Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Jackson grades D− overall, ranked 174th of 187 in Alabama, mostly because of incomes and safety. The median household income is $38K, and 26% of residents live below the poverty line. It reports more crime per resident than 95% of U.S. towns, including 27 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. It also has a long history, with 4 places on the National Register. Jackson’s average trip to work is 14 minutes, where Alabama’s towns sit at 25 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Its National Register listings include Jackson Historic District and Clarke Mills. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 80% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top.
Where Jackson beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Jackson Historic District
Census counts: 1,039 in 1900, 4,748 in 2020. The archive holds 30 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 2 maps from 1978 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alabama), ordered by how far Jackson is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Jackson, 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 Jackson.
Jackson trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has seen reported crime fall by a fifth or more.
Reported crimes fell from 209 to 159 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Jackson’s violent crime rate is 6.1 per 1,000 residents. Jackson reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 95% report less. Jackson’s property crime rate is 29.9 per 1,000 residents.
| Jackson | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6.1 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 29.9 per 1,000 residents | 16.9 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Clarke County school district. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Jackson High School, with 376 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joe M Gillmore Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 389 | – |
| Jackson High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 376 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AL on state tests and graduation
Against the 1,863 U.S. towns with household incomes like Jackson’s, it is healthier than 65%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
Jackson beats the Alabama average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 50% of Jackson adults have high blood pressure. Among 187 Alabama towns, just 9 have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Jackson.
| Jackson | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 50% | 43% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 14% | 16% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 23% | 19% |
| What stands out | Jackson | AL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.2% | 14.1% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.5% | 78% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 5.3% | 4.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Homes are within reach (about $142K for the typical one, B+ for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 33 miles. The typical value, about $142K, is 9% below its January 2022 peak.
The typical Jackson home is worth about $142,000, up 2.8% in a year, 40% below the Alabama typical home. The median rent in Jackson is $647 a month.
| Jackson | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $647 a month | $943 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 65% | 70% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Since 1980, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Jackson.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Jackson has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 91°, January nights drop to 37° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| Jackson | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.1 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.5% | 1.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. H.W. Pearce, Jr. Memorial Park | — | 81 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The average commute for its 1,828 working residents takes 14.1 minutes, against 25.5 across Alabama.
About one in 4 of Jackson’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Jackson has lost 355 jobs, to 2,221 in 2023. The top destinations are Mobile (12%), Grove Hill (5%) and Thomasville (3%).
| Jackson | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 23% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $38,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
None within 15 miles of Jackson; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Jackson residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Alabama.
4 places in Jackson on the National Register of Historic Places.
5 notable people were born in Jackson.
City in Alabama, United States
Jackson is a city in Clarke County, Alabama, United States. The population was 4,748 at the 2020 census. It was one of three wet settlements in an otherwise-dry county.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Jackson grades D− overall, better than 3% of U.S. towns and #174 of 187 in Alabama. It grades D for health, D 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+.
5 notable people were born here, including Samaje Perine and Antonio Chatman.
