Drive-In theatre near Fort Payne, Alabama, 2010
Henagar’s story
171 years in pictures
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1855Henagar is settled
HenagarAL
Photo: Shannon from New York · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
2,361
2025 Census estimate · +2.5% since 2020
Typical home
$196K
+2.2% in a year
Household income
$49K
median
Median age
36.1
years
Jobs based here
415
A commuter town
Is Henagar a good place to live?
Henagar’s best subject grade is a B+ for cost of living; its weakest is a D− for health. No town among the 188 in Alabama we compare has a lower July high than Henagar. The median household income is $49K, and 22% of residents live below the poverty line. Only 9 of the 188 Alabama towns we compare have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Henagar. Henagar's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 89% of U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Henagar City Park, at 22 acres. Henagar has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Henagar stand out
Where Henagar beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
0historic places
History
Settled in 1855
A long history
A history going back 171 years.
32 measures vs. Alabama
0 better14 too close to call18 worse
| Widest gap | Henagar | AL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 13.5% | 8% |
Worth knowing · HealthD−
Less healthy than 96% of U.S. towns
Trails AL on 18 of 32 CDC measures, beats it on none
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
A commuter town
95% of working residents leave Henagar for work
Where Henagar’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
415jobs based in Henagar
5%of working residents work in town
15 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Henagar grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alabama), ordered by how far Henagar is from typical.
HealthDekalb Regional Medical Center 13.3 miles awayD−Open →Jobs & incomeD−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.3 of 20; 5.7% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →Cost of livingB+Open →SchoolsBOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC+Open →SafetyB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2 miles of trails; 0% conserved landC−Open →HistoryC−Open →Civic life2.7 library visits per resident; 1.8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateCold winters, 86° summer afternoons, 5″ of snow–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 36.1; 10% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Henagar: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Henagar, and how to reach them.
PowerSand Mountain Electric Coop13.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterNortheast Alabama Water Sewer and FpdNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Henagar’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Alabama you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person until 15 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereDeKalb County Circuit ClerkDeKalb County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2019
ZIP codes35978, 35968, 35765, 3598935978 90% · 35968 6% · 35765 2% · 35989 2%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Henagar.
HealthD−
A larger share of adults smoke cigarettes in Henagar than in most of Alabama or the rest of the country
23% of adults smoke cigarettes in Henagar, above both Alabama’s towns (16%) and U.S. towns (14%). 36% of Henagar adults get no exercise outside work. Of the 188 Alabama towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Henagar.
4%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
| Henagar | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 16% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 49% | 43% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 24% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Alabama
0 better14 too close to call18 worse
| What stands out | Henagar | AL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 13.5% | 8% |
| More smokers | 23% | 15.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 10.5% | 7.3% |
Dekalb Regional Medical Center
13.3 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: primary care
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB
On state tests, Henagar’s schools beat 59% of Alabama districts
Its public schools are run by the DeKalb County school district. Its one school is below.
59%of AL districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henagar Junior High SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 261 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AL on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
With 0.5 jobs for every working resident, most of Henagar’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Henagar for work: only 5% work in town. Henagar’s median household income is $49,000, against $62,000 in Alabama’s towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns. Jobs based in Henagar fell to 415 in 2023, 54 fewer than in 2013.
5%work in town
| Henagar | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $49,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.2% | 10% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Henagar5%
Fort Payne28%
Rainsville7%
Scottsboro7%
Chattanooga6%
15 mi
median commute distance
415
jobs based in Henagar
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 16% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Henagar, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Henagar has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Henagar’s January low is 31°F.
5″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter32–51°
Spring48–70°
Summer65–85°
Fall49–70°
Oct 29
typical first frost
Apr 8
typical last frost
+0.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade B+
A typical Henagar home is worth about $196K
The typical Henagar home is worth about $196,000, up 2.2% in a year, 18% below the Alabama typical home.
$196KZillow home value
| Henagar | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,048 a month | $940 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 69% | 69% | 73% |
Typical home value
Henagar$196K
Alabama$239K
+2.2%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Moderate risk in Henagar, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 53% of U.S. communities.
53risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SafetyB−
Crime per resident in Henagar is higher than in 51% of U.S. towns
The property crime rate in Henagar is 8.2 per 1,000 residents.
49%of U.S. towns report more crimeB−Safety Grade
| Henagar | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 8.2 per 1,000 residents | 19.5 | 11.5 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 1.7 per 1,000 residents | 2.7 | 1.7 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Henagar1.7
Alabama3.8
U.S.3.6
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Henagar8.2
Alabama16.4
U.S.17.7
49th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
4
violent crimes reported in 2024
19
property crimes reported in 2024
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
0.2%conserved
| Henagar | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.2% | 1.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.1 | 0.4 |
0.2%
conserved · 22 of 14,426 acres
2.3 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Henagar City Park | — | 22 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Henagar
19pages on Henagar
The big questions
SchoolsBBeat 59% of AL districts · 1 schoolSafetyB−1.7 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2024)HealthD−Better than AL on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingB+$196K typical home · up 2.2% in a yearWork & commuteD−$49K median household income · 415 jobs hereNatural hazardsC+FEMA risk higher than 53% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Henagar
About 3 of every 100 Henagar residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Alabama.
About Henagar
City in Alabama, United States
Henagar is a city in DeKalb County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 2,292. Henagar is located on top of Sand Mountain, a southern extension of the Cumberland Plateau.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 22 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,447 ft
- ZIP code
- 35978
- Area code
- 256
Questions about Henagar
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Henagar, AL expensive?
Not for the area. That is 3.8 years of the area's median household income ($51,204 across the Fort Payne, AL 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+.