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%

Jasper$1,130/mo

Typical home $204K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.34% · or rent about $721/mo · Housing →

Arab$1,350/mo

Typical home $244K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.36% · or rent about $718/mo · Housing →

The difference: $220 a month, about $2,600 a year, between Arab and Jasper.

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

Arab places higher on 14 of 24 AL lists

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

DJasperSafer than 7% of U.S. towns DArabSafer than 13% of U.S. towns

Schools

A−JasperBetter than 75% of districts in the state AArabBetter than 94% of districts in the state

Health

CJasperHealthier than 29% of U.S. towns CArabHealthier than 30% of U.S. towns

9Jasper

14Arab

Lists won, of 24 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 196 towns #60#189 Most remote workersWork · 193 towns #152#70 Highest graduation rateSchools · 193 towns #71#2 Best libraries for kidsLibraries · 71 towns #43#27 Lowest depressionHealth · 196 towns #124#166 Most library borrowingLibraries · 71 towns #46#31 Best schoolsSchools · 180 towns #50#14 Shortest commuteGetting around · 195 towns #132#166

Left end = #1 in Alabama. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Jasper’s rankings →

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

JasperArab

Snow a year1″1″

January low31°F 33°F

July high90°F 89°F

Growing season (days)220d 244d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)70th 36th

Outdoors & history

JasperArab

Trails2 mi 0 mi

Conserved land1.2%1.2%

Settled1815 1882

National Register places5 —

Archive photos30 6

Famous people born here19 2

Community

JasperArab

Library hours a week41 hrs 40 hrs

Colleges in town1 —

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

55 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

JasperAL ArabAL

Jasper ↔ Arab55 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

JasperArab

People

Population 14,442Highest 8,679Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +1.5%Lowest AL: +5.1% +5.1%Highest AL: +5.1%

Median age 35.7±2.8Lowest 9% below AL 35.9±1.8Highest 9% below AL

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

Kids under 18 25.7%±3.3Lowest AL: 22.2% 27%±2.4Highest AL: 22.2%

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

Age 65+ 20.8%±2.9Highest AL: 17.8% 15.5%±1.2Lowest AL: 17.8%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 28.2%Highest AL: 28.4% 25.9%Lowest AL: 28.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.5%±1.3Lowest AL: 6.3% 4.2%±0.8Highest AL: 6.3%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $66,238±$10kHighest 3% above AL $64,333±$5kLowest about the AL average

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $215,700±$18kHighest about the AL average $215,200±$8kLowest about the AL average

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $721±$142Highest 28% below AL $718±$37Lowest 29% below AL

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $742Lowest 6% below AL $768Highest about the AL average

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 31.4%±8Lowest AL: 48.8% 44.8%±6Highest AL: 48.8%

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

Below poverty line 15.9%Highest AL: 15.6% 13.3%Lowest AL: 15.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 66.4%Lowest AL: 70.2% 70%Highest AL: 70.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1977Lowest 9 yrs older than AL 1979Highest 7 yrs older than AL

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 27 minLowest 5% above AL 29 minHighest 15% above AL

Work from home 3.4%±1.8Lowest AL: 8.8% 8.2%±2.4Highest AL: 8.8%

Work in townworking residents 27.8%Highest 17.2%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 33.8 miHighest 26.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.53Highest 1.04Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Birmingham (13%)Huntsville (25%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ArabFew work in Jasper

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.2% 1.2%

Trailsmapped miles 1.5 miHighest 0.1 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 5Highest 1Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 33.8Lowest 38.0Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #50 of 180 in AL #14 of 180 in AL

School district Jasper City · Walker CountyArab City

High school in town Jasper High SchoolArab High School

Students per teacherat that high school 16.0Highest 14.8Lowest

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.

Jasper neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Jasper’s Town Square.

Arab neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Arab’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Jasper

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Millbrook17,189 people · $207K 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.

Jasper vs Arab

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $220 more a month in Arab

Arab places higher on 14 of 24 AL lists

What daily life feels like in each

55 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

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Towns like Jasper

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