Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Harpersville’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living and an A− for schools; its weakest is a D for walkability. Harpersville’s average trip to work is 37 minutes, above both the Alabama town median (25 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Harpersville has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Chancellor House and Wallace House. Harpersville has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Harpersville beats most towns.
Chancellor HouseWhere Harpersville’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 Harpersville is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 194 in 1880, 1,614 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1840 and 2 maps from 1958 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Harpersville, 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 Harpersville.
Most working residents leave Harpersville for work: only 3% work in town. Jobs based in Harpersville grew to 358 in 2023, 67 more than in 2013. 8.2% of Harpersville residents live below the poverty line, against 16% in Alabama’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns.
| Harpersville | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 8.2% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.7% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $75,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Harpersville has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Harpersville is 91°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Harpersville beats the Alabama average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 46% of adults have high blood pressure in Harpersville.
| Harpersville | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 43% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 12% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 36% | 33% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 16% |
| What stands out | Harpersville | AL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.4% | 8.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical Harpersville home is worth about $278,000, up 2% in a year, 16% above the Alabama typical home. 81% of Harpersville households own their home.
| Harpersville | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 81% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $843 a month | $940 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 63% of U.S. communities. Since 2003, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Harpersville.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Harpersville | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.1 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.4% | 1.2% | 4.3% |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Harpersville’s violent crime rate is 1 per 1,000 residents.
| Harpersville | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 8.5 per 1,000 residents | 16.9 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
None within 15 miles of Harpersville; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Harpersville residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Alabama.
3 places in Harpersville on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Harpersville.
Town in Alabama, United States
Harpersville is a town in eastern Shelby County, Alabama, United States. According to the 1950 U.S. Census, it formally incorporated in 1943. At the 2020 census the population was 1,614, compared to 1,637 in 2010 and 1,620 in 2000. It is located southeast of the Birmingham metro area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Harpersville.
| Town | AL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harpersville | — | — | A | B− | A− | C+ |
| Vincent | — | — | A | — | A− | D |
| Westover | — | — | A− | — | A− | B |
Harpersville, Vincent and Westover have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Vincent and Westover report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Harpersville with a neighbor →
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 George McGinnis and William Joseph Simmons.
