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Brookside vs Snead

44 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (9.9× in Snead) and growth since 2010 (+31.7 pts in Snead).

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Brookside, ALOne of the safest townsAlabama · 1,603 people

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Snead, ALOne of the healthiest townsAlabama · 1,247 people

Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

BrooksideOne of the safest towns

SafetySafer than 20%of U.S. towns we grade All about Brookside →

SneadOne of the healthiest towns

Health73% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates SafetySafer than 27%of U.S. towns we grade All about Snead →

The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Jobs per worker9.9×

Snead is more of a job hub

Snead 0.79Brookside 0.08

Growth since 2010+31.7 pts

Snead has grown faster since 2010

Snead +23.6%Brookside -8.1%

Home values+63%

Homes cost more in Snead

Snead $175,200Brookside $107,400

Average commute13 min

Brookside has the shorter commute

Snead 41 minBrookside 27 min

Typical home built26 yrs

Brookside’s homes are older

Snead 1996Brookside 1970

Age 65++6.4 pts

Snead has more people 65 and up

Snead 17.7%Brookside 11.3%

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $620 more a month in Snead

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Brookside$600/mo

Typical home $107K (Census) · tax rate 0.46% · or rent about $1,098/mo · Housing →

Snead$1,220/mo

Typical home $223K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.31% · or rent about $631/mo · Housing →

The difference: $620 a month, about $7,400 a year, between Snead and Brookside.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Alabama ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

C−BrooksideSafer than 20% of U.S. towns CSneadSafer than 27% of U.S. towns

Health

B−BrooksideHealthier than 46% of U.S. towns CSneadHealthier than 27% of U.S. towns

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

BrooksideSnead

Snow a year1″2″

January low35°F —

July high91°F —

Growing season (days)236d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)78th 66th

Outdoors & history

BrooksideSnead

Conserved land—0.5%

Settled1886 —

Archive photos—4

Community

BrooksideSnead

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

44 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BrooksideAL SneadAL

Brookside ↔ Snead44 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Alabama average

BrooksideSnead

People

Population 1,603Highest 1,247Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -8.1%Lowest AL: +5.1% +23.6%Highest AL: +5.1%

Median age 33.5±10.3Highest 15% below AL 32.8±11.1Lowest 17% below AL

Brookside and Snead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 29.1%±8.8Highest AL: 22.2% 25.8%±10.9Lowest AL: 22.2%

Brookside and Snead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 11.3%±1.5Lowest AL: 17.8% 17.7%±2.8Highest AL: 17.8%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 10.5%Lowest AL: 28.4% 12.8%Highest AL: 28.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.9%±2.3Highest AL: 6.3% 0.3%±1.1Lowest AL: 6.3%

Brookside and Snead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $59,271±$27kHighest 7% below AL $48,509±$7kLowest 24% below AL

Brookside and Snead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $107,400±$16kLowest 49% below AL $175,200±$34kHighest 17% below AL

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,098±$474Highest 9% above AL $631±$476Lowest 37% below AL

Brookside and Snead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $497Lowest 37% below AL $535Highest 32% below AL

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 54.8%±73Highest AL: 48.8% 19.3%±17.6Lowest AL: 48.8%

Brookside and Snead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 26.5%Highest AL: 15.6% 14.8%Lowest AL: 15.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 68.9%Lowest AL: 70.2% 70.8%Highest AL: 70.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1970Lowest 16 yrs older than AL 1996Highest 10 yrs newer than AL

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 27 minLowest 7% above AL 41 minHighest 60% above AL

Work from home 3.4%±4.1Lowest AL: 8.8% 17.4%±24.3Highest AL: 8.8%

Snead and Brookside are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 0.2%Lowest 5.7%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 12.8 miLowest 25.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.08Lowest 0.79Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Birmingham (38%)Birmingham (9%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in SneadFew work in Brookside

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.9%Highest 0.5%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.2 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 10.9Lowest 11.5Highest

Alabama average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Brookside neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Brookside’s Town Square.

Snead neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Snead’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Brookside and Snead

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Brookside

Adamsville4,266 people · $146K homes

Mount Olive3,567 people · $224K homes

Cardiff125 people · $80K homes

Graysville2,509 people · $117K homes

Towns like Brookside

Millport1,412 people · $104K homes

Ragland1,682 people · $109K homes

Cherokee1,120 people · $102K homes

Malvern1,913 people · $129K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.