City profile · Alabama · Census ACS 2023

Shorter, AL

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Shorter - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

328
Residents
$31,250
Median income
$85,000
Median home
$1,016
Median rent (state)

Shorter - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Shorter lands in the 3rd percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

3rd
percentile, household income
5th
percentile, home value
21st
percentile, median rent
📝 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: Shorter, AL

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 328 residents in Shorter, a small town within Alabama. The typical household in Shorter brings in $31,250 a year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 16.8%. Shorter's housing stock carries a median value of $85,000, and the median resident age is 61.6 years. Educational attainment runs 10.9% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 30.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 0 residential units authorized here in 2024 (No Permits).

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 $1,016 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $245 across Alabama, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Natural-hazard exposure scores 72.2 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (High).

Population

328 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Alabama

Median Household Income

$31,250 /yr

Poverty 16.8%

Cost of Living Index (state)

88.8 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Alabama average

How does Shorter compare to other US cities?

Where Shorter sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 3% higher than other cities
Home value 5% pricier than other cities
Median rent 21% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Shorter against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Alabama only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Alabama-relative analysis

Median Home Value places Shorter toward the bottom of Alabama's cities

Among the 517 Alabama cities PlainCities tracks with reported median home value data, Shorter ranks #448 - the 13th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Shorter only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#494 of 530
7th percentile in Alabama
Median Gross Rent
#176 of 556
64th percentile in Alabama
Median Home Value
#448 of 517
13th percentile in Alabama
Poverty Rate
#170 of 556
69th percentile in Alabama
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#385 of 556
31st percentile in Alabama

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.

3rdIncome percentile

3rd percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Shorter's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$85,000 Among the most affordable more affordable than 95% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Above this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Shorter $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Shorter, AL Shorter, AL's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Shorter, AL-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Shorter, AL median $31,250/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Shorter, AL's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Shorter, AL. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 10.9%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 16.8%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 30.7%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
328
Median Income
$31,250
Median Home Value
$85,000
Median Age
61.6
Poverty Rate
16.8%
Labor force participation
30.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
10.9%

Schools

Total Schools
1
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
350 residents360 residents370 residents380 residents390 residents 202020212022202320242025 383 residents 356 residents ▼ -7.0%
Shorter's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 0
2020 0
2021 3
2022 0
2023 0
2024 0

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
95.2%
Carpool
1.2%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
3.6%

Based on 84 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Alabama - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$138
avg/month
Natural Gas
$62
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$245
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Alabama state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Alabama state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Shorter sits in

Cost of Living Index
88.8
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,016/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
72.2 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Alabama

Belk
327 people
Elkmont
327 people
Hammondville
330 people
Newbern
334 people
Macedonia
342 people
Waverly
312 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Shorter's 328 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Clarksburg, CA
328 people
Dewey Beach, DE
328 people
Wacissa, FL
328 people
Brandon, IA
328 people
Natchez, LA
328 people
Canada Creek Ranch, MI
328 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Shorter's $31,250 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Old Harbor, AK
$31,250 median income
Fountain Hill, AR
$31,250 median income
Glenwood, GA
$31,250 median income
Colp, IL
$31,250 median income
New Grand Chain, IL
$31,250 median income
Loyall, KY
$31,250 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Shorter, AL Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Shorter, AL - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 20.4% 69.8% 8.8% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 5.8% White 20.4% Black or African American 69.8% Asian 0.0% American Indian 0.9% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.0% Two or more races 8.8% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Shorter compares to nearby Alabama cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Shorter (this city) 328 $31,250
Belk 327 $46,750
Elkmont 327 $47,500
Hammondville 330 $50,536
Census ACS 5-year FIPS AL NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Shorter, AL?

What is the population of Shorter, AL? +

Shorter, AL counts 328 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Shorter, AL? +

In Shorter, the typical household earns $31,250 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Shorter? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Shorter; the closest available measure is the Alabama state average, a cost of living index of 88.8 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Alabama vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in Shorter, AL? +

Shorter's median home value sits at $85,000, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, 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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.