Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,054, settled in 1888.
The best of Bear Creek’s subject grades is an A− for cost of living; the weakest is a D− for health. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 98% of U.S. towns. Only 13 of Alabama’s 308 towns score lower on health. The median household income is $50K, and 16% of residents live below the poverty line. Bear Creek's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 99% of U.S. towns. Bear Creek has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alabama), ordered by how far Bear Creek is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 214 in 1910, 1,047 in 2020. The archive holds 8 old photos and papers going back to 2014 and 2 maps from 1936 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bear Creek, 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 Bear Creek.
The share of adults in Bear Creek who have diabetes: 17%. Among adults here, 32% say their health is fair or poor, against 24% in Alabama’s towns and 19% across U.S. towns. Of the 188 Alabama towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Bear Creek.
| Bear Creek | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 16% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 24% | 19% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 30% | 25% |
| What stands out | Bear Creek | AL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 13.5% | 8% |
| More smokers | 23.6% | 15.1% |
| More uninsured adults | 14.4% | 9.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its two schools are below. The Marion County school district runs its public schools. The 2 public schools in Bear Creek teach 440 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phillips Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 240 | C+ |
| Phillips High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 200 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AL on state tests and graduation
In Bear Creek, the property crime rate is 18.9 per 1,000 residents, close to Alabama’s towns (16.9) and above U.S. towns (9.9). The rate of reported violence here is 3.8 per 1,000 residents.
| Bear Creek | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.8 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 18.9 per 1,000 residents | 16.9 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The top destinations are Haleyville (14%), Hamilton (5%) and Florence (3%). Since 2013, Bear Creek has lost 109 jobs, to 325 in 2023. 5.1% of working residents work locally locally. Half the trips to work are shorter than 19 miles.
| Bear Creek | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.1% | 10% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Compared with 57% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in Bear Creek is higher. FEMA puts 33% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 28% to tornadoes. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Bear Creek after 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2011.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
There are 0.4 miles of trail across 1 park or preserve. One park or preserve covers 15 acres in Bear Creek.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Twin Forks Recreation Area | — | 15 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Bear Creek; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Bear Creek residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Alabama.
Town in Alabama, United States
Bear Creek is a town in Marion County, Alabama, United States. It incorporated in 1907, although the 1910 U.S. Census records indicated 1909. At the 2020 census, the population was 1,047.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.