Rainbow City was first counted by the census in 1960
Among the newest of U.S. towns · #185 of 187 in Alabama. What drives it
Most of Rainbow City was built recently: 0.3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1990. Below: maps from 1947 on and the census since 1960.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Rainbow City is among the newest of U.S. towns, #185 of 187 in Alabama. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
D−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Rainbow City’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 Rainbow City’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 any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to D. The pre-1940 share (±0.6 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: the first census (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 Rainbow City’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
This city was named after U.S. Highway 411, called Rainbow Drive, which runs through the middle of the city.
Hernando de Soto's troops were the first visitors to the area in 1540. In 1818, families from the Carolinas and Georgia began to migrate to the area and homestead land near the Coosa River, calling the area "Coosa Bend". This area was later called "Morgan's Cross Road", located at the intersection of the Gadsden-Ashville Road and Gilbert's Ferry Road.
John Sheffield Jones, the grandson of an original settler, donated $1,000 and the land for the construction of the first John S. Jones Elementary School. This school later burned to the ground; a new elementary school was built and serves the Rainbow City area today.
The Rainbow City post office opened in 1960, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Rainbow City rank for history?
Rainbow City is among the newest of U.S. towns, #185 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 Rainbow City?
0.3% of Rainbow City’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 3.2% for an Alabama town; the median home was built in 1990.
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 (2), 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.
2013
2013
