Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Fayette grades C− overall, 130th of 187 graded towns in Alabama, mostly because of incomes and health. The median household income is $36K, and 42% of residents live below the poverty line. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 92% of the country. In its favor, a typical home costs about $137K, 2.8 years of the county’s $49K median household income. 42% of residents live below the poverty line in Fayette, where Alabama’s towns sit at 16% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Only 15 of Alabama’s 308 towns score higher on history. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 78% of U.S. towns.
Where Fayette beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Where Fayette’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alabama), ordered by how far Fayette is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 180 in 1880, 4,285 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 2 maps from 1967 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Fayette, 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 Fayette.
Fayette trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, draws workers from Winfield and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
2,834 jobs are based in Fayette, 1.7 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
About one in 3 of Fayette’s working residents works in town. Among 186 Alabama towns, just 9 have a lower median household income than Fayette. Jobs based in Fayette grew to 2,834 in 2023, 140 more than in 2013.
| Fayette | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 29% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $36,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Fayette County school district. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Fayette County High School, with 366 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fayette Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 529 | B |
| Fayette County High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 366 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AL on state tests and graduation
Against the 1,519 U.S. towns with household incomes like Fayette’s, it is healthier than 53%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
50% of Fayette adults have high blood pressure. Fayette beats the Alabama average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 16. 18% of Fayette adults have diabetes.
| Fayette | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 50% | 43% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 23% | 19% |
| What stands out | Fayette | AL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.3% | 78% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.6% | 8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
2.2 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Guthrie Smith Park, at 78 acres with 1.1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Fayette | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.1 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.6% | 1.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Guthrie Smith Park | 1.1 mi | 78 |
| 2. Fayette County Courthouse Historic District | 0.2 mi | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Homes are within reach (about $137K for the typical one, A− for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 36 miles. At 2.8 years of the county’s $49K median household income, the typical home (about $137K) costs less against local pay than in 75% of Alabama towns; that ratio is one input to its A− for cost of living.
The median rent in Fayette is $640 a month. The typical Fayette home is worth about $137,000, about the same as a year ago, 43% below the Alabama typical home. 56% of households own their home in Fayette.
| Fayette | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 56% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $640 a month | $943 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
42% of residents live below the poverty line, against 15.6% across Alabama, which weighs on its D− for jobs and income. The median household earns $36,473, against $63,999 across Alabama.
Adults 35 to 64 are 29% of residents (38% statewide); people 65 and older are 22% of residents (18% statewide). Fayette has lost 5.3% of its people since 2020, down to 4,060 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. Fayette’s median age is 36.5 years.
| Fayette | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 22% | 18% | 18% |
| Median age | 36.5 years | 39.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 19% | 23% | 29% |
53% women, 47% men
About 89 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.9 points). Across Alabama, 51.4% of residents are women.
| Fayette | AL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14.7% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.7% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.6% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.7% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 6.2% | 12.4% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.1% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.5% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.7% | 10.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.7% | 7.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10.6% | 11.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 39% | 30.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.4% | 20.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.3% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 10% | 17.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.7% | 11.1% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,100, single groups can be off by several points
Fayette has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 91°, January nights drop to 33° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Within Alabama, it does better than 67% of towns.
| Fayette | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 17.6 per 1,000 residents | 16.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 59% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Fayette; the nearest are
About 8 of every 100 Fayette residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Alabama.
4 places in Fayette on the National Register of Historic Places.
9 notable people were born in Fayette.
City in and county seat of Fayette County, Alabama
Fayette is a city in and the county seat of Fayette County, Alabama, United States. The population was 4,285 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 4,080 in 2024.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Fayette grades C− overall, better than 15% of U.S. towns and #130 of 187 in Alabama. It grades D for health, C+ for safety and B− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D−.
Within Alabama, it does better than 67% of towns.
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−.
9 notable people were born here, including Cecil Hankins and Dexter Roberts.
