CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

32.81° N · 85.18° W · GEOID 0178204

Valley

Chambers County, Alabama · part of the LaGrange, GA metro

AlabamaValley, ALValleyValley

The short answer

Valley is home to 10,277 people. Median household income is $51,661 a year and median rent is $1,016 a month, 23.6% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $140,800, about 2.7x annual median household income.

The story in Valley is how fast things are changing. Home values rose 9.7% a year between the 2019 and 2024 surveys while incomes rose 1.6%, a wider gap than in 92% of places its size. Also notable: Rent run 31% above what its fundamentals predict in Alabama.

15OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Weak

Valley scores better than 15% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 99th of 120 in Alabama.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%56
Economy 20%29
Safety 20%16
Amenities 15%43
Education 10%14
Commute 10%72
Growth 5%6
Median gross rent
$1,016
26% below the median place
Median household income
$51,661
36% below the median place
Median home value
$140,800
56% below the median place
Unemployment
5.1%
5% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Valley

  • GrowthCompared with the 25 places most like it in size, age, education, housing and region (such as Eufaula, AL, Tillmans Corner, AL and Arab, AL), household income growth here is lower: 1.6% a year against a typical 5.5% a year.
  • HousingOwning with a mortgage costs only about $114 a month more than the median rent, a smaller gap than in 90% of the 2,298 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Valley

Chambers County loses about 4.4 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in1,508
Moved out1,611
Net−103

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Lee County, AL424559−135
Russell County, AL47

Within Alabama, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within AlabamaOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$46K
Leavers$41K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Chambers County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
6.1% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 2.3% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Chambers County report $45,600 a year in income on average; those leaving, $41,400, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$40,600 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,016 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,130 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $140,800.
Getting to work
22 minutes each way on average; 4.5% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
York, SC matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
2.3%
15% above the median place
Moved here in the past year1
6.1%
6% above the median place
Income of households moving out7
$41,424
41% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureValleyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year16.1%6% above
Moved from another state12.3%15% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-4.4below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$45,56635% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$41,42441% below
02

What it costs to live here

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.

Valley23.6%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$40,640
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
23.6%
16% above the median place
Home price to income
2.7x
28% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
23%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$39,800
a year, prices not adjusted
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Valley, $1,016 a month. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Valley, but easier on the budget

Places that match Valley 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.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
York, SC9819.1% vs 23.6%n/aCompare
Tillmans Corner, AL9717.9% vs 23.6%n/aCompare
Levelland, TX9717.5% vs 23.6%n/aCompare
Eufaula, AL9717.7% vs 23.6%n/aCompare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Valley.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Valley? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Property tax paid (median)1
$509
84% below the median place
Property tax rate1
0.4%
60% below the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$1,130
40% below the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureValleyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,01626% below
Rent to income123.6%16% above
Property tax rate10.4%60% below
Home price to income12.7x28% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms2County figure$1,09132% below
HUD area median income3County figure$66,70038% below
Property tax paid (median)1$50984% below
Median home value1$140,80056% below
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure2.3%29% below
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure48.6%6% below
Homeownership167.5%2% above
Renters paying 30%+145.0%11% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,13040% below
Vacant homes117.5%148% above
Median year built119780% above
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Works from home1
4.5%
64% below the median place
Income per person1
$26,070
35% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Median household income$51,661 −36%
Mean commute22 min −14%
Poverty rate14.9% +38%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureValleyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$51,66136% below
Income per person1$26,07035% below
Unemployment1County figure5.1%5% above
Average annual pay5County figure$52,41421% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure0.5%86% below
Jobs5County figure9,35894% below
Poverty rate114.9%38% above
Mean commute122 min14% below
Works from home14.5%64% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Bachelor's or higher is 17.1%, 47% below the median place.

Bachelor's or higher1
17.1%
47% below the median place
High school or higher1
83.7%
9% below the median place
Median age1
34.1
13% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

No health insurance11.6% +81%
Born abroad3.7% −58%
Homes with broadband89.5% −3%
Household size2.6 +3%
All 9 people measures
MeasureValleyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population110,2774071st largest
Population change since 20206-1.4%below (median 1.1%)
Median age134.113% below
Bachelor's or higher117.1%47% below
High school or higher183.7%9% below
Household size12.63% above
Born abroad13.7%58% below
No health insurance111.6%81% above
Homes with broadband189.5%3% below
05

Life in Valley

The nearest National Park Service site is Horseshoe Bend National Military Park, about 34 miles away.

Founded or incorporated in 1980. 5 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia

  • Fairfax Historic District listed 1999
  • Langdale Historic District listed 1999
  • Riverview Historic District listed 1999
  • Shawmut Historic District listed 1999
  • Bethlehem Baptist Church listed 2017

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents13.6 +34%
Playgrounds per 10k1.9 −79%
Grocery stores per 10k3.9 +83%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k6.8 −39%
Libraries per 10k1.9 2.2×
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

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

  • Horseshoe Bend National Military Park 34 miles
  • Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site 38 miles
  • Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site 41 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars14.6 −30%
Shops33.3 +10%
Arts, recreation and fitness0.9 −78%
Doctors' offices and clinics7.9 −61%
Child care centers2.3 +0%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public schools13
6
33% below the median place
Students per teacher13
17.2
12% above the median place
Public school students13
3,389
31% below the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureValleyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools13633% below
Public school students133,38931% below
Students per teacher1317.212% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure14.630% below
Shops per 10k8County figure33.310% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure0.978% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure7.961% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.30% above
Parks per 10k913.634% above
Playgrounds per 10k91.979% below
Grocery stores per 10k93.983% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k96.839% below
Libraries per 10k91.9124% above
Named paths and bike trails90.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1034.211% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles10350% above
National Register listings11562% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 347, 81% above the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
347
81% above the median place
Property crime per 100k
3,454
185% above the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

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.

Natural hazard risk15
47.2
49% below the median place
Annual precipitation14
53.7 in
23% above the median place
Average temperature14
62°F
13% above the median place
All 9 weather and risk measures
MeasureValleyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high14County figure90°F4% above
January average low14County figure33°F29% above
Average temperature14County figure62°F13% above
Annual precipitation14County figure53.7 in23% above
Natural hazard risk15County figure47.249% below
Hurricane risk15County figure70.21% below
Tornado risk15County figure67.317% below
Wildfire risk15County figure51.616% below
Heat wave risk15County figure82.88% below
08

Valley in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 24% of the median income in 2030, up from 24% 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, Valley does better than 53% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 71%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,016/mo (2024)$1,300/mo$1,070 to $1,590/mo+4.3%
Median household income$51,661 (2024)$64,500$54,500 to $76,500+3.8%
Median home value$140,800 (2024)$205,000$149,000 to $282,000+6.5%
Population10,294 (2025)10,3009,880 to 10,740+0.0%

The median home would be worth 3.2 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.7 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Valley

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Uvalde, TX$994$51,141Compare
York, PA$1,014$48,420Compare
Moraine, OH$1,035$48,788Compare
Elkhart, IN$998$51,028Compare
Elkhart, INMoraine, OHYork, PAUvalde, TXValley, ALValleyUvaldeYorkMoraineElkhartValleyUvaldeYorkMoraineElkhart

Places built like Valley

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 Valley performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Valley, AL23.6%1.6%/yr-1.4%
Eufaula, AL17.7%7.4%/yr-3.5%Compare
Tillmans Corner, AL17.9%6.4%/yrn/aCompare
Arab, AL13.4%6.7%/yr7.4%Compare
Hartsville/Trousdale County, TN14.1%5.3%/yr8.8%Compare
Andalusia, AL20.6%2.5%/yr-0.8%Compare
Fort Payne, AL17.2%3.3%/yr2.3%Compare

Common questions

Is Valley a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 15 out of 100, better than 15% of the places we rate and 99th of 120 in Alabama. Compared with the 25 places most like it in size, age, education, housing and region (such as Eufaula, AL, Tillmans Corner, AL and Arab, AL), household income growth here is lower: 1.6% a year against a typical 5.5% a year. Owning with a mortgage costs only about $114 a month more than the median rent, a smaller gap than in 90% of the 2,298 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 44 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Valley expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 23.6% 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 $140,800.

What salary do you need to live in Valley?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $40,640 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Valley safe?

There were 347 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Valley?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Uvalde, TX, York, PA, Moraine, OH and Elkhart, IN.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. 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
  2. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  3. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  7. 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.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  13. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  14. 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
  15. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps

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 Valley with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Valley itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/valley-alabama

Citytistics. “Valley, Alabama.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/valley-alabama/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.