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Theodore vs Mobile

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: trails (51.9× in Mobile) and size (41× in Mobile).

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Theodore, ALHomes around $204KAlabama · 4,964 people
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Mobile, ALA colonial town, settled 1702Alabama · 203,416 people
Swap order
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.

TheodoreHomes around $204K
Housing$204K typical home16% below the AL typical home Health85% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates History45 archive photos & papers45 archive photos, postcards and papers All about Theodore →
MobileA colonial town, settled 1702
HistorySettled in 1702122 places on the National Register College town4 collegesUniversity of South Alabama Outdoors#14 most conserved land in AL78 miles of trails across 78 parks and preserves All about Mobile →
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.

Trails51.9×
Mobile has more miles of trail
Mobile 77.9 miTheodore 1.5 mi
Size41×
Mobile is the bigger place
Mobile 203,416Theodore 4,964
Work in town+61 pts
More of Mobile’s workers stay in town
Mobile 62.1%Theodore 1.1%
Jobs per worker4.3×
Mobile is more of a job hub
Mobile 1.59Theodore 0.37
Homeowners+37.9 pts renters
Mobile has more renters
Theodore 91.9%Mobile 54%
Property tax bill+41%
Tax bills are bigger in Mobile
Mobile $968Theodore $688
★ What stands out · Where they are

Theodore and Mobile share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

TheodoreMobileTheodoreMobile
Theodore ↔ Mobile10 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
1,202 Theodore residents work in Mobile (50.9% of its workers)
Work & commute in Theodore →
Report cards

Mobile places higher on 14 of 20 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
–TheodoreNot graded DMobileSafer than 11% of U.S. towns
Schools
CTheodoreBetter than 34% of districts in the state CMobileBetter than 34% of districts in the state
Health
C−TheodoreHealthier than 15% of U.S. towns CMobileHealthier than 27% of U.S. towns
5Theodore
14Mobile

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most remote workersWork · 193 towns #157#57 Most conserved landOutdoors · 170 towns #92#14 Lowest depressionHealth · 196 towns #85#6 Fewest smokersHealth · 196 towns #138#63 Lowest property taxCost of living · 195 towns #85#151 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 196 towns #138#78 Most trailsOutdoors · 115 towns #69#34 Most walkableOutdoors · 196 towns #100#44

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

Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

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.

Theodore$1,140/mo
Typical home $204K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.44% · or rent about $1,244/mo · Housing →
Mobile$1,120/mo
Typical home $198K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.50% · or rent about $1,068/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

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.

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
TheodoreMobile
Snow a year0″0″
January low41°F41°F
July high91°F91°F
Growing season (days)268d268d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)88th88th
Outdoors & history
TheodoreMobile
Trails2 mi78 mi
Conserved land1%7.3%
Settled—1702
National Register places—122
Archive photos4512
Famous people born here5—
Community
TheodoreMobile
Library hours a week—59 hrs
Colleges in town—4
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined10

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.

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.

TheodoreMobile
People
Population 4,964Lowest 203,416Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +2.3%Highest AL: +5.1% -4.1%Lowest AL: +5.1%
Median age 43.1±4.7Highest 10% above AL 37.3±0.7Lowest 5% below AL
Kids under 18 20.3%±7.5Lowest AL: 22.2% 22.2%±0.8Highest AL: 22.2%
Mobile and Theodore are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 12.4%±3.2Lowest AL: 17.8% 17.4%±0.6Highest AL: 17.8%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 22.5%Lowest AL: 28.4% 32%Highest AL: 28.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.8%±2.4Lowest AL: 6.3% 6.6%±0.5Highest AL: 6.3%
Mobile and Theodore are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $67,864±$10kHighest 6% above AL $53,558±$2kLowest 16% below AL
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $154,900±$16kLowest 26% below AL $193,300±$5kHighest 8% below AL
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,244±$762Highest 24% above AL $1,068±$23Lowest 6% above AL
Theodore and Mobile are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $688Lowest 13% below AL $968Highest 23% above AL
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 34.4%±30.7Lowest AL: 48.8% 56.7%±3.1Highest AL: 48.8%
Mobile and Theodore are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 20.7%Highest AL: 15.6% 18.4%Lowest AL: 15.6%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 91.9%Highest AL: 70.2% 54%Lowest AL: 70.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1989Highest 3 yrs newer than AL 1975Lowest 11 yrs older than AL
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 25 minHighest about the AL average 23 minLowest 11% below AL
Work from home 3.2%±2.8Lowest AL: 8.8% 9.3%±1Highest AL: 8.8%
Work in townworking residents 1.1%Lowest 62.1%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 11.8 miHighest 6.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.37Lowest 1.59Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Mobile (51%)Daphne (2%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 51% work in MobileFew work in Theodore
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 1%Lowest 7.3%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 1.5 miLowest 77.9 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 0.4 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Lowest 78Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 29.4Lowest 47.6Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #150 of 180 in AL#131 of 180 in AL
School district Mobile CountyMobile County · Covenant Academy of Mobile
High school in town Theodore High SchoolWP Davidson High School
Students per teacherat that high school 18.2Lowest 18.6Highest
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.

Theodore neighborsTown Square →
T Weaver · 6d

Improving Our Community

1 neighbor in Theodore can answer.

Mobile neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Mobile’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Theodore and Mobile

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Bordering Theodore

T
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Tillmans Corner17,677 people · $167K homes

Towns like Theodore

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Lincoln7,305 people · $187K homes
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Valley Grande4,047 people · $133K homes
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Southside9,483 people · $227K homes
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Odenville5,197 people · $224K 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.

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