Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 6,020, settled in 1954.
Rainsville gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $232K for a typical one, or 4.5 years of the Fort Payne area’s $51K median household income. It grades A− overall, 29th of 187 graded towns in Alabama. On the plus side, it reports less crime per resident than 87% of U.S. towns. Only 25 of Alabama’s 308 towns score lower on history. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 81% of U.S. towns. Among 177 Alabama towns, just 1 have a lower median rent than Rainsville.
Where Rainsville beats most towns.
4,948 counted in 2010 and 5,505 in 2020; an estimated 6,020 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 9.2% since 2020, after 11.3% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alabama), ordered by how far Rainsville is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 568 in 1960, 5,505 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2011 and 4 maps from 1936 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Rainsville, 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 Rainsville.
Rainsville looks healthier within Alabama than nationally and has a longer frost-free season than most of the country, though not than most of Alabama; it also has seen reported crime rise by about half.
Reported crimes rose from 10 to 52 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 5 reported in 2025, 0.8 per 1,000 residents.
At 0.8 per 1,000 residents, Rainsville’s violent crime rate is where Alabama’s towns sit at 2.9 and U.S. towns at 1.6. Rainsville’s property crime rate is 7.8 per 1,000 residents.
| Rainsville | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.8 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.8 per 1,000 residents | 17 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the DeKalb County school district. One of its 4 schools is below, with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Plainview School, with 1,167 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plainview SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 1,167 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AL on state tests and graduation
The Valley Head weather station, 14 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 202 days: longer than most of the country, but shorter than 97% of Alabama places with climate records. January nights average 31°: milder than most of the country, but colder than 88% of Alabama places with climate records; July afternoons average 87.2°.
Rainsville has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Among 187 Alabama towns, just 1 have a lower July high than Rainsville. At 31°F, Rainsville’s January low is close to Alabama’s towns (33°F) and above U.S. towns (22°F).
| Rainsville | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 87°F | 91°F | 85°F |
| January low | 31°F | 33°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
People 65 and older are 25% of residents (18% statewide); children under 18 are 18% of residents (22% statewide). The median age in Rainsville is 49.4 years. Rainsville has grown 9.2% since 2020, to 6,020 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Rainsville | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 49.4 years | 39.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 18% | 23% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 29% | 23% | 29% |
45% women, 55% men
About 124 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.6 points). Across Alabama, 51.4% of residents are women. Among residents 18 to 24, 76% are men (AL 50%).
| Rainsville | AL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.8% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.9% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.4% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.6% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7.4% | 12.4% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.3% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 18.6% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 19.8% | 10.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.3% | 7.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 14.1% | 11.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.3% | 30.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.5% | 20.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.4% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.6% | 17.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.1% | 11.1% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
The average commute for its 2,180 working residents takes 19.3 minutes, against 25.5 across Alabama.
Most working residents leave Rainsville for work: only 16% work in town. 7% of residents live below the poverty line in Rainsville. Since 2013, Rainsville has added 275 jobs, to 3,095 in 2023.
| Rainsville | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 7% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 16% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $74,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Within Alabama it is healthier than 61% of the 187 graded towns: much of Alabama scores lower on these measures.
Rainsville beats the Alabama average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 26% of Rainsville adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| Rainsville | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 24% | 23% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 43% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 12% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 39% | 35% |
| What stands out | Rainsville | AL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.9% | 9.6% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.3% | 13.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.8% | 8.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Just 59 of its 13,218 acres are conserved, so there is little public open land in Rainsville itself; its outdoors grade is C−.
1.3 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Rainsville | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.1 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.4% | 1.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Rainsville Parks & Rec | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Home values rose 33% in five years, to about $233K, against 17% across Alabama.
Typical home values rose 4.8% in the year to September 2026.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 51% of U.S. communities. Since 2020, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Rainsville.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Rainsville
About 4 of every 100 Rainsville residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Alabama.
City in Alabama, United States
Rainsville is a city in DeKalb County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2020 census, Rainsville had a population of 5,505. Rainsville is located on top of Sand Mountain, a southern extension of the Cumberland Plateau.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Rainsville.
| Town | AL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainsville | #29 | A− | A− | A | B | C+ |
| Pine Ridge | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Shiloh | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Powell | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sylvania | — | — | A | B+ | B | C+ |
Sylvania has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Pine Ridge, Shiloh and Powell aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Rainsville with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Rainsville grades A− overall, better than 76% of U.S. towns and #29 of 187 in Alabama. It grades C+ for health, A for safety and B for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a C−.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.