More historic than 8% of U.S. towns · #155 of 187 in Alabama. What drives it
Most of Pleasant Grove was built recently: 0.8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1983. Below: maps from 1959 on and the census since 1940.
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1878.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Pleasant Grove’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Pleasant Grove is more historic than 8% of U.S. towns, #155 of 187 in Alabama. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Pleasant Grove’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 Pleasant Grove’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.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikipedia alone; no second source gives 1889.
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 (±0.9 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: Wikipedia (other dates in Quick answers). 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 Pleasant Grove’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
It was established in 1889 but incorporated as a city on January 16, 1934. The incorporation came about by reason of a rather unusual circumstance. The town sits on land honeycombed by coal mines. For many years, the residents had relied on water wells for their water supply. As years passed and more mining was done, Pleasant Grove found itself confronted with a problem. Residents would sometimes go to their well to draw water only to find there was none. The water had gone into the mines.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Pleasant Grove. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1959Bessemer sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Pleasant Grove.
People over time
Pleasant Grove, census by census
Between 1,066 and 10,110 people in every census since 1940.
9 censuses, 1940–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Pleasant Grove’s Wikipedia page.
Stories next door
History across the town line
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1889, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Pleasant Grove’s post office opened in 1878, and the census of 1940 counted 1,066 people here.
How does Pleasant Grove rank for history?
Pleasant Grove is more historic than 8% of U.S. towns, #155 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 Pleasant Grove?
0.8% of Pleasant Grove’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 3.2% for an Alabama town; the median home was built in 1983.
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 Wikimedia Commons (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) 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.
2011
