Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 16,652, settled in 1900. Public schools that outperform most of Alabama.
Saraland's standout: its schools rank ahead of 97% of Alabama towns. Overall it grades B−, 64th among Alabama's 187 graded towns. Its weakest subject is hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 94% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Only 23 of Alabama’s 308 towns score lower on cost of living. Saraland’s trail density is 1.0 miles per square mile, where Alabama’s towns sit at 0.1 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Saraland's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 93% of U.S. towns.
Where Saraland beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Saraland Elementary School | 2–5 | 1,034 |
| Saraland Early Education Center | PK–1 | 557 |
| North Mobile Christian School | PK–7 | 260 |
13,405 counted in 2010 and 16,171 in 2020; an estimated 16,652 in 2025.
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 Saraland is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 4,595 in 1960, 16,171 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 5 maps from 1941 on.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Saraland. Close and well known come first.
Big draw13 mi MuseumUSS Alabama
13 mi MuseumUSS Drum
13 mi MuseumBattleship Memorial Park11 mi Ancient siteOld Mobile Site
12 mi Stadium & arenaMobile Civic Center
12 mi MuseumFort CharlotteUSS Alabama: USN, Public domain · USS Drum: Jean-Pierre Martin, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Battleship Memorial Park: Rennett Stowe from USA, CC BY 2.0 · Mobile Civic Center: Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Charlotte: DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Saraland, 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 Saraland.
Saraland has schools in the top 5% of Alabama and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Alabama (mostly inland flooding).
On this, Saraland is against 1.2% in Alabama’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. 34 miles of trail in 9 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Jacinto Port Tract, 1,137 acres with 2.2 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Jacinto Port Tract | 2.2 mi | 1,137 |
| 2. Amelia City Park | — | 13 |
| 3. Oscar L. Driver Park | — | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its A+ ranks #4 of the 187 Alabama towns we grade for schools. Its A+ is the best School Grade on its borders; Satsuma (A−) is next.
Its public schools are run by the Saraland City school district. Three of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Saraland High School, with 1,134 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saraland Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades 2–5 | Grades 2–5 | 1,034 | A+ |
| Saraland High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,134 | B+ |
| Saraland Middle SchoolAdams CampusTop results in townGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 789 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AL on state tests and graduation
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 97% of Alabama towns, with expected losses of about $650 per resident a year; that rating is what its D− for hazard risk is built on. 311 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 45 properties have flooded more than once.
Since 1979, 311 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Saraland. Among 187 Alabama towns, just 6 have a higher FEMA risk score than Saraland.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Saraland has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Saraland’s July high is 91°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Adults 18 to 34 are 16% of residents (22% statewide). 22% of residents are 65 or older in Saraland. 25% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 28% across Alabama.
| Saraland | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.7 years | 39.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 22% | 18% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 24% | 23% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 25% | 23% | 29% |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.9 points. Across Alabama, 51.4% of residents are women.
| Saraland | AL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.2% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.7% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.6% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.2% | 12.4% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.6% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.1% | 10.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.6% | 7.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.4% | 11.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 40.2% | 30.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.5% | 20.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.8% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.8% | 17.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.2% | 11.1% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Most working residents leave Saraland for work: only 9% work in town. 5.3% of Saraland workers work from home. The top destinations are Mobile (44%), Prichard (3%) and Daphne (2%).
| Saraland | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 5.3% | 6.7% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 10% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Reported crimes fell from 366 to 194 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The violent crime rate in Saraland is 0.7 per 1,000 residents. Within Alabama, it does better than 77% of towns.
| Saraland | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.7 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 11.1 per 1,000 residents | 17 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Against the 9,296 U.S. towns with household incomes like Saraland’s, it is healthier than 69%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income. Within Alabama it is healthier than 69% of the 187 graded towns: much of Alabama scores lower on these measures.
Saraland beats the Alabama average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0.
| Saraland | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 43% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 12% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 78% | 80% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 16% |
| What stands out | Saraland | AL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 12.5% | 15.4% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.9% | 9.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
65.1% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 48.8% across Alabama.
The typical Saraland home is worth about $239,000, up 1.8% in a year, close to the Alabama typical home.
| Saraland | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 79% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,060 a month | $940 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
5 within 15 miles of the center of Saraland
About 3 of every 100 Saraland residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Alabama.
9.9% of the town is conserved land, across 9 parks and preserves.
3 notable people were born in Saraland.
City in Alabama, United States
Saraland is a city in Mobile County, Alabama, United States, and a suburb of Mobile. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 16,171, up from 13,405 at the 2010 census. Saraland, part of the Mobile metropolitan area, is the third largest city in Mobile County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Saraland.
Prichard next door grades lower for schools (C− to Saraland’s A+) and higher for cost of living (B+ to C+).
| Town | AL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saraland | #64 | B− | C+ | B− | A+ | B− |
| Chickasaw | #180 | D− | B | C− | D− | D |
| Mobile | #169 | D− | C+ | D | C− | C |
| Satsuma | #44 | B | B− | B+ | A− | B |
| Prichard | #173 | D− | B+ | D | C− | D− |
| Creola | — | — | B+ | B | C− | C+ |
| Axis | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Creola has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Axis isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Saraland with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Saraland grades B− overall, better than 46% of U.S. towns and #64 of 187 in Alabama. It grades B− for health, B− for safety and A+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Within Alabama, it does better than 77% of towns.
That is 4.1 years of the area's median household income ($58,880 across the Mobile, AL metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
3 notable people were born here, including Ann Casey and Cordale Flott.
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