Fort Payne, AL vs Gadsden, AL

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricFort Payne, ALGadsden, AL
Population14,92733,374
Median Household Income$47,479$40,345
Median Rent$679/mo$808/mo
Median Home Value$157,000$116,800
Cost of Living (US = 100)—86
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income34.5%45.4%
Poverty Rate32.5%28.1%
Unemployment Rate2.5% (county)3.6%
Violent Crime Rate /100k173398
Property Crime Rate /100k1,4152,168
Median AQI4145
Good AQI Days /yr282223
Summer Highs90°F90°F
Winter Lows34°F35°F
Snowfall5 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute17.3 min20.7 min
Hospitals13
Avg Hospital Rating2.0 / 52.5 / 5
Students per Teacher16.716.5
College Degree Rate17.3%15.5%
Foreign-Born %9.3%4.2%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+2.3%-1.6%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.