While the U.S. is one of the most educated countries in the world, it doesn’t provide the same quality elementary school or secondary school education to all students. In many states, more affluent school districts receive a greater amount of funding per student than poorer districts, with one estimate claiming that low-income districts are underfunded by around $6,700 per pupil.
Discrepancies between the rich and poor were exacerbated a lot during the COVID-19 pandemic. Low-income students suffered the greatest “learning loss” due to partial or total remote learning. One contributing factor was that people in low-income districts are less likely to have the technological resources they need. Now, less fortunate students must struggle to make up the educational ground that they lost due to this lack of resources.
States that provide equitable funding to all school districts can help prevent poor students from having lower graduation rates, lower rates of pursuing higher education and smaller future incomes than their wealthy peers. The difference is dramatic: College graduates have $154 - $1,115 higher median weekly earnings than people with a high school diploma and no college experience, depending on the degree.
Alabama has the 17th most equitable school districts in the U.S. overall, but some districts within the state are fairer than others. To find out where school funding is distributed most equitably, WalletHub scored 138 districts in Alabama based on two metrics: average household income and expenditures for public elementary and secondary schools per pupil.
Main Findings
Note: For visual purposes, we included only the top 7 school districts by enrollment from each category. Rank 1 on the “Expenditures Ranking” means highest expenditures and Rank 1 on “Income Ranking” means lowest income.
Most & Least Equitable School Districts in Alabama
| Rank* | School District | Score | Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Schools per Pupil | Income by School District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tallapoosa County | 0.18 | $10,671 | $53,196 |
| 2 | Limestone County | 0.27 | $7,712 | $67,195 |
| 3 | Macon County | 0.32 | $13,562 | $39,303 |
| 4 | Lawrence County | 0.44 | $10,917 | $51,712 |
| 5 | Dothan City | 0.90 | $11,596 | $49,203 |
| 6 | Fairfield City | 1.15 | $12,493 | $43,914 |
| 7 | Tallassee City | 1.17 | $9,764 | $56,776 |
| 8 | Gulf Shores City | 1.81 | $10,484 | $53,048 |
| 9 | Auburn City | 1.84 | $10,534 | $54,700 |
| 10 | Opelika City | 2.18 | $10,862 | $51,074 |
| 11 | Bibb County | 2.48 | $10,694 | $54,277 |
| 12 | Winfield City | 2.56 | $10,266 | $56,333 |
| 13 | Randolph County | 2.78 | $11,690 | $49,733 |
| 14 | Russell County | 3.10 | $11,013 | $53,091 |
| 15 | Chilton County | 3.28 | $9,645 | $56,243 |
| 16 | Calhoun County | 3.41 | $10,722 | $54,622 |
| 17 | Mobile County | 3.90 | $10,755 | $50,687 |
| 18 | Autauga County | 4.14 | $9,098 | $62,660 |
| 19 | Pike County | 4.22 | $13,186 | $43,424 |
| 20 | Henry County | 5.06 | $9,529 | $55,870 |
| 21 | Daleville City | 5.07 | $10,122 | $53,067 |
| 22 | Wilcox County | 5.17 | $13,649 | $36,385 |
| 23 | Coosa County | 5.34 | $11,911 | $50,013 |
| 24 | Guntersville City | 5.40 | $11,126 | $53,750 |
| 25 | Choctaw County | 5.45 | $13,153 | $38,581 |
| 26 | Cullman County | 5.74 | $10,211 | $52,304 |
| 27 | Cullman City | 5.79 | $11,121 | $53,972 |
| 28 | Covington County | 6.02 | $10,529 | $50,656 |
| 29 | Talladega County | 6.31 | $11,001 | $48,284 |
| 30 | Elba City | 6.73 | $11,823 | $44,189 |
| 31 | Chambers County | 7.05 | $11,054 | $47,652 |
| 32 | Florence City | 7.74 | $12,400 | $40,944 |
| 33 | Jasper City | 7.75 | $10,965 | $55,721 |
| 34 | Anniston City | 7.95 | $12,593 | $39,928 |
| 35 | Etowah County | 8.15 | $9,495 | $54,432 |
| 36 | Clarke County | 8.40 | $11,575 | $44,496 |
| 37 | Pell City | 8.60 | $9,961 | $60,897 |
| 38 | Athens City | 8.62 | $9,915 | $52,211 |
| 39 | Lee County | 8.84 | $10,471 | $58,615 |
| 40 | Montgomery County | 8.92 | $10,110 | $51,132 |
| 41 | Dallas County | 9.15 | $13,597 | $44,036 |
| 42 | Winston County | 9.38 | $11,254 | $45,501 |
| 43 | Coffee County | 9.48 | $10,500 | $58,810 |
| 44 | Lowndes County | 9.51 | $16,197 | $31,961 |
| 45 | Houston County | 9.75 | $9,908 | $51,656 |
| 46 | Lanett City | 9.77 | $11,020 | $46,404 |
| 47 | Enterprise City | 10.34 | $9,524 | $63,859 |
| 48 | Dale County | 10.40 | $10,195 | $49,968 |
| 49 | Haleyville City | 10.41 | $10,594 | $48,080 |
| 50 | St Clair County | 10.47 | $9,294 | $65,011 |
| 51 | Marshall County | 10.50 | $11,182 | $56,121 |
| 52 | Barbour County | 10.66 | $12,945 | $36,864 |
| 53 | Tuscaloosa City | 11.11 | $11,277 | $44,500 |
| 54 | Marengo County | 11.23 | $13,704 | $32,989 |
| 55 | Leeds City | 11.34 | $9,936 | $62,432 |
| 56 | Sheffield City | 11.51 | $12,899 | $36,642 |
| 57 | Ozark City | 11.83 | $11,302 | $44,007 |
| 58 | Russellville City | 11.84 | $11,339 | $43,829 |
| 59 | Birmingham City | 11.89 | $12,272 | $39,403 |
| 60 | Pickens County | 12.10 | $11,404 | $43,389 |
| 61 | Conecuh County | 12.23 | $12,535 | $37,986 |
| 62 | Morgan County | 12.47 | $10,370 | $60,970 |
| 63 | Alexander City | 12.47 | $10,650 | $46,750 |
| 64 | Walker County | 12.57 | $11,052 | $44,803 |
| 65 | Decatur City | 12.81 | $12,195 | $52,539 |
| 66 | Franklin County | 12.97 | $11,314 | $43,362 |
| 67 | Blount County | 13.24 | $8,995 | $54,157 |
| 68 | Jefferson County | 13.35 | $10,237 | $62,050 |
| 69 | Lauderdale County | 13.58 | $10,260 | $62,060 |
| 70 | Dekalb County | 13.74 | $11,123 | $43,865 |
| 71 | Jackson County | 14.02 | $11,093 | $43,861 |
| 72 | Cleburne County | 14.24 | $10,170 | $48,100 |
| 73 | Albertville City | 14.59 | $9,364 | $51,718 |
| 74 | Scottsboro City | 14.74 | $11,054 | $43,672 |
| 75 | Muscle Shoals City | 15.28 | $10,508 | $61,772 |
| 76 | Geneva County | 15.34 | $10,209 | $47,349 |
| 77 | Saraland City | 15.63 | $10,664 | $61,216 |
| 78 | Oxford City | 15.65 | $10,839 | $60,401 |
| 79 | Thomasville City | 15.97 | $10,996 | $43,310 |
| 80 | Arab City | 16.07 | $9,498 | $50,321 |
| 81 | Brewton City | 16.17 | $10,716 | $44,528 |
| 82 | Cherokee County | 16.40 | $10,914 | $43,475 |
| 83 | Hartselle City | 16.66 | $10,923 | $60,526 |
| 84 | Linden City | 16.76 | $12,345 | $36,538 |
| 85 | Elmore County | 18.09 | $9,371 | $68,589 |
| 86 | Tarrant City | 18.29 | $12,095 | $36,927 |
| 87 | Fayette County | 18.38 | $10,387 | $44,936 |
| 88 | Tuscumbia City | 18.50 | $10,850 | $42,692 |
| 89 | Clay County | 18.69 | $10,305 | $45,163 |
| 90 | Attalla City | 19.27 | $10,005 | $46,278 |
| 91 | Tuscaloosa County | 19.38 | $10,066 | $65,976 |
| 92 | Greene County | 19.52 | $13,678 | $28,826 |
| 93 | Butler County | 20.72 | $10,067 | $45,236 |
| 94 | Huntsville City | 20.85 | $11,277 | $61,024 |
| 95 | Piedmont City | 21.84 | $9,894 | $45,471 |
| 96 | Opp City | 22.41 | $10,913 | $40,372 |
| 97 | Marion County | 22.71 | $10,327 | $42,979 |
| 98 | Washington County | 23.37 | $9,930 | $44,512 |
| 99 | Fort Payne City | 23.66 | $9,937 | $44,330 |
| 100 | Lamar County | 24.07 | $10,105 | $43,324 |
| 101 | Phenix City | 24.43 | $10,071 | $43,296 |
| 102 | Sumter County | 24.69 | $13,477 | $27,099 |
| 103 | Boaz City | 24.78 | $10,577 | $40,732 |
| 104 | Crenshaw County | 25.60 | $9,984 | $43,103 |
| 105 | Gadsden City | 26.03 | $11,491 | $35,776 |
| 106 | Sylacauga City | 26.44 | $10,155 | $41,864 |
| 107 | Escambia County | 27.42 | $11,107 | $36,866 |
| 108 | Colbert County | 28.03 | $12,955 | $56,827 |
| 109 | Andalusia City | 29.13 | $10,146 | $40,516 |
| 110 | Talladega City | 29.14 | $11,994 | $31,795 |
| 111 | Bessemer City | 29.30 | $11,845 | $32,416 |
| 112 | Jacksonville City | 30.78 | $9,667 | $41,920 |
| 113 | Perry County | 30.94 | $12,801 | $27,057 |
| 114 | Chickasaw City | 30.96 | $10,861 | $36,196 |
| 115 | Demopolis City | 31.63 | $9,776 | $40,968 |
| 116 | Midfield City | 32.22 | $15,513 | $46,929 |
| 117 | Geneva City | 32.45 | $10,289 | $38,125 |
| 118 | Baldwin County | 32.88 | $11,638 | $65,543 |
| 119 | Troy City | 33.46 | $10,542 | $36,409 |
| 120 | Roanoke City | 33.76 | $10,016 | $38,731 |
| 121 | Monroe County | 34.08 | $11,275 | $32,631 |
| 122 | Selma City | 36.34 | $11,658 | $29,656 |
| 123 | Oneonta City | 37.26 | $9,280 | $40,391 |
| 124 | Bullock County | 38.55 | $11,541 | $29,063 |
| 125 | Hale County | 46.87 | $9,944 | $32,294 |
| 126 | Pelham City | 49.59 | $10,065 | $81,606 |
| 127 | Madison County | 50.41 | $9,622 | $84,116 |
| 128 | Shelby County | 53.02 | $10,951 | $79,201 |
| 129 | Alabaster City | 58.57 | $10,715 | $83,181 |
| 130 | Satsuma City | 69.50 | $10,826 | $88,312 |
| 131 | Pike Road City | 89.43 | $8,510 | $109,537 |
| 132 | Eufaula City | 89.49 | $4,669 | $35,127 |
| 133 | Homewood City | 91.86 | $13,040 | $89,433 |
| 134 | Hoover City | 95.00 | $12,118 | $95,406 |
| 135 | Madison City | 100.34 | $10,598 | $105,335 |
| 136 | Trussville City | 100.98 | $10,036 | $108,313 |
| 137 | Vestavia Hills City | 144.73 | $12,666 | $118,539 |
| 138 | Mountain Brook City | 226.33 | $14,885 | $150,268 |
*1=Most Equitable
Methodology
In order to rank the states with the most and least equitable school districts, WalletHub first scored 12,870 school districts throughout the U.S. based on two metrics: average household income and expenditures for public elementary and secondary schools per pupil.
For expenditures, for each 1 percent above the state's average we removed 1 point from a base score of 50 points for each district. For household income, for each 1 percent above the state's average we added 1 point to a base score of 50 points for each district. The inverse was true for each 1 percent below the state's average.
The final score for each district was calculated by taking the absolute difference between the score for expenditures and the score for household income. We then ranked the districts based on the total score, with the lowest value, representing the most equitable, being ranked 1.
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from of the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics.
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