SteeleAlabamaPostOffice, 2009
Steele’s story
146 years in pictures
Census counts: 98 in 1880, 992 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2009 and 2 maps from 1947 on.
- 1880Steele is settled
SteeleAL
A town of 1,004, settled in 1880. A typical home costs 3 years of the Birmingham metro’s $71K median household income.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: DwayneP · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,004
2025 Census estimate · +0.9% since 2020
Typical home
$217K
+5.7% in a year
Household income
$72K
median
Median age
32.5
years
Jobs based here
746
A job hub
Is Steele a good place to live?
Steele’s best subject grade is an A+ for cost of living; its weakest is a D for walkability. Steele’s average trip to work is 37 minutes, against 25 minutes in Alabama’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Only 1 of Alabama’s 308 towns score higher on cost of living. Steele's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 98% of U.S. towns. On the outdoors, just 10 of Alabama’s 308 towns do worse. Steele has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Steele stand out
Where Steele beats most towns.
Typical home value
Steele$217K
Alabama$239K
Cost of livingA+
3 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 99% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Jobs vs. working residents
Jobs here746
Residents who work377
Work
2 jobs for every working resident
A regional job hub: more jobs per worker than 93% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023.
Small town
1,004 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Rainbow CitySteele
How Steele grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alabama), ordered by how far Steele is from typical.
Cost of livingA+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.9 of 20; 0.8% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →HealthRiverview Regional Medical Center 11.6 miles awayC+Open →Jobs & incomeB−Open →SchoolsB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksD−Open →HistoryDOpen →Civic life1.3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsD−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 32.5; 9% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Steele: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Steele, and how to reach them.
WaterSteele Water Works Board1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers92% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Steele’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 hereSt. Clair County Circuit ClerkSt. Clair County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2021
ZIP code3598735987 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 Steele.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
With 2.0 jobs for every working resident, Steele draws in 730 commuters
Most working residents leave Steele for work: only 4% work in town. 7% of residents live below the poverty line in Steele, where Alabama’s towns sit at 16% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Jobs based in Steele grew to 746 in 2023, 165 more than in 2013.
4%work in town
| Steele | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 7% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.2% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $72,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Steele4%
Birmingham16%
Gadsden8%
Ashville6%
Hoover6%
37 mi
median commute distance
746
jobs based in Steele
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 7% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SchoolsB−
Steele’s schools rank ahead of 54% of Alabama districts
Its public schools are run by the St Clair County school district. Its one school is below.
54%of AL districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steele Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 141 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AL on state tests and graduation
Climate
Steele has mild winters and hot summers
Steele has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Steele’s July high is 90°F.
2″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter35–56°
Spring50–74°
Summer68–89°
Fall51–75°
Nov 13
typical first frost
Mar 19
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
Inland flooding leads a high hazard risk in Steele
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 66% of U.S. communities.
66risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Safety
Crime reported in Steele
Steele's reported crime rate is well below Alabama's. The property crime rate in Steele is 4 per 1,000 residents. Violent crime is rare: 2 reported in 2025.
| Steele | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4 per 1,000 residents | 16.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Steele2
Alabama3.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Steele4
Alabama15
U.S.15.5
2
violent crimes reported in 2025
4
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
HealthC+
Health in Steele trails 57% of U.S. towns
Steele beats the Alabama average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 41% of Steele adults have high blood pressure.
43%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Steele | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 43% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 24% | 23% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 36% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 40% | 36% |
32 measures vs. Alabama
4 better27 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Steele | AL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.2% | 9.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12.9% | 19.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10% | 8.2% |
Riverview Regional Medical Center
11.6 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade A+
The typical home in Steele is valued at about $217K
The typical Steele home is worth about $217,000, up 5.7% in a year, 9% below the Alabama typical home. 90% of households own their home in Steele.
$217KZillow home value
Typical home value
Steele$217K
Alabama$239K
+5.7%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 32 attractions →Cheaha Mountain and 6 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Steele. Close and well known come first.
38 mi MountainCheaha Mountain
26 mi MuseumInternational Motorsports Hall of Fame
12 mi WaterfallNoccalula Falls Park
37 mi National PreserveLittle River Canyon National Preserve782K visitors a year
27 mi National MonumentFreedom Riders National Monument
14 mi GardenJanney Furnace ParkSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Cheaha Mountain: Amann09 (talk · contribs), Public domain · International Motorsports Hall of Fame: BWard 1997, CC BY 4.0 · Noccalula Falls Park: Thejammer (talk), Public domain · Little River Canyon National Preserve: Richard A. Weaver, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Freedom Riders National Monument: Ser Amantio di Nicolao, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Janney Furnace Park: dofftoubab, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Steele
18pages on Steele
The big questions
SchoolsB−Beat 54% of AL districts · 1 schoolSafety2 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC+Better than AL on 4 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA+$217K typical home · up 5.7% in a yearWork & commuteB−$72K median household income · 746 jobs hereNatural hazardsCFEMA risk higher than 66% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Steele
About 7 of every 100 Steele residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Alabama.
A job hub
Every workday, about 730 people come to Steele for work
Where Steele’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
746jobs based in Steele
4%of working residents work in town
37 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Steele
Town in Alabama, United States
Steele is a town in northeastern St. Clair County, Alabama, United States. It was incorporated in 1952. As of the 2020 census, Steele had a population of 992. The town is a part of the Birmingham–Hoover–Cullman Combined Statistical Area. It was initially known as Steel's Station or Steele's Depot in the late 19th century.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 6.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 577 ft
- ZIP code
- 35987
- Area code
- 256
Questions about Steele
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Steele, AL expensive?
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+.