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Gadsden, AL Area Profile

Gadsden, Alabama Area, AL

Cost of Living

A quick read on everyday affordability around Gadsden, with the main cost drivers separated for scanning.

Composite Index

95.8

Grocery Index

9.1

Housing Index

8.6

Transportation Index

7.2

Cost of living summary
MetricValue
Composite cost index95.8
Grocery index9.1
Housing index8.6
Transportation index7.2

What to Watch

  • For Gadsden, the useful affordability read is the mix of housing, utilities, and local income rather than one headline number.
  • Home values are comparatively low, but maintenance, taxes, and utilities still matter.
  • Use Attalla, AL as a same-state comparison point before treating one AL value as typical.
View Alabama cost of living report

Utilities

Monthly utility patterns and baseline household costs for power, water, gas, and fuel.

Electric Rate Consumption

Monthly electric index
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
222834456274485667826157

Water Consumption

Monthly water index
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
664844363026343733554958

Gas Rate (CCF)

Monthly gas index
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
283643526147556349455257
Everyday utility costs
MetricValue
Electricity rate$0.171/kWh
Gasoline price$3.28/gal
Water bill avg$48/mo
Gas rate$1.18/CCF
View Alabama utilities report

Demographics

Population, age mix, education, and income context for understanding the local community.

Population Age Pyramid

Age mix index
Age bandMaleFemale
0-96864
10-197571
20-348378
35-499290
50-6410097
65-748488
75+7279

Income Distribution

Income bracket index
BracketIndex
Under $35k72
$35k-$49k88
$50k-$74k100
$75k-$99k79
$100k+52

Annual Income Distribution

Median household$63,200
Per capita$33,900
Poverty rate9.8%
Community snapshot
MeasureEstimate
Population33,617
Median age39.6
Bachelor+14.8%

Schools

School performance and classroom context in a compact local snapshot.

Test Score Trends

Test score trend
201920202021202220232024
424851575964

Grocery Index

9.1

Housing Index

8.6

Transportation Index

7.2

Utility Index

7.9

School snapshot
IndicatorValue
Math proficiency53%
Reading proficiency58%
Student-teacher ratio14:1

Helpful Context

  • Use the school section as a local screen for Gadsden, then confirm campus-level details before making decisions.
  • A single score rarely explains the full school picture for Gadsden; program fit and attendance zones matter too.
  • Nearby city pages can help separate Gadsden-specific signals from broader Alabama patterns.

Local Economy

A simple labor-market snapshot showing local job mix, wages, and workforce size.

Industry Job Types

Industry job mix
IndustryShareIndex
Manufacturing31%74
Agriculture26%64
Healthcare19%52
Retail14%39
Other Services10%31
Local economy snapshot
MetricValue
Unemployment2.8%
Median wage$38,699
Labor force264

Climate

Winter avg: 15 degrees F - Summer avg: 82 degrees F - Snowfall: 43 in

Local Takeaways

  • The labor market is comparatively tight, which can support local wage stability for Gadsden and the surrounding Alabama labor market.
  • The median household income value is $38,699 when ACS data is available for this place.
  • Use the economy card with housing and taxes to judge whether Gadsden works for a specific household budget.

Real Estate

Home values, property taxes, and rental context in one housing-focused snapshot.

Median Home Value Trend

Median home value trend
201920202021202220232024
$154k$161k$172k$181k$186k$189k

Property Tax Breakdown

  • County levy: 42%
  • School district: 34%
  • City/other: 24%
Housing and tax snapshot
IndicatorValue
Median home value$101,900
Median property tax paid$526
Estimated state sales tax rate7.39%
Rent (2-bed)$787/mo
View Alabama property tax report

Climate

A compact view of weather patterns and natural-risk context for the area.

Avg High (Jul)82°F
Avg Low (Jan)8°F
Humidity72%

Climate Snapshot

Reference
Now--
Condition--
Wind--
Today--

Climate context is provided for planning and comparison.

Climate snapshot
MeasureValue
Sunny days196
Annual snowfall43 in
NOAA hazard risk scoreModerate

Planning Notes

  • For Gadsden, weather risk is best read with insurance, roof age, drainage, and commute routes together.
  • Utility planning matters because electricity is in a moderate range, with usage habits driving the final bill.
  • Compare climate and insurance sections together before using Gadsden as a relocation shortlist.

Insurance

Location-based risk and cost pressure signals that can affect insurance pricing.

Risk IndexModerate
Weather RiskMedium
Cost PressureLow
Insurance summary
IndicatorEstimate
Insurance cost index95
NOAA hazard risk scoreModerate
Primary local riskWinter weather

What Affects Rates

  • Electricity is in a moderate range, with usage habits driving the final bill and may indirectly affect household operating costs.
  • Local claims history, coverage limits, deductibles, and property condition can outweigh broad AL averages.
  • Compare with Attalla, AL for a broader read on Alabama insurance pressure.
View Alabama insurance report

Gadsden Facts

A compact fact sheet for Gadsden with the strongest available public-data fields.

Gadsden, AL facts
FactValueSource context
Population33,617ACS place estimate
Median household income$38,699ACS household estimate
Median home value$101,900ACS housing estimate
Median age39.6ACS demographic estimate
Bachelor+ share14.8%ACS education estimate
Residential electric rate$0.171/kWhEIA state residential rate

Helpful Context

  • In Gadsden, home values are comparatively low, but maintenance, taxes, and utilities still matter.
  • City-specific ACS values are used when the place matches; state-level API values fill statewide measures.
  • Use these facts as a fast AL screen before checking address-level records or provider quotes.

Gadsden Local Data Brief

This section is generated from cached city metrics and clearly labeled state-level benchmarks. It is meant to make the Gadsden page less generic and more useful for comparing housing, income, utilities, taxes, insurance, demographics, and nearby alternatives.

Gadsden, AL local metrics and source context
MetricValueHow to read it
Population33,617Gadsden is treated as a smaller-city place for comparison.
Median household income$38,699Income is more constrained, so utilities, rent, and taxes deserve extra attention.
Median home value$101,900Home values are comparatively low, but maintenance, taxes, and utilities still matter.
Two-bedroom rent$787/moRent gives a renter-side affordability baseline beside owner costs.
Median property tax paid$526Property tax should be read with mortgage, insurance, and home value.
Residential electric rate$0.171/kWhThis is a state-level EIA benchmark, not a city utility quote.
Unemployment2.8%This is a state-level BLS labor-market benchmark.
Median age39.6Age mix can affect housing demand, commute needs, and school planning.
Bachelor+ share14.8%Education mix can help frame labor-market and school-context questions.

Affordability Summary

Population is 33,617, so Gadsden should be compared with similar-size places before using broader Alabama averages. Median household income is $38,699, so the best affordability read for Gadsden is income versus housing, taxes, utilities, and insurance together.

Median home value is $101,900, so ownership costs in Gadsden should be checked with mortgage, property tax, insurance, and maintenance assumptions. Two-bedroom rent is $787/mo, so renters can compare Gadsden against ownership costs and nearby rental markets.

Housing and Income Context

For Gadsden, income is more constrained, so utilities, rent, and taxes deserve extra attention. Home values are comparatively low, but maintenance, taxes, and utilities still matter.

Use the home value, rent, and income fields together before deciding whether Gadsden looks more favorable for renting, buying, or comparing with Attalla, AL.

Utility Cost Context

The residential electricity benchmark is $0.171/kWh, so Gadsden households should treat usage, home size, heating, and cooling as the practical bill drivers. The electricity value shown for Gadsden is a Alabama state-level EIA benchmark, so it should not be read as a local provider tariff.

For Gadsden, utility planning is stronger when the electric benchmark is paired with home age, square footage, insulation, HVAC equipment, and household occupancy.

Property Tax Context

Median property tax paid is $526, so Gadsden buyers should still verify parcel-specific tax records before budgeting. Parcel boundaries, exemptions, school districts, and reassessment rules can move the actual bill for a Gadsden address.

Compare the property tax field with home value rather than reading it by itself; a lower tax bill can still pair with a different assessment base or exemption profile.

Insurance and Risk Context

Insurance costs in Gadsden depend on address-level factors such as roof condition, structure age, coverage limits, claims history, deductible choice, and carrier underwriting.

Home value, tax burden, and insurance exposure should be reviewed together for Gadsden, especially when comparing with Attalla, AL.

Population and Demographics

Median age is 39.6, so Gadsden may have different school, commute, healthcare, and housing demand patterns than a statewide average. Bachelor+ share is 14.8%, so Gadsden education context can be useful when reading labor-market and school sections.

Unemployment is 2.8%, so Gadsden wage and job-market context should be compared with commute options and regional employment centers.

Nearby Alabama comparison pages
PlacePopulationHome valueElectric benchmark
Attalla, AL5,829$120k$0.171/kWh
Glencoe, AL5,356$203k$0.171/kWh
Rainbow City, AL10,213$204k$0.171/kWh
Southside, AL9,407$203k$0.171/kWh

Source Notes

  • City-specific Census ACS values are used when a matching place row exists in the cached city metrics file.
  • Electricity and unemployment fields are state-level EIA and BLS benchmarks, so they are labeled as planning context rather than city quotes.
  • The page should be used as a comparison screen before checking provider rates, parcel records, insurance quotes, school boundaries, and address-level details for Gadsden.

Gadsden Cost Drill-Down

This dashboard keeps the fast local overview on one page, while the linked category reports go deeper into one decision at a time. For Gadsden, the strongest local signals in the current cache are population 33,617, median household income $38,699, median home value $101,900, rent $787/mo, property tax paid $526, and the Alabama residential electric benchmark $0.171/kWh.

Gadsden category drill-down links and metric context
CategoryPrimary valueSecond valueWhy it matters here
Cost of living $38,699 $101,900 Gadsden affordability is mostly a housing-versus-income read: income is more constrained, so utilities, rent, and taxes deserve extra attention and home values are comparatively low, but maintenance, taxes, and utilities still matter.
Utility costs $0.171/kWh $787/mo Gadsden utility planning should pair the Alabama electric benchmark with home size, cooling load, appliance use, and occupancy.
Property taxes $526 $102k Gadsden tax planning should compare the tax-paid field with home value, exemptions, assessment rules, and parcel-level records.
Insurance costs 39.6 14.8% Gadsden insurance context should be read with housing age, replacement cost, roof condition, claim history, and nearby risk patterns.

Budget Fit

Gadsden should be read as a smaller-city place where income, home value, rent, taxes, utilities, and insurance need to be checked together. Income is more constrained, so utilities, rent, and taxes deserve extra attention, and home values are comparatively low, but maintenance, taxes, and utilities still matter.

Monthly Bills

The electricity value on this page is a Alabama state-level EIA benchmark, not a city utility tariff. For Gadsden, that benchmark becomes useful when paired with home square footage, cooling load, HVAC age, insulation, and household usage.

Ownership Costs

Median property tax paid is $526 and median home value is $101,900. That makes the ownership read stronger than a single price estimate because taxes, insurance, maintenance, and financing terms can move the real monthly cost.

Comparison Angle

Use Attalla, AL as a local comparison before using a broad AL average. The nearby table below keeps the comparison tied to home value, taxes, and electric benchmarks instead of alphabetical city links.

Labor and Demographics

Unemployment is 2.8%, median age is 39.6, and bachelor-plus share is 14.8%. These fields help frame school demand, commute patterns, wage fit, and service-provider availability around Gadsden.

Source Discipline

City-specific ACS values are used where the place matches the cache. State-level EIA and BLS fields are labeled as benchmarks, so this page does not pretend those values are address-level or city-utility quotes.

Nearby comparison context for Gadsden
PlaceDistanceHome valueProperty taxElectric benchmark
Attalla, AL 6 mi $120k $393 $0.171/kWh
Glencoe, AL 6 mi $203k $710 $0.171/kWh
Rainbow City, AL 7 mi $204k $683 $0.171/kWh
Southside, AL 8 mi $203k $889 $0.171/kWh
Hokes Bluff, AL 9 mi $195k $711 $0.171/kWh

Data Freshness

This Gadsden, Alabama dashboard was generated on 2026-06-18. The city metrics cache was refreshed on 2026-06-16; the nearby-city coordinate cache was refreshed on 2026-06-17.

  • City metrics: Census ACS place fields are city-specific where a matching place record exists.
  • State benchmarks: EIA electricity and BLS unemployment values are state-level context, not city provider tariffs or city labor surveys.
  • Nearby comparisons: Distance uses cached Census Gazetteer place coordinates when available.

Regional Data Explorer

Zoom out from Gadsden to nearby cities, Alabama Area, and Alabama benchmarks.

Open Explorer

Benchmark Preview

Gadsden 95.8
Home value
$189k
Property tax
$2,190
Electric rate
$0.154/kWh
County Avg 97.4
Home value
$178k
Property tax
$2,240
Electric rate
$0.158/kWh
AL Avg 101.2
Home value
$286k
Property tax
$3,180
Electric rate
$0.162/kWh

Local Service Cost Guides

Use these contractor-cost guides with the Gadsden dashboard to compare local housing, utility, tax, climate, and repair-cost context.

Data note: City-profile values are local estimates for comparison and planning context.