Mentone Springs Hotel · National Register of Historic Places
Mentone’s story
138 years in pictures
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1888Mentone is settled
MentoneAL
A town of 337, settled in 1888.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Shannon McGee · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
337
2025 Census estimate · +4.3% since 2020
Typical home
$311K
+7.8% in a year
Household income
$42K
median
Median age
63.9
years
Jobs based here
69
A commuter town
Is Mentone a good place to live?
Mentone’s median age is 63.9 years, where Alabama’s towns sit at 39.2 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years. Of the 188 Alabama towns we compare, none has a lower midsummer high than Mentone. Mentone has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Mentone Springs Hotel and Dr. J. A. Gorman House. Mentone has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
337 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Valley HeadMentone
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Mentone: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Mentone, and how to reach them.
PowerSand Mountain Electric Coop13.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterValley Head Water Works BoardNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Mentone’s trash rules yet
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 hereDeKalb County Circuit ClerkDeKalb County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2019
ZIP code3598435984 100%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 Mentone.
Who lives here
47% of residents are 65 or older
The Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate puts Mentone at 337 residents, up 4.3% since 2020. 37% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more here, above both the Alabama town median (23%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%).
63.9median age · AL 39.3
MentoneAlabamaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
32%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma5%
High school26%
Some college21%
Associate’s12%
Bachelor’s21%
Graduate16%
Women and men · all residents
54% women, 46% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.9 points. Across Alabama, 51.4% of residents are women.
| Mentone | AL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 1.9% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.2% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 2.4% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.3% | 12.4% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 6.6% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 19.9% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 32.4% | 10.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 14.3% | 7.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5% | 11.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25.7% | 30.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.6% | 20.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.5% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.2% | 17.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 15.9% | 11.1% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 300, single groups can be off by several points
Work & commute
About two in five of Mentone’s working residents commute to Fort Payne
Mentone: 16% of residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Fort Payne (40%), Trenton (5%) and Chattanooga (5%). Its income of the median household comes in at $42,000. Half commute less than 14 miles.
0%work in town
| Mentone | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $42,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Mentone0%
Fort Payne40%
Trenton5%
Chattanooga5%
Hammondville4%
14 mi
median commute distance
69
jobs based in Mentone
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Housing
Homes in Mentone are worth about $311K, by Zillow’s estimate
Among 188 Alabama towns, just 7 have a higher home-ownership rate than Mentone. In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 7.8%.
$311KZillow home value
Typical home value
Mentone$311K
Alabama$239K
+7.8%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazards
High risk in Mentone, with inland flooding at the top
Mentone’s FEMA risk score comes in at 74 of 100. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 65% come from inland flooding and 11% from cold waves. Households locally have drawn federal disaster aid in 5 declared disasters, most recently in 2014.
74risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
5″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter33–51°
Spring48–70°
Summer65–85°
Fall49–70°
Oct 29
typical first frost
Apr 8
typical last frost
+0.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Safety
Crime reported in Mentone
In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Mentone is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
0
violent crimes reported in 2024
2
property crimes reported in 2024
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
Health
A smaller share of adults in Mentone binge drink than in the typical Alabama or U.S. town
Only 10 of the 188 Alabama towns we compare have a lower share of adults who feel lonely than Mentone. Just over a fifth of adults smoke cigarettes here. Against the Alabama average, Mentone comes out ahead on 5 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 14.
| Mentone | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 15% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 15% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 9.7% | 14% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 58% | 43% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Alabama
5 better13 too close to call14 worse
| What stands out | Mentone | AL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 9.7% | 14.1% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.9% | 13.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 16.3% | 8% |
Dekalb Regional Medical Center
12.7 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: primary care
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Nearby attractions
All 35 attractions →Lookout Mountain and 19 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Mentone. Close and well known come first.
24 mi MountainLookout Mountain15 mi CaveEllison's Cave
35 mi WaterfallRuby Falls
4 mi National PreserveLittle River Canyon National Preserve782K visitors a year
30 mi Park & preserveNickajack Cave
39 mi State parkNew EchotaSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Lookout Mountain: Teke, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ruby Falls: Oydman (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Little River Canyon National Preserve: Richard A. Weaver, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Nickajack Cave: Blueway, CC BY-SA 3.0 · New Echota: Cculber007 at en.wikipedia, Public domain
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Mentone
17pages on Mentone
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Mentone; the nearest are
Northeast Alabama Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Rainsville18.4 mi$5,040 in-state tuitionGeorgia Highlands CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Rome, GA34.8 mi$3,120 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Mentone residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Alabama.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Mentone for work
Where Mentone’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
69jobs based in Mentone
0%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Landmarks
2 places in Mentone on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Mentone
Town in Alabama, United States
Mentone is a town in DeKalb County, Alabama, United States. Its location is atop Lookout Mountain. As of the 2020 census, Mentone had a population of 319. A number of private summer camps are located near Mentone. For a number of years, Mentone has hosted an unusually large number of summer camps. Mentone attracts many visitors and tourists annually, partly due to the summer camps.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 4.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,736 ft
- ZIP code
- 35984
- Area code
- 256
Questions about Mentone
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Mentone, AL a good place to live?
Mentone has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.