Reviewed by: Pat Byington
Shelby County among Niche’s Top 25 Best Counties to Live in America
Reading time: 2 minutes
This week, comprehensive ranking and review platform Niche released its 2026 Best Places to Live list—and three Alabama counties cracked the top 50! Read on to see why Shelby County—the home of Alabama’s largest state park—came in at #23.
Niche ranks Shelby County highly among 2026 Best Counties to Live in America
The results are in—and Shelby County is one of the best counties to live in America in 2026.
Located in central Alabama and home to over 230 thousand residents, Shelby County is one of the most populated counties in the state, coming in behind:
- Jefferson County (pop. 664,744)
- Madison County (pop. 423,355)
- Mobile County (pop. 412,339)
- Baldwin County (pop. 261,608)
- Tuscaloosa County (pop. 241,212)
This year, Shelby County ranked highly among Niche’s list of 2026 Best Counties to Live in America, earning the #23 spot on the comprehensive ranking and review platform’s national ranking. Among other Alabama counties, Shelby County took home the leading spots in:
- Best County for Families in Alabama (#1)
- County with the Best Public Schools in Alabama (#1)
- Healthiest Counties in Alabama (#1)
In addition, Shelby County ranked in the top three statewide for best county to buy a house and best county for outdoor activities. The community of Meadowbrook stood out as well, coming in #1 among Top Places to Live in Alabama as well as the #5 Best Suburb in the County to Buy a House.
Do you live in Shelby County? Planning to move there? Tag us @bhamnow to let us know!
