Thorsby High School in snow, 2009
Thorsby’s story
131 years in pictures
Census counts: 426 in 1910, 2,064 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2008 and 3 maps from 1891 on.
- 1895Thorsby is settled
ThorsbyAL
A town of 2,203, settled in 1895.
Population
2,203
2025 Census estimate · +6.7% since 2020
Typical home
$234K
+9.2% in a year
Household income
$76K
median
Median age
39.2
years
Jobs based here
464
A commuter town
Is Thorsby a good place to live?
Thorsby’s best subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A− for safety; its weakest is a D for walkability. Thorsby’s average trip to work is 35 minutes, above both the Alabama town median (25 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). On cost of living, just 14 of Alabama’s 308 towns do better. Thorsby's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 96% of U.S. towns. Thorsby has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Thorsby stand out
Where Thorsby beats most towns.
Typical home value
Thorsby$234K
Alabama$239K
Cost of livingA+
3.3 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 98% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Thorsby1.8
Alabama3.5
U.S.3.3
SafetyA−
49% less violent crime than AL
FBI data, 2025. Crimes reported to police.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Thorsby for work
Where Thorsby’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
464jobs based in Thorsby
3%of working residents work in town
32 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Thorsby grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alabama), ordered by how far Thorsby is from typical.
Cost of livingA+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.3 of 20; 2.7% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →SafetyA−Open →SchoolsCOpen →HealthSt. Vincent's Chilton 6.6 miles awayB−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 48% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB−Open →Jobs & income$76K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1% conserved landC−Open →History1 notable person born hereCOpen →Civic life1.7 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 market54 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 39.2; 17% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Thorsby: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Thorsby, and how to reach them.
PowerCentral Alabama Electric Coop17.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterTown of Thorsby Water Works BoardNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Thorsby’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 hereChilton County Circuit ClerkChilton County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2019
ZIP code3517135171 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 Thorsby.
SafetyA−
Property crime in Thorsby is lower than in most of Alabama or the rest of the country
At 3.2 per 1,000 residents, Thorsby’s property crime rate is against 16.9 in Alabama’s towns and 9.9 across U.S. towns. Thorsby reports less crime per resident than 80% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.
80%of U.S. towns report more crimeA−Safety Grade
| Thorsby | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.2 per 1,000 residents | 16.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.8 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Thorsby1.8
Alabama3.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Thorsby3.2
Alabama15
U.S.15.5
80th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
4
violent crimes reported in 2025
7
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
SchoolsC
Public schools in Thorsby fall behind 73% of Alabama districts
Its public schools are run by the Chilton County school district. Its one school is below. The largest public high school is Thorsby High School, with 895 students.
27%of AL districts it outscoresCSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thorsby High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 895 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AL on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Thorsby has 0.5 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Thorsby for work: only 3% work in town. 8.8% of residents live below the poverty line in Thorsby. Since 2013, Thorsby has added 35 jobs, to 464 in 2023.
3%work in town
| Thorsby | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 8.8% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.3% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $76,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Thorsby3%
Birmingham12%
Clanton12%
Alabaster6%
Montgomery5%
32 mi
median commute distance
464
jobs based in Thorsby
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 9% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Thorsby has mild winters and hot summers
Thorsby has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Thorsby’s July high is 90°F.
90°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter35–58°
Spring50–75°
Summer67–89°
Fall51–76°
Nov 11
typical first frost
Mar 21
typical last frost
+0.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
90°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Thorsby faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 52% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Thorsby since 2011.
48risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
1
paid flood claims since 2011
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade A+
Thorsby’s typical home value is about $234K
The typical Thorsby home is worth about $234,000, up 9.2% in a year, close to the Alabama typical home.
$234KZillow home value
Typical home value
Thorsby$234K
Alabama$239K
Market temperature
54
days on market
96.2%
sale-to-list price
+9.2%
value change, 1 year
5
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
1.3%conserved
1.3%
conserved · 47 of 3,720 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Thorsby Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HealthB−
On CDC estimates, Thorsby is less healthy than 51% of U.S. towns
34% of Thorsby adults sleep under 7 hours.
49%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Thorsby | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 40% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 43% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 15% | 12% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 36% | 33% |
32 measures vs. Alabama
9 better23 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Thorsby | AL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.6% | 9.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 14.2% | 19.2% |
St. Vincent's Chilton
6.6 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: primary care
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Thorsby
20pages on Thorsby
The big questions
SchoolsCBehind 73% of AL districts · 1 schoolSafetyA−1.8 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthB−Better than AL on 9 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA+$234K typical home · up 9.2% in a yearWork & commuteB−$76K median household income · 464 jobs hereNatural hazardsB−FEMA risk higher than 48% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Thorsby; the nearest are
University of MontevalloUniversity or college · Public · Montevallo15.5 mi$13,948 in-state tuitionGeorge C Wallace State Community College-SelmaCommunity college · Public · Selma36.7 mi$4,740 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Thorsby residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Alabama.
About Thorsby
Town in Alabama, United States
Thorsby is a town in Chilton County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the town was 2,064.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1901
- Area
- 5.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 696 ft
- ZIP code
- 35171
- Area code
- 205
Questions about Thorsby
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Thorsby, 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+.