Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Talladega earns a D−, 172nd of 187 graded towns in Alabama, mostly because of incomes and safety. The median household income is $44K, and 26% of residents live below the poverty line. Its police reported 68 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 93% of U.S. towns. One bright spot: a typical home costs about $144K, 2.5 years of the Talladega area’s $58K median household income. Talladega’s property crime rate is 32.3 per 1,000 residents, above both Alabama’s towns (16.9) and U.S. towns (9.9). On history, just 13 of Alabama’s 308 towns do better. Talladega is home to Talladega College.
Where Talladega beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
J. L. M. Curry House
J. L. M. Curry House is one of 2 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 1,320 in 1850, a low of 1,233 in 1880, 15,861 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1854 and 4 maps from 1943 on.
9 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alabama), ordered by how far Talladega is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Talladega, 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 Talladega.
Talladega trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and trades workers with Birmingham and other neighbors.
Property crime runs at 32.3 per 1,000 residents, about twice the Alabama rate, most of it theft. Reported crimes fell from 620 to 539 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Talladega’s violent crime rate is 4.7 per 1,000 residents. Talladega reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 93% report less.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Talladega City school district. Two of its 10 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Talladega High School, with 634 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| C L Salter Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–3 | Grades K–3 | 353 | C− |
| Talladega High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 634 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AL on state tests and graduation
Against the 3,733 U.S. towns with household incomes like Talladega’s, it is less healthy than 69%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
Talladega beats the Alabama average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17. 47% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Talladega.
| Talladega | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 40% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 39% | 35% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 19% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 48% | 43% | 35% |
| What stands out | Talladega | AL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.8% | 8.2% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 14.4% | 9.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
6.0 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Ben E Bruner Sports Complex, at 36 acres.
| Talladega | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.7% | 1.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.1 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ben E Bruner Sports Complex | — | 36 |
| 2. Veterans Park | — | 14 |
| 3. Talladega National Forest | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Homes are within reach (about $144K for the typical one, A− for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 22 miles. At 2.5 years of the Talladega area’s $58K median household income, the typical home (about $144K) costs less against local pay than in 84% of Alabama towns; that ratio is one input to its A− for cost of living.
55% of Talladega households own their home. The typical Talladega home is worth about $144,000, down 1.8% in a year, 40% below the Alabama typical home. The median rent in Talladega is $776 a month.
| Talladega | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 55% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $776 a month | $943 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The Talladega weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 208 days: longer than most of the country, but shorter than 93% of Alabama places with climate records.
Talladega has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 91°, January nights drop to 33° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Talladega has about as many jobs (5,894) as working residents, but only 1,164 people both live and work here. Jobs based here fell from 7,497 in 2013 to 5,894.
About one in 5 of Talladega’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Talladega has lost 1,603 jobs, to 5,894 in 2023. The top destinations are Birmingham (6%), Anniston (4%) and Pell City (4%).
| Talladega | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 22% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $44,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 63% of U.S. communities. Since 1991, 13 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Talladega.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Talladega. Close and well known come first.
17 mi MountainCheaha Mountain
10 mi MuseumInternational Motorsports Hall of Fame27 mi National forestTalladega National Forest38 mi MuseumSouthern Museum of Flight
39 mi Zoo & aquariumBirmingham Zoo
18 mi National MonumentFreedom Riders National MonumentCheaha Mountain: Amann09 (talk · contribs), Public domain · International Motorsports Hall of Fame: BWard 1997, CC BY 4.0 · Talladega National Forest: Amann09 (talk · contribs), Public domain · Birmingham Zoo: Veharris, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Freedom Riders National Monument: Ser Amantio di Nicolao, CC BY-SA 4.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Talladega
About 9 of every 100 Talladega residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Alabama.
9 places in Talladega on the National Register of Historic Places.
22 notable people were born in Talladega.
City in Alabama, United States
Talladega (, also ) is a city in and the county seat of Talladega County, Alabama, United States. It was incorporated in 1835. At the 2020 census, the population was 15,861. Talladega is approximately 50 miles (80 km) east of one of the state's largest cities, Birmingham. The city is home to the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind, Talladega Municipal Airport, and Talladega College, a historically black college. The Talladega Superspeedway, and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame are located nearby. The First National Bank of Talladega (now First Bank of Alabama) is the oldest bank in the State of Alabama, being founded in 1848.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Talladega grades D− overall, better than 3% of U.S. towns and #172 of 187 in Alabama. It grades D for health, D for safety and C− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
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−.
22 notable people were born here, including Gertrude Michael and William W. Brandon.
