Is Brent a good place to live?
Brent earns a D, ranked 156th of 187 in Alabama, mostly because of health and incomes. On CDC health estimates it is near the bottom nationally. The median household income is $23K, and 51% of residents live below the poverty line. One bright spot: homes are within reach, about $193K for a typical one, or 2.7 years of the Birmingham metro’s $71K median household income. 51% of residents live below the poverty line in Brent, against 16% in Alabama’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Brent's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 92% of U.S. towns. Among 177 Alabama towns, just 3 have a lower median rent than Brent.
What makes Brent stand out
Where Brent beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Typical home value
| Widest gap | Brent | AL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 18.9% | 9.6% |
Brent has shrunk 41% since 2010
4,947 counted in 2010 and 2,972 in 2020; an estimated 4,414 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Brent grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alabama), ordered by how far Brent is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Brent: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Brent, 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Brent.
Brent trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has a longer frost-free season than most of the country, though not than most of Alabama.
A larger share of adults in Brent say their health is fair or poor than in the typical Alabama or U.S. town
Against the 134 U.S. towns with household incomes like Brent’s, it is less healthy than 65%, so its D− isn’t only a matter of income.
35% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Brent. Only 4 of the 187 Alabama towns we compare have a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Brent. 21% of adults report frequent mental distress in Brent.
| Brent | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 23% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 16% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 49% | 39% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 12% |
| What stands out | Brent | AL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7% | 8.2% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 18.9% | 9.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
On state tests, Brent’s schools trail 63% of Alabama districts
Its public schools are run by the Bibb County school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brent Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 603 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AL on state tests and graduation
Brent has set aside 0.6% of its land for conservation
3.8 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves.
| Brent | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.6% | 1.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.1 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Brent City Walking Track Park | 0.4 mi | 10 |
| 2. Talladega National Forest | — | 16 |
| 3. Heritage Park | — | 12 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Brent sees more crime per resident than 87% of U.S. towns
Reported crimes fell from 90 to 80 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The violent crime rate in Brent is 3.4 per 1,000 residents. Within Alabama, it does better than 35% of towns.
| Brent | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.4 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 16.2 per 1,000 residents | 17 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Property crime per 1,000 residents
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
High risk in Brent, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 73% of U.S. communities. Since 2009, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Brent.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
In Brent, expect mild winters and hot summers
The Centreville 6 Sw weather station, 7 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 215 days: longer than most of the country, but shorter than 80% of Alabama places with climate records.
Brent has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Brent’s July high is 91°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Brent earns an A− for cost of living
Homes are within reach (about $193K for the typical one, A− for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 29 miles. At 2.7 years of the Birmingham metro’s $71K median household income, the typical home (about $193K) costs less against local pay than in 78% of Alabama towns; that ratio is one input to its A− for cost of living.
53% of Brent households own their home. The typical Brent home is worth about $193,000, up 3.3% in a year, 19% below the Alabama typical home.
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Brent stands out in Alabama and nationally, with the median household income lower than most
Most working residents leave Brent for work: only 10% work in town. Jobs based in Brent fell to 1,372 in 2023, 94 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Centreville (13%), Tuscaloosa (9%) and Montgomery (3%).
| Brent | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $23,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Everything we know about Brent
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Brent; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Brent residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Alabama.
About Brent
City in Alabama, United States
Brent is a city in Bibb County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 2,972.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1898
- Area
- 8.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 240 ft
- ZIP code
- 35034
- Area code
- 205
Brent’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Brent.
| Town | AL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brent | #156 | D | A− | D | C+ | D− |
| Centreville | #142 | D | A | C | C+ | D |
Questions about Brent
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Brent, AL a good place to live?
Brent grades D overall, better than 7% of U.S. towns and #156 of 187 in Alabama. It grades D− for health, D for safety and C+ for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Brent, AL safe?
Within Alabama, it does better than 35% of towns.
Is Brent, AL expensive?
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−.