Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Heflin gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $230K for a typical one, or 4.2 years of the county’s $55K median household income. It grades C− overall, ranked 107th of 187 in Alabama. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $47K, and 18% of residents live below the poverty line. Its National Register listings include Cleburne County Courthouse and John Morgan House (Additional Documentation). Only 5 of the 187 Alabama towns we compare have a lower July high than Heflin. The biggest park or preserve is Talladega National Forest, at 504 acres.
Where Heflin beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alabama), ordered by how far Heflin is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 383 in 1890, 3,431 in 2020. The archive holds 17 old photos and papers going back to 2011 and 4 maps from 1967 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Heflin, 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 Heflin.
Heflin fares better on crime within Alabama than nationally, trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and sends many workers across the state line to Carrollton.
Against the 4,551 U.S. towns with household incomes like Heflin’s, it is healthier than 66%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income. Within Alabama it is less healthy than 51% of the 187 graded towns: much of Alabama scores lower on these measures.
Heflin beats the Alabama average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 43% of Heflin adults have high blood pressure, against 43% in Alabama’s towns and 35% across U.S. towns. 25% of Heflin adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| Heflin | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 43% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 24% | 23% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 14% | 16% |
| What stands out | Heflin | AL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 11.6% | 13.9% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.6% | 8.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Cleburne County school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Cleburne County High School, with 555 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleburne County Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 391 | A |
| Cleburne County High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 8–12 | Grades 8–12 | 555 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AL on state tests and graduation
| Heflin | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 5.2% | 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. Talladega National Forest | 0.4 mi | 504 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The Heflin weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 206 days: longer than most of the country, but shorter than 95% of Alabama places with climate records. The Heflin weather station records that about 37 days a year reach 90°: more than most of the country, but fewer than 95% of Alabama places with climate records.
Heflin has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Heflin’s January low is 32°F, where Alabama’s towns sit at 33°F and U.S. towns at 22°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
22% of working residents cross a state line to work, Carrollton among the top destinations. Heflin has about as many jobs (1,379) as working residents, but only 240 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave Heflin for work: only 17% work in town. The average trip to work in Heflin is 30 minutes. Since 2013, Heflin has added 138 jobs, to 1,379 in 2023.
| Heflin | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 17% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $47,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
At 15.7 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 84% of Alabama’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 63 to 23 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Heflin’s property crime rate is 4.7 per 1,000 residents.
| Heflin | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.7 per 1,000 residents | 17 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.7 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 57% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Homes are within reach (about $230K for the typical one, B+ for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 25 miles. 68.7% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 48.8% across Alabama.
Typical home values rose 5.3% in the year to September 2026. 64% of households own their home in Heflin.
| Heflin | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $755 a month | $943 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 64% | 70% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Heflin; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Heflin residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Alabama.
3 places in Heflin on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Alabama, United States
Heflin is a city in and the county seat of Cleburne County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 3,431. It is located approximately halfway between Birmingham and Atlanta along Interstate 20.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Heflin grades C− overall, better than 22% of U.S. towns and #107 of 187 in Alabama. It grades C for health, B 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 B+.
2 notable people were born here, including Paul D. Adams and Charlie Brown.
