More historic than 3% of U.S. towns · #170 of 187 in Alabama. What drives it
Most of Meadowbrook was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1987. Below: maps from 1906 on and the census since 1990.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Meadowbrook is more historic than 3% of U.S. towns, #170 of 187 in Alabama. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
D−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Meadowbrook’s overall grade.
Alabama towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Alabama town has 2.7 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Meadowbrook’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (26% of Alabama towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±0.5 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Meadowbrook’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Meadowbrook. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1906Vandiver sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Meadowbrook.
Places that used to be
Old corners and burying grounds
Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.
Hamlets and corners on the map
Heritage OaksHickory RidgeInverness CliffsMeadow RidgeMorning Sun VillasSunnymeadows
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Meadowbrook
AllanOak Grove
Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The story so far
Meadowbrook, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Meadowbrook yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Meadowbrook is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Shelby County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 9,688. It is part of the Birmingham metropolitan area.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 8,769 to 9,688 (+10%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
By decade
No old photos in the archives yet
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
Meadowbrook is more historic than 3% of U.S. towns, #170 of 187 in Alabama. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Meadowbrook?
0.0% of Meadowbrook’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 3.2% for an Alabama town; the median home was built in 1987.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
