ALMap-doton-Ladonia, 2004
Ladonia’s story
137 years in pictures
Census counts: 2,905 in 1990, 3,074 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2004 and 5 maps from 1914 on.
- 1889Ladonia is settled
LadoniaAL
Settled in 1889, this town now has 3,346 residents.
1 bordering townMap →
Russell County Courthouse at Seale · Photo: Rivers Langley SaveRivers · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
3,346
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$102K
Census ACS
Household income
$53K
median
Median age
37.3
years
Jobs based here
678
A commuter town
TownGrade
C
#86 of 187 in AL
Is Ladonia a good place to live?
Health is its weak spot (D): CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 94% of the country. Its best grade is for cost of living: a typical home costs about $102K, 1.7 years of the Columbus metro’s $59K median household income. It is strong on walkability as well — it is more walkable than two thirds of U.S. towns. Put together, the subjects come to a C overall, ranking 86th of 187 in Alabama. Nationally, it does better than 33% of U.S. towns. Incomes are weaker too (D) — the median household income is $53K, and 16% of residents live below the poverty line. On the outdoors, just 6 of Alabama’s 308 towns do worse. Ladonia has 2 places on the National Register.
Figures: home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · health, CDC PLACES · USGS PAD-US · National Register of Historic Places.
What makes Ladonia stand out
Where Ladonia beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Natural hazardsB+
Lower risk than 68% of U.S. communities
Low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
32 measures vs. Alabama
0 better18 too close to call14 worse
| Widest gap | Ladonia | AL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 11.2% | 8% |
Worth knowing · HealthD
Trails AL on 14 of 32 CDC measures, beats it on none
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Ladonia for work
Where Ladonia’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
678jobs based in Ladonia
2%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Ladonia grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alabama), ordered by how far Ladonia is from typical.
HealthJack Hughston Memorial Hospital 6 miles awayDOpen →Jobs & incomeIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedDOpen →Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnA−Open →Hazard riskInland flooding tops the listB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.1 of 20; 3.9% of households have no car; 4.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →SchoolsAbout average among the towns comparedBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksD−Open →HistoryAmong the weakest of the towns comparedC−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Ladonia: who provides what
Ladonia is unincorporated, so Russell County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerTallapoosa River Elec Coop14.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPhenix City UtilitiesNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesRussell CountyRussell County provides services here
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 hereRussell County Circuit ClerkRussell County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2019
ZIP codes36869, 3687036869 92% · 36870 8%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 Ladonia.
Ladonia sends many workers across the state line and has homes that are cheap against local pay.
HealthD
Compared with most of Alabama and the rest of the country, more of Ladonia’s adults have been diagnosed with depression
The share of adults in Ladonia who report frequent physical distress is 17%, where Alabama’s towns sit at 15% and U.S. towns at 14%. In Ladonia, 45% of adults have high blood pressure. Also worth knowing: only 10 of the 187 Alabama towns we compare have a higher share of adults who smoke cigarettes than Ladonia.
6%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Ladonia | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 23% | 19% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 24% | 23% |
32 measures vs. Alabama
0 better18 too close to call14 worse
| What stands out | Ladonia | AL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 11.2% | 8% |
| More smokers | 20.9% | 15.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 19.7% | 15.4% |
Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital
6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
15th
percentile among AL towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB
Public schools in Ladonia beat 58% of Alabama districts
The public schools here belong to the Russell County school district. Its two schools are below. 461 students attend Ladonia’s public school.
58%of AL districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ladonia Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 461 | B+ |
| The Rock Academy PrivateLargest high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 199 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AL on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
About one in three of Ladonia’s working residents commute to Columbus
57% of working residents cross a state line to work. Jobs based here grew from 389 in 2013 to 678.
The town had 678 jobs in 2023, up 289 from 2013. The share of working residents in Ladonia who work locally is 1.8%, against 10% in Alabama’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Half the trips to work are shorter than 14 miles. The top destinations are Columbus (32%), Phenix City (14%) and Opelika (5%).
2%work in town
| Ladonia | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.8% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $53,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 16% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Ladonia2%
Columbus32%
Phenix City14%
Opelika5%
Auburn5%
14 mi
median commute distance
678
jobs based in Ladonia
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 67% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Top of a low hazard risk in Ladonia: inland flooding
Ladonia’s natural-hazard score from FEMA stands at 32 of 100. Expected losses in Ladonia break down as 58% from inland flooding and 13% from tornadoes.
32risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesHeat waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
92°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter38–60°
Spring52–77°
Summer69–90°
Fall54–77°
Nov 18
typical first frost
Mar 21
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
92°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade A−
A home in Ladonia sells for about $130K at the median
At 1.7 years of the Columbus metro’s $59K median household income, the typical home costs less against local pay than in 97% of Alabama towns; that ratio is one input to its A− for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $345, against $788 across Alabama, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
63% of households live in a home they own in Ladonia. In Ladonia, the midpoint rent is $1,040 a month.
$130Kmedian sale price
| Ladonia | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 63% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,040 a month | $940 a month | $1,185 a month |
1
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 22 attractions →Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site and 14 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Ladonia. Close and well known come first.
Big draw36 mi National Historic SiteTuskegee Institute National Historic Site9K visitors a year
25 mi Stadium & arenaJordan–Hare Stadium
37 mi MuseumLittle White House
29 mi State parkProvidence Canyon State Park13 mi MuseumU.S. Army Armor and Cavalry Collection
30 mi GardenCallaway GardensSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site: 2C2K Photography, CC BY 2.0 · Jordan–Hare Stadium: AuburnPilot, Public domain · Little White House: Dsdugan, CC0 · Providence Canyon State Park: Robbie Honerkamp, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Callaway Gardens: Thomsonmg2000, CC0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ladonia
16pages on Ladonia
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Ladonia
Chattahoochee Valley Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Phenix City4.2 mi$5,100 in-state tuitionColumbus Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Columbus, GA7.3 mi$4,052 in-state tuitionColumbus State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Columbus, GA9.2 mi$5,898 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Ladonia residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Alabama.
About Ladonia
Unincorporated community in the United States
Ladonia is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Russell County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 3,074. It is part of the Columbus, Georgia-Alabama, Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 469 ft
- Area code
- 334
Ladonia’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Ladonia.
Phenix CityLadonia
How the neighbors grade
| Town | AL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ladonia | #86 | C | A− | — | B | D |
| Phenix City | #159 | D | B− | D | B | D |
Ladonia reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Ladonia with a neighbor →
Questions about Ladonia
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Ladonia, AL a good place to live?
Ladonia grades C overall, better than 33% of U.S. towns and #86 of 187 in Alabama. It grades D for health and B for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Ladonia, AL expensive?
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $102,000, 57% below the Alabama typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.