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2018 Best Places to Raise a Family in AlabamaAbout this List

Explore the best places to raise a family based on public schools, crime rates, cost of living, and family-friendly amenities. Ranking based on data from the U.S. Census, FBI, BLS, CDC, and other data sources. Read more on how this ranking was calculated.

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Best for Families
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  1. Madison

    • Town in Alabama
    • 168
    1 Best Places to Raise a Family in Alabama

    Current Resident: I have lived in the Huntsville / Madison, Alabama area for my entire life. I moved for three years because my husband was in the military. I didn't fully appreciate the beauty, affordability, safety, education, and work opportunities Huntsville / Madison offers until I had the opportunity to spend time in other parts of the United States. Nothing compares!
    Read 168 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Good for Families
    • 46,396 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  2. Homewood

    • Suburb of Birmingham, AL
    • 45
    2 Best Places to Raise a Family in Alabama

    Former Resident: My experience at Homewood has been nothing but the best! I was raised in Homewood and went to Homewood City Schools for the majority of my life. The teachers at Homewood want nothing but the best for their students. They go the long mile to provide an environment of learning that enables students to be individuals of their own. Homewood is a family oriented community. They strive to do their best to keep the community going. The community has fundraisers, events, and foundations to give back to the city. As a senior in college finishing up my last semester, I appreciate the people who have raised and helped me achieve my overall success!
    Read 45 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Good for Families
    • 25,652 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  3. Vestavia Hills

    • Suburb of Birmingham, AL
    • 30
    3 Best Places to Raise a Family in Alabama

    Current Resident: It's my hometown! I love it because there is a small-town atmosphere but it's also close to a larger city with plenty of good music, sports and entertainment.
    Read 30 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Good for Families
    • 34,243 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  5. Hoover

    • Town in Alabama
    • 159
    4 Best Places to Raise a Family in Alabama

    Current Resident: Hoover has been a wonderful place to live, as I have lived here for over 2 years now! I came to Hoover after living on 280, where my apartment was involved in a fire, and so I was in search of a new apartment. My spouse and I was very pleased to find Ridge Crossings Apartments, and it was even better that they were in our price range. We have enjoyed being closer to our college campus, Sam's, and many more place we enjoy eating at. And the traffic is much better than 280!
    Read 159 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Good for Families
    • 84,100 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  6. Mountain Brook

    • Suburb of Birmingham, AL
    • 15
    5 Best Places to Raise a Family in Alabama

    Current Resident: It is your average upper-class suburb, so it has both the negative and positive aspects of that. It's peaceful, family friendly, and very very safe. The schools are on a different level than anywhere else although they do lack diversity. Pretty much everyone is friendly, and if they aren't, it doesn't matter.
    Read 15 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Good for Families
    • 20,532 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  7. Helena

    • Suburb of Birmingham, AL
    • 73
    6 Best Places to Raise a Family in Alabama

    Visitor: Helena is a great place to live, I have an aunt who lives there I stay with her two months every summer. I'm also planning to move there after I graduate to go to UAB. There are so many opportunities to work and to just have fun, also is a very safe place. One of my favorite places is the library, there are so many good selections with book and movies.
    Overall Helena is a safe, fun, and convenient. I cannot wait to move here because every time i vist my love for this city grows stronger.
    Read 73 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A-
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Good for Families
    • 17,630 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  10. Indian Springs Village

    • Suburb of Birmingham, AL
    • 6
    7 Best Places to Raise a Family in Alabama

    Nearby Resident: There is not much nightlife but the cost of living, safety, public school, family friendliness, and diversity is all pretty good.
    Read 6 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A-
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Good for Families
    • 2,529 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  11. Auburn

    • Town in Alabama
    • 178
    8 Best Places to Raise a Family in Alabama

    Current Resident: I've grown up in Auburn my whole life. It is a beautiful place to live. There is hardly any trash on the sides of the road, the landscape is beautiful, the people are beautiful, the schools are beautiful, even downtown Auburn is beautiful! This city is filled with kind people. You can walk down the street and people will say hello to you, or even a "War Eagle!" if you're lucky. The only downside to Auburn is the nightlife. If you're looking for a wholesome, occasionally boring, place to live; Auburn is the city for you! With a low crime rate, the nightlife is just that, low. Auburn is an amazing city to raise children in. Auburn is safe, beautiful, and friendly. War Eagle!
    Read 178 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Good for Families
    • 60,318 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  12. Meadowbrook

    • Suburb of Birmingham, AL
    • 7
    9 Best Places to Raise a Family in Alabama

    Niche User: Crime is not a major concern in this area. There are police that live throughout the neighborhood, and they can be seen riding through the neighborhood during the day.
    Read 7 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A-
      Public Schools
    • A
      Good for Families
    • 8,534 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  14. Pelham

    • Suburb of Birmingham, AL
    • 45
    10 Best Places to Raise a Family in Alabama

    Current Resident: I have called Pelham home for 21 years now, and I have always loved growing up here. It's a large town with a great community that strives to make our area better everyday. It is situated far enough from Birmingham that you can avoid the hustle-and-bustle of downtown, but it's just a quick 15-20 minute drive on I-65 N if you want to experience the city. Pelham has grown tremendously over the last few years, but it still hasn't lost its small-town charm!
    Read 45 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A-
      Public Schools
    • A
      Good for Families
    • 22,596 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  15. Chelsea

    • Suburb of Birmingham, AL
    • 31
    11 Best Places to Raise a Family in Alabama

    Current Resident: Love Chelsea! Great community and unity! It's thriving and constantly growing to adapt to its booming life.
    Read 31 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A-
      Public Schools
    • A
      Good for Families
    • 11,706 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  16. Fairhope

    • Town in Alabama
    • 37
    12 Best Places to Raise a Family in Alabama

    Current Resident: This quaint town was an amazing place to grow up. So many safe and fantastic memories were created at Fairhope Pier, located on Mobile Bay, i.e.special school events, ie Homecoming, Prom, sports. I was given so much freedom in my teen years because my parents knew that whatever I was doing, I'd be safe and looked after by "the whole village". Fairhope is beautiful, safe and friendly!
    Read 37 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A
      Public Schools
    • A
      Good for Families
    • 17,996 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  19. Muscle Shoals

    • Town in Alabama
    • 39
    13 Best Places to Raise a Family in Alabama

    Current Resident: Muscle Shoals, Alabama is a beautiful and close community. With Fame Studios, deep musical history, and breathtaking views, Muscle Shoals brings a history of music, landscape, and nature.
    Read 39 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • A
      Good for Families
    • 13,585 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  20. Hartselle

    • Town in Alabama
    • 31
    14 Best Places to Raise a Family in Alabama

    Nearby Resident: Welcome to the city Hartselle! Hartselle, Alabama is great! It has so many great quality's. Like sweet hospitality everywhere you go. They have many different schooling options such as, public an or private schools. You will always fill safe here! There is no hard crime, you just better not speed! There is nightlife, just teenagers running the roads to friends houses that's about it. It's not a really tourist stop so therefore, Hartselle really doesn't have a nightlife. We apply good healthy living and many jobs opportunities for just about anyone. Hartselle is a great southern place to visit. So, come and enjoy a laid back simple life.
    Read 31 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A
      Public Schools
    • A
      Good for Families
    • 14,475 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  21. Alabaster

    • Suburb of Birmingham, AL
    • 81
    15 Best Places to Raise a Family in Alabama

    Current Resident: From the grocery stores to the football games, there will always be people you know in Alabaster. Each of these citizens go beyond their expectations to give to the community, whether it be organizing a food drive to help the poor, bringing in local pumpkins at the church down the road, or giving out Halloween candy to the little pirates and princesses that appear at their doorway. The Alabaster community is also a big believer in family friendly festivals, Christmas spirit, the arts, and local business awareness. Each year, Alabaster has hosted City Fest, a music and arts festival for the whole family. Children enjoy long hours at the event's bouncy castles and obstacle courses, while adults kick back and chew on some well-deserved goodies. At night, the lights go down and the stage lights up as world-renowned musicians provide a free concert to the community. I am grateful that my community provides more for me than I could possibly imagine, and I hope to never leave.
    Read 81 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A-
      Public Schools
    • A
      Good for Families
    • 32,269 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  22. Trussville

    • Suburb of Birmingham, AL
    • 58
    16 Best Places to Raise a Family in Alabama

    Former Resident: I lived in Trussville for over 10 years. The school systems are amazing with great resources for children. The neighborhoods are beautiful and safe for families of all ages. The local police department is dependable for security. The only thing I would like to see change is the main roads and highways in town. There tends to be heavy congestion on the small, but major, roads that go through the heart of Trussville.
    Read 58 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A-
      Public Schools
    • A
      Good for Families
    • 20,872 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  23. Calera

    • Suburb of Birmingham, AL
    • 26
    17 Best Places to Raise a Family in Alabama

    Current Resident: The community always comes together for high school football games and for Calera Goes Pink in the month of October. My favorite thing about Calera is that in October, which is breast cancer awareness month, we raise thousands of dollars each year to donate. It brings the community together and unites us for a great cause.
    Read 26 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A-
      Public Schools
    • A
      Good for Families
    • 12,839 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  26. Daphne

    • Town in Alabama
    • 39
    18 Best Places to Raise a Family in Alabama

    Current Resident: I moved to Daphne, AL in 2012. It is a great place to live. Daphne sits on the east side of the Mobile Bay, across the bay way from Mobile. There is always something to do here. There are many parks to enjoy, fishing, kayaking, boating and many other water activities in the Mobile Bay and rivers, beautiful wildlife and tropical foliage, great restaurants, kids activities, Art centers and much more! The best part about Daphne to me is that there are five different beaches, all within 45 minutes to an hour away! We have Gulf Shores Beach, Orange Beach, Pensacola Beach, Fort Morgan and Dauphin Island around us. The one thing about Daphne that I do not care for is the public school system. It is under the Baldwin County School District and as a student who withdrew from Daphne High School near the end of my sophomore year to home school, I feel that there are many improvements to be made.
    Read 39 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A-
      Public Schools
    • A
      Good for Families
    • 24,295 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  27. Huntsville

    • City in Alabama
    • 591
    19 Best Places to Raise a Family in Alabama

    Current Resident: I've lived in Huntsville for 13 years, I've seen it grow for over a decade into a large, almost metropolis type area. This is a great place for engineering, computer science, and various other technical type jobs due to attractions and various companies. The economy and population is booming. It's a pretty diverse place and not like most other areas in the South.

    There's such a wide variety of restaurants, stores, and places to be! Bridge Street, Providence, and anywhere along Highway 72 from Madison to Huntsville has a plethora of stuff to do and diverse places to eat. Sometimes it's choose just once place to go out.

    Huntsville is a much safer place than many other cities I can list and is full of opportunity. Definitely family friendly and has a low cost of living.

    I do wish there weren't such a dense population sometimes, it's a very busy area. Sometimes I'd like to see more metropolitan works come up, and see how much the community and city as a whole can grow further.
    Read 591 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A-
      Public Schools
    • A
      Good for Families
    • 188,973 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  28. Athens

    • Town in Alabama
    • 81
    20 Best Places to Raise a Family in Alabama

    Current Resident: Great community with great businesses, schools, and organizations! Great place to raise a family and build relationships.
    Read 81 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A
      Public Schools
    • A
      Good for Families
    • 24,461 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  29. New Market

    • Town in Alabama
    • 4
    21 Best Places to Raise a Family in Alabama

    Current Resident: Great place for children to grow up and to meet your neighbors. Would recommend adding shoulders to roads to make biking safer. Traffic has started picking up in recent years, but the major roads are being developed to meet the needs.
    Read 4 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A-
      Public Schools
    • A-
      Good for Families
    • 1,201 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  30. Oxford

    • Town in Alabama
    • 59
    22 Best Places to Raise a Family in Alabama

    Current Resident: Oxford, AL is an amazing city! We are proud of how far we have come in the past few years. Running through our small piece of heaven is an interstate, but we don't mind! We are a short drive from Georgia one way, and a short drive from Birmingham the other. It seems to keeps us connected to the rest of the world. We have a wide variety of shopping and food options. Education and safety are a top priority! We have a large sports complex that also has all the amenities any family could want for a day at the park! Our police, fire and EMS are top notch! Oxford, AL is definitely an amazing place to raise a family! I call it home and will never give that name to any other place!
    Read 59 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A
      Public Schools
    • A-
      Good for Families
    • 21,202 Population
    View Nearby Homes
  31. Review Your Area

  32. Enterprise

    • Town in Alabama
    • 103
    23 Best Places to Raise a Family in Alabama

    Current Resident: Friendly enough town, however, the locals are very cliquish. If you don’t know someone, you won’t get very far with government jobs or in the school circles. The Highschool prizes football above everything else (though when confronted on this they will deny it). Housing is less expensive than many other places, however, the builders have a racket going where they have all agreed to sell houses at not less than a pre determined price per square footage. In other words, price fixing. Not much of a selection of stores or restaurants (everything seems to be a chicken restaurant) of quality in this town. They don’t even have a shopping mall. The locals think they live in the best of the best, because they don’t get out much. I’ve traveled all over the world and have seen much. This town is ok, but I’ve lived in many better places.
    Read 103 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A
      Public Schools
    • A-
      Good for Families
    • 28,025 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  33. Moores Mill

    • Town in Alabama
    • 25
    24 Best Places to Raise a Family in Alabama

    Niche User: Nothing really goes on around here, but sometimes and occurrence will come up here and there though, it is resolved quickly.
    Read 25 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A-
      Public Schools
    • A-
      Good for Families
    • 6,493 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  34. Priceville

    • Town in Alabama
    • 9
    25 Best Places to Raise a Family in Alabama

    Current Resident: I have lived in this town for 15 years. I love this town. It is just big enough that I do not know everyone, but small enough that I know the law enforcement and many of the volunteer fire fighters. My parents have known the owners of the local gas station since they were very small. There is not a lot about this town I would change. It was voted in to allow alcoholic beverages to be sold Monday through Saturday about a year ago. They still do not sell them on Sundays because most of our residents attend church. This is a great small town to grow up in and I would recommend it to anyone. It is right next to I-65 and it is 20 minutes from an army base and a larger town.
    Read 9 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • B
      Public Schools
    • A-
      Good for Families
    • 3,060 Population
    View Nearby Homes
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