Moving to Rainbow City
Etowah County gains about 6.0 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.
Where people come from and where they go, top counties
Within Alabama, other states or abroad
Income per tax return
People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Etowah County; flows under 20 returns are not published.
- Who moves here
- 7.2% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.8% from another state.
- Who arrives and who leaves
- Households moving into Etowah County report $56,000 a year in income on average; those leaving, $51,100, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
- Income you would need
- $41,900 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
- Rent or buy
- Median rent is $1,048 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,426 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $223,000.
- Getting to work
- 27 minutes each way on average; 8.0% work from home.
- If it is close but not quite
- Gloucester Point, VA matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
All 5 moving measures
| Measure | Rainbow City | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moved here in the past year1 | 7.2% | 25% above | |
| Moved from another state1 | 1.8% | 7% below | |
| Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure | 6.0 | above (median -0.6) | |
| Income of households moving in8County figure | $55,959 | 21% below | |
| Income of households moving out8County figure | $51,126 | 27% below |
What it costs to live here
Compared with the 16 places most like it in size, age, education, housing and region (such as Oneonta, AL, Lenoir City, TN and Pell City, AL), money left after rent here is lower: $47,500 against a typical $59,300.
Could you afford it?
Uses the median rent in Rainbow City, $1,048 a month, and local prices for everything else (92.2 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.
Like Rainbow City, but easier on the budget
Places that match Rainbow City on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.
| Place | Match | Rent to income | More left a year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gloucester Point, VA | 97 | 17.2% vs 22.3% | $15,300 | Compare |
| Lenoir City, TN | 96 | 16.6% vs 22.3% | $11,800 | Compare |
| Catoosa, OK | 95 | 17.7% vs 22.3% | $16,300 | Compare |
| Athens, AL | 95 | 15.4% vs 22.3% | $14,000 | Compare |
Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Rainbow City.
All 16 cost and housing measures
| Measure | Rainbow City | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent1 | $1,048 | 23% below | |
| Rent to income1 | 22.3% | 9% above | |
| Property tax rate1 | 0.4% | 59% below | |
| Home price to income1 | 4.0x | 4% above | |
| Prices vs US average2Metro figure | 85.7 | 15% below | |
| Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure | $975 | 40% below | |
| HUD area median income4County figure | $78,600 | 27% below | |
| Property tax paid (median)1 | $826 | 75% below | |
| Median home value1 | $223,000 | 30% below | |
| Home prices, 1-year change5County figure | 3.5% | 10% above | |
| Home prices, 5-year change5County figure | 54.0% | 5% above | |
| Homeownership1 | 65.6% | 1% below | |
| Renters paying 30%+1 | 58.1% | 15% above | |
| Owner costs with a mortgage1 | $1,426 | 24% below | |
| Vacant homes1 | 12.0% | 70% above | |
| Median year built1 | 1990 | 1% above |
Work and pay
Unemployment is 10.3%, 111% above the median place.
More on work and pay, against the typical place
All 10 work and pay measures
| Measure | Rainbow City | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income1 | $56,398 | 30% below | |
| Income per person1 | $39,440 | 2% below | |
| Unemployment1 | 10.3% | 111% above | |
| Average annual pay6County figure | $47,937 | 27% below | |
| Pay growth, 1 year6County figure | 2.9% | 22% below | |
| Jobs6County figure | 33,095 | 78% below | |
| Poverty rate1 | 10.0% | 7% below | |
| Mean commute1 | 27 min | 7% above | |
| Works from home1 | 8.0% | 36% below | |
| Commutes by transit1County figure | 0.3% | 69% below |
Who lives here
High school or higher is 83.4%, 10% below the median place.
More about who lives here, against the typical place
All 9 people measures
| Measure | Rainbow City | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population1 | 10,284 | 4068th largest | |
| Population change since 20207 | 1.9% | 63% above | |
| Median age1 | 41.7 | 7% above | |
| Bachelor's or higher1 | 20.8% | 35% below | |
| High school or higher1 | 83.4% | 10% below | |
| Household size1 | 2.5 | 1% below | |
| Born abroad1 | 4.9% | 44% below | |
| No health insurance1 | 10.5% | 64% above | |
| Homes with broadband1 | 89.8% | 3% below |
Life in Rainbow City
The nearest National Park Service site is Freedom Riders National Monument, about 24 miles away.
15 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia
Out the door, against the typical place
Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
National Park Service sites nearby
- Freedom Riders National Monument 24 miles
- Little River Canyon National Preserve 47 miles
- Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument 48 miles
Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)
Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.
All 18 schools and local life measures
| Measure | Rainbow City | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public schools14County figure | 42 | 367% above | |
| Public school students14County figure | 15,139 | 209% above | |
| Students per teacher14County figure | 17.7 | 15% above | |
| Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure | 17.5 | 16% below | |
| Shops per 10k9County figure | 36.8 | 21% above | |
| Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure | 1.7 | 59% below | |
| Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure | 21.6 | 7% above | |
| Child care centers per 10k9County figure | 1.8 | 22% below | |
| Parks per 10k10 | 2.9 | 71% below | |
| Playgrounds per 10k10 | 0.0 | below (median 9.4) | |
| Grocery stores per 10k10 | 2.9 | 38% above | |
| Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k10 | 14.6 | 31% above | |
| Libraries per 10k10 | 1.9 | 123% above | |
| Named paths and bike trails10 | 0.0 | below (median 2.0) | |
| Transit stops per sq mi10 | 0.0 | below (median 0.2) | |
| Nearest National Park Service site11 | 24.3 | 21% below | |
| National Park Service sites within 60 miles11 | 3 | 50% above | |
| National Register listings12County figure | 15 | 15% above |
Safety, weather and risk
Violent crime per 100k is 77, 60% below the median place.
Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.
All 11 weather and risk measures
| Measure | Rainbow City | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| July average high15County figure | 90°F | 3% above | |
| January average low15County figure | 33°F | 29% above | |
| Average temperature15County figure | 62°F | 12% above | |
| Annual precipitation15County figure | 55.8 in | 27% above | |
| Natural hazard risk16County figure | 87.3 | 6% below | |
| Hurricane risk16County figure | 68.4 | 3% below | |
| Tornado risk16County figure | 97.8 | 20% above | |
| Wildfire risk16County figure | 72.7 | 19% above | |
| Heat wave risk16County figure | 77.7 | 14% below | |
| Median air quality index17County figure | 45 | 5% above | |
| Good air days17County figure | 61.4% | 10% below |
How it is changing
Five-year survey estimates, one point per release. Between the 2019 and 2024 releases, which share no survey years, the median rent went from 18.9% to 22.3% of the median income.
Median gross rent
Median household income
Median home value
Population estimate
Citytistics measures
Measures only Citytistics publishes, built from the figures on this page. Scores of 100 beat every place we track. Formulas
Rainbow City in 2030: where the trends point
If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 23% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 22% now.
Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Rainbow City does better than 41% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 21%.
| Measure | Latest | 2030 projection | Likely range | Avg. per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,048/mo (2024) | $1,350/mo | $1,100 to $1,640/mo | +4.3% |
| Median household income | $56,398 (2024) | $71,000 | $60,000 to $84,000 | +3.9% |
| Median home value | $223,000 (2024) | $313,000 | $227,000 to $432,000 | +5.8% |
| Population | 10,406 (2025) | 10,590 | 10,160 to 11,040 | +0.4% |
The median home would be worth 4.4 years of the median income in 2030, against 4.0 now.
A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.
Places like Rainbow City
The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.
| Place | Rent | Income | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rockmart, GA | $986 | $56,828 | Compare |
| Lake Wales, FL | $1,110 | $56,347 | Compare |
| Scott, LA | $1,052 | $56,299 | Compare |
| Columbia, PA | $1,075 | $54,437 | Compare |
Nearby
- Attalla, AL4 mi
- Southside, AL5 mi
- Gadsden, AL7 mi
- Glencoe, AL9 mi
- Boaz, AL19 mi
- Saks, AL20 mi
Compare Rainbow City with
More in this area
Places built like Rainbow City
Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Rainbow City performs against places like it.
Common questions
Is Rainbow City a good place to live?
It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 20 out of 100, better than 20% of the places we rate and 87th of 120 in Alabama. Homeowners pay a median of about 0.4% of home value a year in property tax, less than in 96% of the 2,101 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. Home values are about 25% higher than we would expect for a place with these incomes, education levels, housing age and household types in Alabama. The premium usually reflects location, amenities or schools that these figures do not capture. On cost, space and class size it scores 42 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.
Is Rainbow City expensive to live in?
The median rent takes 22.3% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $223,000.
What salary do you need to live in Rainbow City?
To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $41,920 a year. Work it out from your current city.
Is Rainbow City safe?
There were 77 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.
What places are similar to Rainbow City?
On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Rockmart, GA, Lake Wales, FL, Scott, LA and Columbia, PA.
Sources and methods
The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.
- American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
- Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
- Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
- Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
- House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
- Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
- Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
- SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
- County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
- OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
- National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
- National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
- Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
- Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
- 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
- National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
- Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files
Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).
What stands out compares Rainbow City with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Rainbow City itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/rainbow-city-alabama
Citytistics. “Rainbow City, Alabama.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/rainbow-city-alabama/
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.