The Town Files

Cowarts, Alabama

Town in Houston County · population 1,930 (2020 Census)

Map: where Cowarts is in AlabamaCowarts
Median home
$177,700
Household income
$64,118
Jan low / Jul high
38° / 93°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
47
Median age
37.8

Cowarts is a town of 1,930 people in Houston County, Alabama. The median home is worth $177,700, above the typical Alabama town ($161,250). It ranks better transit than 77% of Alabama towns, easier by car than 70% of Alabama towns.

How Cowarts ranks

Percentile among Alabama towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Alabama towns.

Cowarts lifestyle rankings vs other Alabama townsRetirement50th pctFamilies45th pctQuiet65th pctWalkability42nd pctFirst-time buyers30th pctYoung professionals25th pctVibrancy54th pctHip & trendy26th pctCollege town13th pctUpscale36th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit77th pctDriving70th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Cowarts is worth $177,700, above the typical Alabama town ($161,250). Homes cost about 2.8 times the median household income of $64,118, which is more affordable than 56% of Alabama towns. Median rent is $902 a month. 72.5% of households own their home.

Cowarts vs Houston County vs typical Alabama townCowartsHouston CountyTypical Alabama townHome value$177,700$183,300$161,250Household income$64,118$58,626$56,250Monthly rent$902$945$834
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Alabama towns with 500+ people.
HousingCowartsTypical Alabama town
Median home value$177,700$161,250
Median rent$902$834
Median household income$64,118$56,250
Home value ÷ income2.8×2.8×
Homeownership72.5%71.3%
Median year built19921981
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Cowarts

PeopleCowartsTypical Alabama town
Median age37.839.9
Age 65 and over20.3%18.1%
Under 1823.5%—
Bachelor's degree or higher11.0%17.3%
Below the poverty line18.5%16.7%
Veterans9.7%—
Born outside the U.S.0.6%—
Work from home3.7%5.1%
Average commute25.5 min26.1 min
Homes with broadband88.5%86.7%

Weather in Cowarts

July highs average 92.8°F and January lows 38.2°F. About 56.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.1 inches of snow (typical Alabama town: 0.6 in). Expect about 90 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 33 nights at or below freezing.

Cowarts monthly temperatures and precipitation30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°32° freezing61°38°Jan65°41°Feb72°47°Mar79°54°Apr87°63°May91°69°Jun93°72°Jul92°71°Aug89°66°Sep80°56°Oct70°47°Nov63°41°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue4.85.20.14.84.63.65.26.75.14.63.23.95.1
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Headland station (10.9 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 1 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

47 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cowarts since 1950, compared with 30 for the typical Alabama town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on January 9, 2024 about 8.2 miles from the town center and killed 1. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 33 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on May 25, 2026.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Cowarts by decade21950s31960s41970s81980s41990s02000s92010s172020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 40 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on January 9, 2024.

Severe weather in Houston County since 1996

Storm events in Houston County since 1996 by typeHail67Flood13Drought47Tornado39Lightning10Heavy Rain4Heavy Snow3Flash Flood66
NOAA Storm Events Database, Houston County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 7 deaths recorded.

Houston County has been included in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
September 26, 2024HurricaneEM-3618: Hurricane Helene
September 20, 2020HurricaneDR-4563: Hurricane Sally
September 14, 2020HurricaneEM-3545: Hurricane Sally
March 29, 2020BiologicalDR-4503: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3472: Covid-19

Jobs and pay in Houston County

Houston County had 50,877 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $53,521 a year. Unemployment was 2.6% in 2023; in Cowarts itself the ACS puts it at 4.6%.

Largest industries in Houston CountyHealth care & social assistan…8,171 jobs · $62,325Retail8,074 jobs · $37,874Hotels & restaurants5,267 jobs · $21,619Manufacturing4,322 jobs · $52,996Administrative & support2,895 jobs · $32,774Wholesale trade2,519 jobs · $68,571
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Houston County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Houston 2.6%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Cowarts

Cowarts questions

Is Cowarts, Alabama a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Cowarts scores better for retirees than 50% of Alabama towns and quieter than 65%. 20.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 37.8).

How much does a house cost in Cowarts?

The median owner-occupied home in Cowarts is valued at $177,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $64,118, so homes cost about 2.8 times income. Median rent is $902 a month.

What is the weather like in Cowarts?

July highs average 92.8°F and January lows 38.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 56.7 inches of precipitation a year and 0.1 inches of snow.

Does Cowarts get tornadoes?

47 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cowarts since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on January 9, 2024. The typical Alabama town has had 30.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Cowarts's Census boundary (GEOID 0118088). Comparisons use the median of Alabama towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.