Best Counties in Alabama — 2026 Rankings
67 of 67 counties scored across 12 dimensions
67
67 scored
53/100
composite score
67.4/100
33—67.4
lowest to highest
State Overview
Understanding County Scores in Alabama
Alabama Outpaces National Average for Overall Livability
Alabama earns an average composite score of 52.9, placing it slightly above the national median of 50.0. All 67 counties contribute data to this ranking, reflecting a state that offers competitive living conditions relative to the rest of the country.
Unbeatable Tax Benefits and Strong Affordability
The state’s primary advantage is an elite Tax Score of 96.0, indicating one of the lowest tax burdens in the country. This financial benefit is paired with a solid Cost Score of 68.5, making daily life significantly more affordable for the average household.
Health and Income Outcomes Trail National Standards
Alabama faces hurdles with an Income Score of 27.2 and a Health Score of 28.3, both of which fall well below the national median. Additionally, a Risk Score of 38.5 reflects environmental vulnerabilities that drag down the overall composite average.
Rural Gems Lead the State in Livability
Perry County leads the state with a 67.4 composite score, followed by Pickens at 66.6 and Hale at 66.4. These counties excel by combining nearly perfect tax scores with cost-of-living metrics that exceed 85.0, offsetting their lower local income scores.
A Prime Destination for Budget-Conscious Relocators
Alabama is a top choice for retirees or remote workers who prioritize low taxes and housing affordability over high local salary growth. While health infrastructure remains a challenge, the rural value proposition in counties like Perry and Pickens is among the strongest in the region.
All County Rankings in Alabama
Search, sort, and filter all 67 ranked counties
Showing 1–25 of 67 counties
| Rank | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Perry County | 67.4 | 95.5 | 97.4 | 0.8 | 85.3 | 16.7 | 45.3 | 81.2 | 86 | 45.2 | 31.2 | 33 | |
| 2 | Pickens County | 66.6 | 98.7 | 92.8 | 9.6 | 72.3 | 22.7 | 57.8 | 55.3 | 86 | 48.8 | 38.6 | 34.6 | |
| 3 | Hale County | 66.4 | 97.5 | 86.3 | 3.7 | 97.5 | 17.2 | 39.4 | 60.9 | 86 | 45.3 | 30.7 | 24.4 | |
| 4 | Lamar County | 66.3 | 99.6 | 96.8 | 10.2 | 73.4 | 29.1 | 37.5 | 68.6 | 86 | 48.7 | 12.5 | 27.6 | |
| 5 | Washington County | 65.4 | 99.5 | 93.2 | 40.7 | 59.7 | 27.7 | 56.6 | 54.4 | 61.5 | 40.3 | 19.5 | 11.9 | |
| 6 | Morgan County | 62.9 | 96.2 | 53.3 | 53.8 | 89.9 | 28.3 | 52.6 | 11.2 | 86 | 65.8 | 26.8 | 38.7 | |
| 7 | DeKalb County | 62 | 96.8 | 87.5 | 17 | 66.8 | 13.7 | 54.5 | 19.6 | 86 | 72.7 | 24.2 | 42.6 | |
| 8 | Geneva County | 61.9 | 97.6 | 81.6 | 16.7 | 63.1 | 22 | 57 | 46.6 | 86 | 39.4 | 14.3 | 15.7 | |
| 9 | Jackson County | 61.9 | 98 | 78.3 | 13.3 | 87.3 | 18.4 | 45.1 | 21 | 35.7 | 65.7 | 26.2 | 41 | |
| 10 | Madison County | 61.9 | 93.7 | 21.9 | 87.4 | 85.4 | 63 | 52.9 | 5.4 | 86 | 60.9 | 32.6 | 37.2 | |
| 11 | Clay County | 60.4 | 99.6 | 95.6 | 18.1 | 60.3 | 24.6 | 22.8 | 73.3 | 44 | 67.5 | 38.6 | ||
| 12 | Winston County | 60.4 | 97.3 | 80.4 | 11 | 70.9 | 30.2 | 34.9 | 40.8 | 45.9 | 72.6 | 14.6 | 38.5 | |
| 13 | Sumter County | 59.1 | 96 | 71.9 | 2 | 72.1 | 22.3 | 44.2 | 47 | 86 | 45.4 | 32.8 | 24.9 | |
| 14 | Lawrence County | 59 | 98.2 | 82.2 | 39.1 | 51.2 | 20.5 | 45.1 | 30.7 | 86 | 65.9 | 33.8 | 41.4 | |
| 15 | Conecuh County | 58.7 | 97.4 | 82.6 | 4.6 | 72.5 | 18.2 | 29.5 | 68.9 | 59.3 | 36.7 | 21.6 | ||
| 16 | Shelby County | 58.5 | 90.7 | 11.8 | 93.2 | 65.4 | 81.1 | 58.5 | 9.7 | 71.1 | 44.8 | 23.9 | 25.7 | |
| 17 | Wilcox County | 58.3 | 95.7 | 89.6 | 4.6 | 84 | 11.9 | 21 | 63.3 | 9.8 | 41.3 | 21.2 | 19.6 | |
| 18 | Marion County | 58.2 | 98.4 | 94.8 | 16.1 | 41.1 | 27.6 | 49.4 | 30.9 | 29.1 | 59.3 | 19.6 | 30.8 | |
| 19 | Cleburne County | 57.6 | 98.6 | 76.7 | 21.3 | 31.3 | 23.8 | 59.2 | 72.5 | 86 | 72.2 | 42.8 | ||
| 20 | Randolph County | 56.9 | 99.6 | 90.2 | 17.8 | 26.6 | 25.3 | 46 | 69.4 | 86 | 56.2 | 9.3 | 29.3 | |
| 21 | Greene County | 56.6 | 87.1 | 98.7 | 0.4 | 46.1 | 20.3 | 31.4 | 70.7 | 86 | 47.5 | 33.9 | 24.6 | |
| 22 | Crenshaw County | 55.9 | 97.6 | 92.9 | 12.6 | 40.2 | 17.8 | 30.4 | 65.6 | 86 | 52.4 | 32.5 | ||
| 23 | Henry County | 55.9 | 96.6 | 72.3 | 39.4 | 33.1 | 28.8 | 54.3 | 58 | 86 | 31.6 | 15.4 | 21 | |
| 24 | Macon County | 55.9 | 87 | 83 | 8.3 | 36.6 | 22.3 | 53.5 | 76.2 | 86 | 51 | 18 | 31.6 | |
| 25 | Coosa County | 55.8 | 99.2 | 87.7 | 30.6 | 41.5 | 29.8 | 16.4 | 85.5 | 47.4 | 59.7 | 34.1 |
Perry County
Pickens County
Hale County
Lamar County
Washington County
Morgan County
DeKalb County
Geneva County
Jackson County
Madison County
Clay County
Winston County
Sumter County
Lawrence County
Conecuh County
Shelby County
Wilcox County
Marion County
Cleburne County
Randolph County
Greene County
Crenshaw County
Henry County
Macon County
Coosa County
Frequently Asked Questions about Counties in Alabama
Common questions about county rankings and scores in Alabama.
What is the best county in Alabama?
Perry County is the top-ranked county in Alabama with a CountyScore of 67.4/100. It leads the state across the available scoring dimensions, which include Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, Weather & Climate, Soil Quality, Lawn Care, Farmers Markets.
How many counties are ranked in Alabama?
Alabama has 67 counties in total. Of those, 67 have been ranked with a composite score based on available data dimensions. The remaining 0 counties do not yet have enough data for a full score.
What factors determine a county's score?
Each county is scored 0–100 across up to eight data dimensions: Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, and Water Quality. The composite score is a weighted average of whichever dimensions have data. Currently available dimensions are: Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, Weather & Climate, Soil Quality, Lawn Care, Farmers Markets. Higher scores are always better — a score of 100 represents the best possible performance for that dimension.
What is the average county score in Alabama?
The average composite CountyScore across all ranked counties in Alabama is 53/100. The national average is 50/100, so Alabama counties score 3 points above the national average.
How does Alabama compare to other states?
Alabama's average county score of 53/100 is 3 points above the national average of 50/100. You can compare Alabama counties to counties in any other state using the county detail pages or the CountyScore compare tool.
Explore County Data by Category
Dive deeper into specific dimensions for counties in Alabama.
Best counties in other states
Data: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, FBI UCR, CDC, FEMA NRI, NCES, EPA SDWIS, 2019–2023 ACS — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.