Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,723, settled in 1886.
The best of Carbon Hill’s subject grades is an A for cost of living; the weakest is a D− for incomes. 39% of residents live below the poverty line in Carbon Hill, above both the Alabama town median (16%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 20 of Alabama’s 306 towns score lower on incomes. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 85% of U.S. towns. Only 11 of Alabama’s 308 towns score lower on the outdoors. Carbon Hill's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 95% of U.S. towns. Carbon Hill has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Carbon Hill beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Carbon Hill | AL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 13.7% | 8% |
2,021 counted in 2010 and 1,769 in 2020; an estimated 1,723 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 Carbon Hill is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 568 in 1890, a peak of 2,666 in 1920, 1,769 in 2020. The archive holds 8 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 2 maps from 1967 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Carbon Hill, 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 Carbon Hill.
20% of Carbon Hill adults report frequent physical distress, above both Alabama’s towns (15%) and U.S. towns (14%). 32% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Carbon Hill. Carbon Hill beats the Alabama average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 16.
| Carbon Hill | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 49% | 43% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 24% | 19% |
| What stands out | Carbon Hill | AL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81% | 78% |
| More adults with COPD | 13.7% | 8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical Carbon Hill home is worth about $112,000, up 5.1% in a year, 53% below the Alabama typical home. 64% of Carbon Hill households own their home.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The average trip to work in Carbon Hill is 35 minutes. Most working residents leave Carbon Hill for work: only 4% work in town. The top destinations are Jasper (14%), Birmingham (9%) and Huntsville (5%).
| Carbon Hill | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 35 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.8% | 10% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 78% of U.S. communities. Since 2015, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Carbon Hill.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Carbon Hill has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Carbon Hill’s July high is 91°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Carbon Hill's reported crime rate is well below Alabama's. Only 2 of the 138 Alabama towns we compare have a lower violent crime rate than Carbon Hill. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Carbon Hill | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 2.9 per 1,000 residents | 19.5 | 11.5 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 2.7 | 1.7 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
None within 15 miles of Carbon Hill; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Carbon Hill residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Alabama.
Where Carbon Hill’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Alabama, United States
Carbon Hill is a city in Walker County, Alabama, United States. It incorporated in February 1891. As of the 2020 census, Carbon Hill had a population of 1,769.
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.
2 notable people were born here, including Joseph Sam Perry and Elmer Tutwiler.