Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Cordova’s best subject grade is an A+ for cost of living; its weakest is a D− for health. 29% of residents live below the poverty line in Cordova, against 16% in Alabama’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. On cost of living, just 6 of Alabama’s 308 towns do better. Cordova's crime rate is higher than 92% of U.S. towns, with 7 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. Cordova's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 97% of U.S. towns. Cordova has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Cordova beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Cordova | AL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 13.8% | 8% |
2,095 counted in 2010 and 1,728 in 2020; an estimated 1,679 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 Cordova is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 567 in 1900, a peak of 3,184 in 1960, 1,728 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1910 and 4 maps from 1949 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cordova, 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 Cordova.
20% of adults report frequent physical distress in Cordova, where Alabama’s towns sit at 15% and U.S. towns at 14%. 32% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Cordova. Cordova beats the Alabama average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 18.
| Cordova | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 24% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 16% | 14% |
| What stands out | Cordova | AL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 13.8% | 8% |
| More adults with heart disease | 10.9% | 7.3% |
| More smokers | 22.5% | 15.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Walker County school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Cordova High School, with 451 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cordova Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–4 | Grades K–4 | 321 | A |
| Cordova High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 451 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AL on state tests and graduation
Cordova’s property crime rate is 34.8 per 1,000 residents. Cordova reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 92% report less. Cordova’s violent crime rate is 4.2 per 1,000 residents.
| Cordova | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 34.8 per 1,000 residents | 16.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.2 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The median rent in Cordova is $460 a month. The typical Cordova home is worth about $106,000, down 0.9% in a year, 55% below the Alabama typical home. 64% of Cordova households own their home.
| Cordova | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $460 a month | $940 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 64% | 69% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 86% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents leave Cordova for work: only 4% work in town. Since 2013, Cordova has added 106 jobs, to 494 in 2023. The top destinations are Jasper (15%), Birmingham (14%) and Huntsville (4%).
| Cordova | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $38,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.1% | 10% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Cordova has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 91°, January nights drop to 32° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
0.5 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cordova Park | — | 5 |
| 2. Reservior Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Cordova
About 1 of every 100 Cordova residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Alabama.
Where Cordova’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 notable people were born in Cordova.
City in Alabama, United States
Cordova is a city in Walker County, Alabama, United States. It was formerly a textile mill town. It was incorporated in 1897. As of the 2020 census, Cordova had a population of 1,728.
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+.
3 notable people were born here, including James S. Voss and Doyle Alexander.
