Fort Payne vs Valley Head
Fort Payne, Alabama versus Valley Head, Alabama: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Fort Payne and Valley Head score about the same overall (43 vs 46 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Fort Payne | Valley Head |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $45k | $44k |
| Cost of Living | $42k | $42k |
| Home Value | $146k | $59k |
| Monthly Rent | $665 | $850 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $4k | $237 |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.33% | 0.34% |
| Income Tax | 5.00% | 5.00% |
| Sales Tax | 9.29% | 9.29% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.15% | 8.52% |
| Unemployment | 6.1% | 6.7% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 40°F | 40°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 77°F | 77°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 59.5 in | 56.2 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 5.0 in | 5.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 221 days | 221 days |
| Summer Humidity | 69°F | 69°F |
| Comfortable Days | 84 days | 84 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 68.5 | 73.1 |
| Air Quality | 47 AQI | 47 AQI |
| School Quality | 37.1 | 39.8 |
| Violent Crime | 1886/100k | 1368/100k |
| Property Crime | 1792/100k | 1026/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 14,815 | 810 |
| Median Age | 39.7 | 40.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.33 | 0.15 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.91 | 1.33 |
| Political Leaning | R+71 | R+71 |
| White (%) | 74.8% | 88.1% |
| Black (%) | 2.2% | 0.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 19.6% | 4.8% |
| Asian (%) | 0.2% | 0.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.2% | 7.0% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 19 min | — |
| Walkability | 6.0/20 | 5.4/20 |
| Airport Distance | 87 mi | 93 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 81.6% | 93.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 22.95 | 49.38 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Moderate |
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 Fort Payne or Valley Head more affordable?
- Valley Head has the lower cost of living: its index is $42k, compared with Fort Payne's $42k and Valley Head's $42k. Median rent is $665 in Fort Payne versus $850 in Valley Head.
- Is Fort Payne or Valley Head safer?
- Valley Head has the lower violent crime rate. Fort Payne reports 1886/100k and Valley Head reports 1368/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Fort Payne or Valley Head?
- The median home value is $146k in Fort Payne and $59k in Valley Head, so homes are more affordable in Valley Head.