Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,015, settled in 1910.
Lipscomb’s best subject grade is a B+ for cost of living; its weakest is a D− for health. 34% of residents live below the poverty line in Lipscomb, against 16% in Alabama’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. On health, just 12 of Alabama’s 308 towns do worse. Lipscomb's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 100% of U.S. towns. Lipscomb’s trail density is 0.8 miles per square mile, above both Alabama’s towns (0.1) and U.S. towns (0.4). Lipscomb has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Lipscomb beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Lipscomb | AL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 21.3% | 9.6% |
Where Lipscomb’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alabama), ordered by how far Lipscomb is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,605 in 1920, a peak of 3,741 in 1980, 2,086 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1905 on.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Lipscomb. Close and well known come first.
8 mi Stadium & arenaLegion Field
Big draw39 mi Stadium & arenaBryant–Denny Stadium
10 mi Stadium & arenaProtective Stadium
10 mi MuseumSloss Furnaces
9 mi Stadium & arenaLegacy Arena5 mi Theme parkAlabama Adventure & Splash AdventureLegion Field: USGS, Public domain · Bryant–Denny Stadium: Joel יוֹאֵל, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Protective Stadium: Unknown, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sloss Furnaces: DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Legacy Arena: AuburnShuffle, CC0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lipscomb, 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 Lipscomb.
The typical Lipscomb home is worth about $64,000, up 13.8% in a year, 73% below the Alabama typical home. 62% of Lipscomb households own their home.
| Lipscomb | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 62% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,044 a month | $940 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Jefferson County school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lipscomb Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 221 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AL on state tests and graduation
35% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Lipscomb. Only 1 of the 188 Alabama towns we compare have a higher share of adults who feel lonely than Lipscomb. 18% of adults report frequent physical distress in Lipscomb.
| Lipscomb | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 24% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 15% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 30% | 25% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 52% | 43% | 35% |
| What stands out | Lipscomb | AL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.8% | 8.2% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.6% | 14.1% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 21.3% | 9.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Most working residents leave Lipscomb for work: only 1% work in town. Lipscomb’s median household income is $42,000. Since 2013, Lipscomb has added 20 jobs, to 172 in 2023.
| Lipscomb | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $42,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.1% | 10% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Lipscomb has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Lipscomb is 91°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Among 138 Alabama towns, just 3 have a lower property crime rate than Lipscomb. Lipscomb's reported crime rate is well below Alabama's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Lipscomb | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 3 per 1,000 residents | 19.5 | 11.5 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 1 per 1,000 residents | 2.7 | 1.7 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 54% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1.0 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lipscomb City Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
6 within 15 miles of the center of Lipscomb
About 3 of every 100 Lipscomb residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Alabama.
City in Alabama, United States
Lipscomb is a city in south central Jefferson County, Alabama. It is part of the Birmingham, Alabama, metropolitan area. At the 2020 census, the population was 2,086. It does not have its own U.S. Post Office or ZIP code, instead sharing the Bessemer ZIP code (35020).
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Lipscomb.
| Town | AL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lipscomb | — | — | B+ | — | C | D− |
| Bessemer | #177 | D− | B+ | D− | D− | D |
| Birmingham | #164 | D− | B | D− | D | D |
Lipscomb has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Lipscomb reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Lipscomb with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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+.
