Anniston, AL: Local News, Events & Neighbors

Anniston is a city and the county seat of Calhoun County in Alabama, United States, and is one of two urban centers/principal cities of and included in the Anniston–Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, Anniston had a population of 21,564. Named the "Model City" by Atlanta newspaperman Henry W. Grady for its careful planning in the late nineteenth century, the city is situated on the slope of Blue Mountain.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Anniston ranks

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#2Most trails in AL #5Most conserved land in AL #51Lowest depression in AL All AL rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code36201, 36202, 36204

Area code256

Living in Anniston

Housing in Anniston

$147K▲ 4.6% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Anniston home is worth about $147,000, up 4.6% in a year, 39% below the Alabama typical home.

A seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market58

Sale-to-list96.7%

Sold in May24

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Anniston

D⁻

Safety Grade D-

Anniston reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 97% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000

Anniston 7.3

Alabama 3.5

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Anniston 36

Alabama 15

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Health in Anniston

Compared with Alabama

19worse than AL

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 13 are too close to call.

Conditions 8▼ 4 close Habits 3▼ 1 close Care 2▼ 5 close Mind 2▼ 3 close Everyday needs 4▼ 0 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

15.2%More adults facing a utility shut-offAL 9.6% · worse 29.6%More adults facing food insecurityAL 19.2% · worse 14.4%More adults without reliable transportationAL 9.8% · worse

Care nearby

Northeast Alabama Regional Medical CenterAnniston · 1.3 mi · ER

Anniston Quality Health CareAnniston · 1.4 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · county-wide

DentalNo shortage

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Anniston · CMS · HRSAHealth in Anniston →

Schools in Anniston

All Anniston schools →

D⁻

School Grade D-

The public schools Anniston’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 98% of Alabama’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

See how Anniston’s schools compare in AL →

DistrictAnniston CitySchools10

Golden Springs Elementary School C-Elementary · Grades 1–5 · 357 students Randolph Park Elementary School DElementary · Grades 1–5 · 339 students Cobb Preparatory AcademyElementary · Grades PK–K · 270 students Anniston Middle School D-Middle · Grades 6–8 · 357 students Anniston High School DHigh · Grades 9–12 · 498 students Anniston City Boot Camp SchoolHigh · Grades 7–12

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within AL. Ratings are from neighbors.