Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Athens gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $308K, 3.6 years of the Huntsville metro’s $86K median household income. It grades B− overall, 57th among Alabama's 187 graded towns. 26% of working residents work locally in Athens, where Alabama’s towns sit at 9.8% and U.S. towns at 8%. Athens is home to Athens State University. Athens's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 82% of U.S. towns.
Where Athens beats most towns.
Robert Donnell House| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Athens Intermediate School | 4–5 | 641 |
| Athens Elementary School | PK–3 | 474 |
| Julian Newman Elementary School | PK–3 | 409 |
Census counts: 991 in 1850, 25,406 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1840 and 5 maps from 1935 on.
8 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alabama), ordered by how far Athens is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Athens, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Athens.
Athens looks healthier within Alabama than nationally, has seen reported crime fall by a fifth or more and has more 90° days than most of the country, though not than most of Alabama.
Reported crimes fell from 845 to 700 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The property crime rate in Athens is 18.7 per 1,000 residents. Within Alabama, it does better than 59% of towns. The violent crime rate in Athens is 1.5 per 1,000 residents.
| Athens | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 18.7 per 1,000 residents | 16.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.5 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Athens City school district. Three of its 11 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athens Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 935 | B− |
| Athens High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,278 | B |
| Athens Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–3 | Grades PK–3 | 474 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AL on state tests and graduation
The typical Athens home is worth about $308,000, up 0.9% in a year, 29% above the Alabama typical home. 40% of Athens renter households spend 30% or more of their income on rent.
| Athens | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 40% | 46% | 48% |
| Households that own their home | 64% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $899 a month | $943 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Within Alabama it is healthier than 57% of the 187 graded towns: much of Alabama scores lower on these measures.
Athens beats the Alabama average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 44% of adults have high blood pressure in Athens.
| Athens | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 43% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 14% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 39% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 40% | 36% |
| What stands out | Athens | AL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.2% | 8.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The Athens weather station records that about 49 days a year reach 90°: more than most of the country, but fewer than 85% of Alabama places with climate records. July afternoons average 89.7°: hotter than most of the country, but cooler than 80% of Alabama places with climate records; January nights average 30.8°.
Athens has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Athens’ July high is 90°F. About 1 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Athens | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 90°F | 91°F | 85°F |
| January low | 31°F | 33°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
5.0 miles of trail in 9 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Swan Creek Greenway, at 183 acres.
| Athens | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.5% | 1.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.1 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Swan Creek Greenway | 0.1 mi | 183 |
| 2. Athens Sportsplex | — | 96 |
| 3. Jimmy Gill Park | — | 14 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
About one in 4 of Athens’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Athens has added 2,683 jobs, to 14,873 in 2023. The top destinations are Huntsville (31%), Decatur (7%) and Madison (6%).
| Athens | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 8.2% | 6.7% | 11% |
| Median household income | $70,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 55% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 17 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Athens.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Athens has grown 35% since 2020, to 34,209 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 31% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 28% across Alabama.
| Athens | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 20% | 23% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 31% | 23% | 29% |
| Median age | 40.9 years | 39.2 years | 40.5 years |
53% women, 47% men
About 90 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2 points). Across Alabama, 51.4% of residents are women. Median age: women 42.6, men 39.4.
| Athens | AL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.2% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.9% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.9% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.6% | 12.4% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.1% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.7% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10% | 10.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.5% | 7.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.4% | 11.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 23% | 30.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 24.9% | 20.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.2% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.4% | 17.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12% | 11.1% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Athens. Close and well known come first.
18 mi MuseumU.S. Space & Rocket Center1.0M visitors a year15 mi Theme parkSpace City USA
24 mi MuseumBurritt on the Mountain
21 mi MuseumHuntsville Museum of Art21 mi Theme parkSouthern Adventures
23 mi MuseumNorth Alabama Railroad MuseumU.S. Space & Rocket Center: formulanone from Huntsville, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Burritt on the Mountain: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Huntsville Museum of Art: Chris Pruitt, CC BY-SA 3.0 · North Alabama Railroad Museum: Jeff Hunter from Madison, AL, USA, CC BY 2.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Athens
About 5 of every 100 Athens residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Alabama.
21,897 counted in 2010 and 25,406 in 2020; an estimated 34,209 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 34.6% since 2020, after 16% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
8 places in Athens on the National Register of Historic Places.
24 notable people were born in Athens.
City in and county seat of Limestone County, Alabama
Athens is a city in and the county seat of Limestone County, in the U.S. state of Alabama; it is included in the Huntsville–Decatur–Albertville combined statistical area. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city is 25,407.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Athens.
| Town | AL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athens | #57 | B− | A | C | B+ | C |
| Huntsville | #61 | B− | B | C | B | B− |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Athens grades B− overall, better than 54% of U.S. towns and #57 of 187 in Alabama. It grades C for health, C for safety and B+ for schools.
Within Alabama, it does better than 59% of towns.
24 notable people were born here, including Brittany Howard and Don Black.
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