Is Hartford, AL a Good Place to Live?
Hartford is a small town of 2,660 in Alabama, with a median household income of $44,977 and a 0.6% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 89 (US average = 100), which is 11% below the national average.
Strengths: Hartford stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B-), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Hartford is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Hartford city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 89.2Hartford's overall cost of living index is 89.2, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Hartford costs roughly 11% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Hartford, AL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $122,100 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $760 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 61.1% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $44,977 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeHartford's violent crime rate is 112.5 per 100,000 residents — 70% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Hartford is served primarily by Geneva County. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17.2:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Hartford, AL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Geneva County | — |
| Elementary Schools | 3 | — |
| Middle Schools | 3 | — |
| High Schools | 4 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 17.2:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 8.3% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 84.2% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Hartford sees average highs of 61.8°F in January and 92.3°F in July, with 62.3 inches of annual precipitation and 0.1 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Hartford, AL |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 61.8°F |
| Average High — July | 92.3°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 62.3" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.1" |
Demographics
| Metric | Hartford, AL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,660 | — |
| Median Age | 39.1 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 0.6% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 24.2 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 67.9% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 27.3% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2.4% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 24.3% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 18.3% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Hartford
Hartford, AL is covered by 1 ZIP code: