2022
37
37
0
$4.3M
2023
72
17
55
$6.0M
2024
14
14
0
$1.0M
Permit volume decreased 58% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
93.2%
Carpool
2.2%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
4.7%
Based on 2,595 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 Rainsville. 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 Rainsville 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 Rainsville sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Rainsville 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.