Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Valley grades D− overall, 171st among Alabama's 187 graded towns, mostly because of safety and health. Its crime rate is higher than 91% of U.S. towns, with 35 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. Residents are less healthy than 88% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. It also has a long history, with 6 places on the National Register. Valley’s property crime rate is 34.5 per 1,000 residents, against 16.9 in Alabama’s towns and 9.9 across U.S. towns. No town in Alabama scores higher than Valley on history. Valley's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 95% of U.S. towns.
Where Valley beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
9,524 counted in 2010 and 10,529 in 2020; an estimated 10,294 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 Valley is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 3,776 in 1980, 10,529 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 2 maps from 1964 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Valley, 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 Valley.
Valley sends many workers across the state line to West Point and has more 90° days than most of the country, though not than most of Alabama; it also reports property crime at about twice the Alabama rate.
Property crime runs at 34.5 per 1,000 residents, about twice the Alabama rate, most of it theft.
Valley’s violent crime rate is 3.5 per 1,000 residents. Valley reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 91% report less.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Chambers County school district. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Valley High School, with 692 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfax Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 689 | B |
| Valley High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 692 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AL on state tests and graduation
46% of Valley adults have high blood pressure. Valley beats the Alabama average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 17% of Valley adults have diabetes.
| Valley | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 43% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 14% | 16% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 19% | 14% |
| What stands out | Valley | AL |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 20.6% | 15.4% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 24.6% | 19.2% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 12.2% | 9.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
31% of working residents cross a state line to work, West Point among the top destinations. Jobs based here fell from 3,057 in 2013 to 2,247.
Most working residents leave Valley for work: only 8% work in town. Since 2013, Valley has lost 810 jobs, to 2,247 in 2023. The average trip to work in Valley is 22 minutes.
| Valley | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 4.5% | 6.7% | 11% |
| Median household income | $52,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 16% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Valley home is worth about $177,000, up 4.2% in a year, 26% below the Alabama typical home.
| Valley | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 68% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,016 a month | $940 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The W Pt weather station, 5 miles away, records that about 57 days a year reach 90°: more than most of the country, but fewer than 75% of Alabama places with climate records.
Valley has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 91°, January nights drop to 34° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 62% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Valley since 2023.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0.8 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Valley Parks and Recreation, at 65 acres.
| Valley | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.1 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.8% | 1.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Valley Parks and Recreation | — | 65 |
| 2. Valley Ball Park | — | 6 |
| 3. Langdale Park | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Valley. Close and well known come first.
Big draw40 mi National Historic SiteTuskegee Institute National Historic Site9K visitors a year
23 mi Stadium & arenaJordan–Hare Stadium
29 mi MuseumLittle White House
19 mi GardenCallaway Gardens34 mi MuseumU.S. Army Armor and Cavalry Collection
32 mi MuseumNational Infantry Museum300K visitors a yearTuskegee Institute National Historic Site: 2C2K Photography, CC BY 2.0 · Jordan–Hare Stadium: AuburnPilot, Public domain · Little White House: Dsdugan, CC0 · Callaway Gardens: Thomsonmg2000, CC0 · National Infantry Museum: The National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center from Columbus, GA, USA, CC BY 2.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Valley
About 5 of every 100 Valley residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Alabama.
Where Valley’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
5 places in Valley on the National Register of Historic Places.
7 notable people were born in Valley.
City in Alabama, United States
Valley is a city in Chambers County, Alabama, United States. Valley was incorporated in 1980 combining the four textile mill villages of Fairfax, Langdale, River View, and Shawmut. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 10,529. The city lies on the western bank of the Chattahoochee River, the state border between Alabama and Georgia. Valley is a pilot city for the Alabama Communities of Excellence program, a non-profit that partners with governments, businesses, and universities to prepare participating communities for a more vibrant future. It is included in the LaGrange, Georgia Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Greater Atlanta Combined Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Valley.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Valley grades D− overall, better than 3% of U.S. towns and #171 of 187 in Alabama. It grades D for health, D for safety and C− for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 3.2 years of the area's median household income ($54,888 across the LaGrange, GA-AL area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
7 notable people were born here, including Gary Barnes and Bill McGhee.
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