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Carolina vs Elba

Carolina, Alabama versus Elba, Alabama: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.

Overall livability

Carolina

Mixed · objective livability43/100

Elba

Challenging · objective livability34/100

Carolina edges out Elba on overall objective livability (43 vs 34 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.

Factor-by-factor comparison

FactorCarolinaElba
Affordability
Median Household Income$49k$42k
Cost of Living$42k$43k
Home Value$98k$92k
Monthly Rent$810$636
Monthly Owner Costs$93$1k
Property Tax Rate0.31%0.38%
Income Tax5.00%5.00%
Sales Tax9.29%9.29%
Estimated total tax burden8.68%8.90%
Unemployment0.0%11.2%
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)52°F51°F
Summer Temp (Jul)83°F82°F
Annual Precipitation60.3 in62.5 in
Annual Snowfall0.3 in0.3 in
Sunny Days235 days235 days
Summer Humidity72°F72°F
Comfortable Days77 days90 days
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk86.390.9
Air Quality52 AQI
School Quality40.638.6
Violent Crime1564/100k4885/100k
Property Crime1304/100k3531/100k
Community
Population2793,463
Median Age38.649.9
Racial Diversity0.290.43
Male/Female Ratio0.901.08
Political LeaningR+69R+54
White (%)83.5%71.0%
Black (%)0.0%26.4%
Hispanic (%)0.0%0.6%
Asian (%)9.7%0.2%
Other / Multiracial (%)6.8%1.8%
Getting Around
Commute Time30 min
Walkability6.9/204.7/20
Airport Distance161 mi154 mi
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access73.4%79.6%
Amenities Nearby0.0014.44
Park & Nature AccessLimitedLimited

Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.

Frequently asked questions

Is Carolina or Elba more affordable?
Carolina has the lower cost of living: its index is $42k, compared with Carolina's $42k and Elba's $43k. Median rent is $810 in Carolina versus $636 in Elba.
Is Carolina or Elba safer?
Carolina has the lower violent crime rate. Carolina reports 1564/100k and Elba reports 4885/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
Are homes cheaper in Carolina or Elba?
The median home value is $98k in Carolina and $92k in Elba, so homes are more affordable in Elba.
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