Alabama Mining Museum
Dora’s story
121 years in pictures
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers.
- 1905Dora is settled
Population
2,223
2025 Census estimate · −2.2% since 2020
Typical home
$182K
+2% in a year
Household income
$62K
median
Median age
39.0
years
Jobs based here
528
A commuter town
Is Dora a good place to live?
The best of Dora’s subject grades is an A+ for cost of living; the weakest is a D for walkability. Only 12 of Alabama’s 308 towns score higher on cost of living. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 78% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Dora's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 98% of U.S. towns. Dora has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Dora stand out
Where Dora beats most towns.
A growing town
Dora has grown 11% since 2010
2,025 counted in 2010 and 2,297 in 2020; an estimated 2,223 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Dora grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alabama), ordered by how far Dora is from typical.
Cost of livingA+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.3 of 20; 3.6% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →SafetyC−Open →HealthWalker Baptist Medical Center 13.7 miles awayC−Open →SchoolsC+Open →Jobs & income$62K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksDOpen →History6 notable people born hereC−Open →Civic life1.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsD−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 39.0; 15% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Dora: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Dora, and how to reach them.
PowerAlabama Power17.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterDora UtilitiesNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers89% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpTown pickupTown crews pick up at the curbTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn Alabama you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person until 15 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereWalker County Circuit ClerkWalker County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP codes35062, 3513035062 76% · 35130 24%Census 2020
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 Dora.
SafetyC−
Crime per resident in Dora is higher than in 81% of U.S. towns
Dora’s violent crime rate is 4 per 1,000 residents, where Alabama’s towns sit at 2.9 and U.S. towns at 1.6. Dora’s property crime rate is 20.6 per 1,000 residents.
19%of U.S. towns report more crimeC−Safety Grade
| Dora | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 20.6 per 1,000 residents | 16.9 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Dora4
Alabama3.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Dora20.6
Alabama15
U.S.15.5
19th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
9
violent crimes reported in 2025
46
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
SchoolsC+
Dora’s schools rank behind 62% of Alabama districts
Its public schools are run by the Walker County school district. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Dora High School, with 476 students.
38%of AL districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dora First Baptist Kindergarten PrivateLargest elementary schoolGrades K | Grades K | 17 | – |
| Dora High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 476 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AL on state tests and graduation
HealthC−
On CDC estimates, Dora is less healthy than 81% of U.S. towns
Dora beats the Alabama average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 43% of Dora adults sleep under 7 hours, above both Alabama’s towns (40%) and U.S. towns (36%). 16% of Dora adults report frequent physical distress.
19%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Dora | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 40% | 36% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 36% | 33% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 24% | 23% |
32 measures vs. Alabama
0 better31 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Dora | AL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 9.4% | 8% |
Walker Baptist Medical Center
In Jasper · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Dora has 0.6 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Dora for work: only 3% work in town. 18% of residents live below the poverty line in Dora. Jobs based in Dora grew to 528 in 2023, 163 more than in 2013.
3%work in town
| Dora | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 18% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3% | 10% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Dora3%
Birmingham21%
Jasper10%
Sumiton4%
Hoover3%
23 mi
median commute distance
528
jobs based in Dora
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 9% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
High risk in Dora, with inland flooding at the top
Since 2003, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Dora.
78risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
2
paid flood claims since 2003
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade A+
The typical home in Dora is valued at about $182K
The typical Dora home is worth about $182,000, up 2% in a year, 24% below the Alabama typical home. The median rent in Dora is $761 a month.
$182KZillow home value
| Dora | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $761 a month | $940 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 67% | 69% | 73% |
Typical home value
Dora$182K
Alabama$239K
+2%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
In Dora, expect mild winters and hot summers
Dora has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 91°, January nights drop to 33° and about 1 inches of snow falls in a winter.
1″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter35–56°
Spring50–74°
Summer69–90°
Fall52–75°
Nov 11
typical first frost
Mar 21
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Dora
19pages on Dora
The big questions
SchoolsC+Behind 62% of AL districts · 2 schoolsSafetyC−4 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC−Better than AL on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA+$182K typical home · up 2% in a yearWork & commuteB−$62K median household income · 528 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 78% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Dora
About 3 of every 100 Dora residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Alabama.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Dora for work
Where Dora’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
528jobs based in Dora
3%of working residents work in town
23 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Dora
6 notable people were born in Dora.
About Dora
City in Alabama, United States
Dora is a city in Walker County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2020 census, Dora had a population of 2,297. Coal mining took place in the area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 7.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 394 ft
- ZIP code
- 35062
- Area code
- 205
Dora’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Dora.
SumitonDora
How the neighbors grade
Dora has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Compare Dora with a neighbor →
Questions about Dora
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Dora, 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+.
What is Dora, AL known for?
6 notable people were born here, including Sybil Gibson and Terry Fell.