Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,249, settled in 1892.
Brighton’s best subject grade is an A+ for cost of living; its weakest is a D for health. 34% of residents live below the poverty line in Brighton, above both the Alabama town median (16%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 13 of Alabama’s 308 towns score higher on cost of living. The median household income is $38K, and 34% of residents live below the poverty line. No town in Alabama scores lower than Brighton on civic life. Brighton has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Brighton beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Brighton | AL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 20.3% | 9.6% |
2,945 counted in 2010 and 2,337 in 2020; an estimated 2,249 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alabama), ordered by how far Brighton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,502 in 1910, a peak of 5,308 in 1980, 2,337 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 3 maps from 1905 on.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Brighton. Close and well known come first.
8 mi Stadium & arenaLegion Field
Big draw38 mi Stadium & arenaBryant–Denny Stadium
10 mi Stadium & arenaProtective Stadium
11 mi MuseumSloss Furnaces
10 mi Stadium & arenaLegacy Arena5 mi Theme parkAlabama Adventure & Splash AdventureLegion Field: USGS, Public domain · Bryant–Denny Stadium: Joel יוֹאֵל, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Protective Stadium: Unknown, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sloss Furnaces: DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Legacy Arena: AuburnShuffle, CC0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Brighton, 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 Brighton.
The typical Brighton home is worth about $42,000, down 2.8% in a year, 82% below the Alabama typical home. At $656 a month, Brighton’s median rent is below both Alabama’s towns ($940 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). 81% of Brighton households own their home.
| Brighton | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $656 a month | $940 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 81% | 69% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Jefferson County school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brighton SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 336 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AL on state tests and graduation
26% of adults have diabetes in Brighton. Of the 188 Alabama towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Brighton. 56% of adults have high blood pressure in Brighton.
| Brighton | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 15% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 30% | 25% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 56% | 43% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 36% | 33% |
| What stands out | Brighton | AL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6% | 8.2% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 10.6% | 14.1% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 20.3% | 9.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Most working residents leave Brighton for work: only 3% work in town. Jobs based in Brighton grew to 240 in 2023, 31 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Birmingham (29%), Bessemer (15%) and Hoover (8%).
| Brighton | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $38,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.6% | 10% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Brighton has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Brighton is 91°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 66% of U.S. communities. Since 1983, 18 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Brighton.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Brighton’s violent crime rate is 21.3 per 1,000 residents. Brighton's reported crime rate is well above Alabama's. Brighton’s property crime rate is 23.6 per 1,000 residents.
| Brighton | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 21.3 per 1,000 residents | 2.7 | 1.7 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 23.6 per 1,000 residents | 19.5 | 11.5 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
6 within 15 miles of the center of Brighton
About 5 of every 100 Brighton residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Alabama.
Where Brighton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 notable people were born in Brighton.
City in Alabama, United States
Brighton is a city near Birmingham, Alabama, United States and located just east of Hueytown. At the 2020 census, the population was 2,337. It is part of the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Statistical Area, which in 2010 had a population of about 1,128,047, approximately one-quarter of Alabama's population. It is one of four cities in Jefferson County named after cities in Great Britain. Many of the city's early settlers were of English descent; they named the town after the English tourist and resort city of Brighton, which is located on the English Channel.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Brighton.
| Town | AL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brighton | — | — | A+ | — | C | D |
| Bessemer | #177 | D− | B+ | D− | D− | D |
| Midfield | #144 | D | B | C+ | D | D |
| Birmingham | #164 | D− | B | D− | D | D |
Brighton has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Brighton reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Brighton with a neighbor →
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+.
3 notable people were born here, including Albert Hall and Parnell Dickinson.
