Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,242, settled in 1833.
Livingston earns a D−, 182nd of 187 graded towns in Alabama, mostly because of incomes and schools. The median household income is $24K, and 28% of residents live below the poverty line. Its public schools trail 94% of Alabama towns on state tests and graduation. What it does well: it is more walkable than 73% of U.S. towns. 28% of residents live below the poverty line in Livingston, against 16% in Alabama’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. On cost of living, just 16 of Alabama’s 308 towns do worse. Livingston is home to University of West Alabama.
Where Livingston beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| University Charter School Elementary | PK–5 | 407 |
| Livingston Junior High School | PK–4 | 216 |
| University Charter School Secondary | 6–12 | 309 |
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alabama), ordered by how far Livingston is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 500 in 1870, 3,436 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1910 and 3 maps from 1932 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Livingston, 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 Livingston.
Livingston is shaped by its college students, draws workers from York and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
48% of residents are enrolled in college, against 6.3% statewide, which pulls the median age down. The median household earns $24,236, against $63,999 across Alabama, one input to its D− for jobs and income.
Livingston’s median age is 20.7 years. Only 2 of the 187 Alabama towns we compare have a lower share of residents 65 or older than Livingston. Livingston has lost 5.5% of its people since 2020, down to 3,242 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Livingston | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 20.7 years | 39.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 7.5% | 18% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 35% | 23% | 29% |
60% women, 40% men
About 67 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±4.1 points). Across Alabama, 51.4% of residents are women. Median age: women 20.3, men 21.5.
| Livingston | AL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.1% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.5% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 50.4% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.2% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.2% | 12.4% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 2.9% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 6.3% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 4.9% | 10.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 2.5% | 7.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.4% | 11.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 35.7% | 30.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.3% | 20.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 2% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 10.4% | 17.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 24.1% | 11.1% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,200, single groups can be off by several points
Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is University Charter School Secondary, with 309 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| University Charter School ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 407 | B+ |
| University Charter School SecondaryLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 309 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AL on state tests and graduation
1,778 jobs are based in Livingston, 1.9 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 17.3 minutes, against 25.5 across Alabama.
33% of Livingston working residents work locally. Only 4 of the 186 Alabama towns we compare have a lower average trip to work than Livingston. Jobs based in Livingston fell to 1,778 in 2023, 98 fewer than in 2013.
| Livingston | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 33% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $24,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical value, about $138K, is 10% below its October 2024 peak. At about $138K, home values are down 0% in five years, against a rise of 17% across Alabama.
The typical Livingston home is worth about $138,000, down 0.9% in a year, 42% below the Alabama typical home. 43% of households own their home in Livingston. Only 7 of the 177 Alabama towns we compare have a lower median rent than Livingston.
| Livingston | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 43% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $584 a month | $943 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Reported crimes fell from 76 to 52 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The violent crime rate in Livingston is 1.3 per 1,000 residents. Within Alabama, it does better than 49% of towns.
| Livingston | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.3 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 15.5 per 1,000 residents | 17 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 72% of U.S. communities. Since 1990, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Livingston.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Against the 192 U.S. towns with household incomes like Livingston’s, it is healthier than 93%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income. Within Alabama it is healthier than 56% of the 187 graded towns: much of Alabama scores lower on these measures.
Livingston beats the Alabama average on 8 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11. Among 187 Alabama towns, just 2 have a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Livingston.
| Livingston | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 36% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 18% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 40% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 39% | 35% |
| What stands out | Livingston | AL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.4% | 8.2% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 5.2% | 7.3% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 15.4% | 9.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Livingston has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 92°, January nights drop to 35° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
0.8 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Tartt Field, at 35 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tartt Field | 0.5 mi | 35 |
| 2. Jaycee Park | — | 21 |
| 3. McConnell Field | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Livingston
College town 48 of every 100 Livingston residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Alabama.
Where Livingston’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
10 notable people were born in Livingston.
City in Alabama, United States
Livingston is a city in and the county seat of Sumter County, Alabama, United States and the home of the University of West Alabama. By an act of the state legislature, it was incorporated on January 10, 1835. As of the 2020 census, Livingston had a population of 3,436. It was named in honor of Edward Livingston, of the Livingston family of New York.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Livingston grades D− overall, in the bottom 2% of U.S. towns and #182 of 187 in Alabama. It grades C for health, C− for safety and D for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D−.
Within Alabama, it does better than 49% of towns.
That is 4.1 years of the area's median household income ($33,310 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
10 notable people were born here, including Mario Austin and Thomas P. Ochiltree.