Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Elba earns a D−, ranked 166th of 187 in Alabama, mostly because of incomes and health. The median household income is $45K, and 24% of residents live below the poverty line. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 95% of the country. One bright spot: a typical home costs about $131K, 1.9 years of the Enterprise area’s $68K median household income. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 87% of U.S. towns. Elba's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 94% of U.S. towns. Elba has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Coffee County Courthouse and Pea River Power Company Hydroelectric Facility.
Where Elba beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
3,940 counted in 2010 and 3,508 in 2020; an estimated 3,408 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 Elba is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for cost of living (better than 97% of comparable towns) to D− for jobs and income (better than 4%), so the D− overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 222 in 1880, 3,508 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 2 maps from 1968 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Elba, 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 Elba.
Elba fares better on crime within Alabama than nationally, has homes that are cheap against local pay and trades workers with Enterprise and other neighbors.
51% of adults have high blood pressure in Elba, above both the Alabama town median (43%) and the median of U.S. towns (35%). 19% of adults have diabetes in Elba. Elba beats the Alabama average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 18.
| Elba | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 51% | 43% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 23% | 19% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 40% | 36% |
| What stands out | Elba | AL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 11.5% | 8% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 5.8% | 4.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 21.6% | 15.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Elba City school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elba Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 379 | B− |
| Elba High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 224 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AL on state tests and graduation
At 46.7 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 72% of Alabama’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 128 to 99 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
At 24.5 per 1,000 residents, Elba’s property crime rate is above both Alabama’s towns (16.9) and U.S. towns (9.9). Elba’s violent crime rate is 3.4 per 1,000 residents.
| Elba | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 24.5 per 1,000 residents | 16.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.4 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
At 1.9 years of the Enterprise area’s $68K median household income, the typical home (about $131K) costs less against local pay than in 94% of Alabama towns; that ratio is one input to its A+ for cost of living.
The typical Elba home is worth about $131,000, up 0.7% in a year, 45% below the Alabama typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
426 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 41 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 76% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 426 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Elba.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Elba has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Elba is 92°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Elba has about as many jobs (1,200) as working residents, but only 201 people both live and work here. Jobs based here fell from 1,568 in 2013 to 1,200.
Most working residents leave Elba for work: only 17% work in town. Since 2013, Elba has lost 368 jobs, to 1,200 in 2023. The top destinations are Enterprise (13%), Dothan (6%) and Troy (4%).
| Elba | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $45,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 17% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Just 43 of its 9,829 acres are conserved, so there is little public open land in Elba itself; its outdoors grade is D.
1.6 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves.
| Elba | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.4% | 1.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.1 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Veterans Memorial Park | — | 3 |
| 2. Summerlyn Park | — | 3 |
| 3. Tiger Town Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Elba; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Elba residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Alabama.
6 notable people were born in Elba.
City in and county seat of Coffee County, Alabama
Elba is a city in and the county seat of Coffee County, Alabama, United States. It is the official seat, although there are two county courthouses, with the other one being located in the city of Enterprise. At the time of the 2020 US Census, Elba's population was 3,508. Elba is part of the Enterprise micropolitan statistical area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Elba grades D− overall, better than 4% of U.S. towns and #166 of 187 in Alabama. It grades D− for health, D for safety and C− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D−.
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+.
6 notable people were born here, including Robert D. Bullard and Doug Sims.
