BallplayAL
A town of 842, settled in 1840.
Is Ballplay a good place to live?
Ballplay’s average trip to work is 38 minutes, above both the Alabama town median (25 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Among 188 Alabama towns, just 3 have a lower share of residents below the poverty line than Ballplay. Ballplay has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
842 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Ballplay: who provides what
Ballplay is unincorporated, so Etowah County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Ballplay.
Ballplay has 0.1 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Ballplay for work: only 1% work in town. At $48,000, Ballplay’s median household income is below both Alabama’s towns ($62,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000). The top destinations are Gadsden (28%), Rainbow City (5%) and Hokes Bluff (5%).
| Ballplay | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $48,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
High risk in Ballplay, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 72% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Ballplay has mild winters and hot summers
Ballplay has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Ballplay is 90°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Ballplay is
Ballplay beats the Alabama average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 43% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Ballplay. Only 7 of the 188 Alabama towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Ballplay.
| Ballplay | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 40% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 24% | 23% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 39% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 43% | 35% |
| What stands out | Ballplay | AL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.2% | 9.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 14.8% | 19.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.4% | 8.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
A larger share of households in Ballplay own their home than in the typical Alabama or U.S. town
94% of Ballplay households own their home.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Cheaha Mountain and 8 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Ballplay. Close and well known come first.
37 mi MountainCheaha Mountain
13 mi WaterfallNoccalula Falls Park
35 mi MuseumInternational Motorsports Hall of Fame
19 mi National PreserveLittle River Canyon National Preserve782K visitors a year
27 mi National MonumentFreedom Riders National Monument
20 mi GardenJanney Furnace ParkPhoto credits
Cheaha Mountain: Amann09 (talk · contribs), Public domain · Noccalula Falls Park: Thejammer (talk), Public domain · International Motorsports Hall of Fame: BWard 1997, CC BY 4.0 · Little River Canyon National Preserve: Richard A. Weaver, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Freedom Riders National Monument: Ser Amantio di Nicolao, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Janney Furnace Park: dofftoubab, CC BY-SA 3.0
Everything we know about Ballplay
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Ballplay
About 0 of every 100 Ballplay residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Alabama.
99% of working residents leave Ballplay for work
Where Ballplay’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Ballplay
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Ballplay, AL a good place to live?
Ballplay has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.