Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Headland gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $229K for a typical one, or 4 years of the Dothan metro’s $58K median household income. It grades B overall, 48th of 187 graded towns in Alabama. Headland’s January low is 39°F, above both the Alabama town median (33°F) and the median of U.S. towns (22°F). Headland has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Seaboard Coast Line Railroad Depot and Headland Commercial Historic District. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 78% of U.S. towns.
Where Headland beats most towns.
4,510 counted in 2010 and 4,973 in 2020; an estimated 5,603 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 13% since 2020, after 10.3% in the decade before.
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 Headland is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 602 in 1900, 4,973 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2012 and 2 maps from 1969 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Headland, 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 Headland.
Headland looks healthier within Alabama than nationally and has seen reported crime fall by a fifth or more.
Most working residents leave Headland for work: only 11% work in town. 7% of residents live below the poverty line in Headland. Since 2013, Headland has added 130 jobs, to 1,290 in 2023.
| Headland | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 7% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $79,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 9.8% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Henry County school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Headland High School, with 442 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headland Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 898 | A |
| Headland Middle SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–9 | Grades 6–9 | 580 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AL on state tests and graduation
4.7 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Douglas Park, at 49 acres.
| Headland | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.2% | 1.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.1 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Douglas Park | 0.8 mi | 49 |
| 2. Headland Town Square Park | 0.3 mi | 2 |
| 3. Dr. J.E. Morriss Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Headland has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Headland’s July high is 91°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Reported crimes fell from 95 to 73 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Within Alabama, it does better than 72% of towns.
| Headland | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 11.4 per 1,000 residents | 17 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.8 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Children under 18 are 28% of residents (22% statewide). Headland has grown 13% since 2020, to 5,603 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 34% of Headland adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
| Headland | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 28% | 23% | 22% |
| Median age | 36.2 years | 39.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 34% | 23% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 16% | 18% | 18% |
53% women, 47% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.1 points. Across Alabama, 51.4% of residents are women.
| Headland | AL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.9% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.6% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.1% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.6% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.2% | 12.4% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.3% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.5% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.5% | 10.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.2% | 7.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 17% | 11.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 18.4% | 30.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.3% | 20.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.7% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.8% | 17.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.8% | 11.1% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Within Alabama it is healthier than 81% of the 187 graded towns: much of Alabama scores lower on these measures.
Headland beats the Alabama average on 8 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0.
| Headland | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 43% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 18% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 14% |
| What stands out | Headland | AL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.1% | 9.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 14.3% | 19.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 55% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Headland since 1998.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The median rent in Headland is $822 a month.
| Headland | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 79% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $822 a month | $943 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
2 within 15 miles of the center of Headland
About 4 of every 100 Headland residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Alabama.
Where Headland’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Alabama, United States
Headland is the largest city in Henry County, Alabama, United States. It is part of the Dothan metropolitan area. In 2020, the population was 4,973, up from 4,510 in the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Headland.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Headland grades B overall, better than 62% of U.S. towns and #48 of 187 in Alabama. It grades B for health, C+ for safety and B for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a C−.
Within Alabama, it does better than 72% 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−.