Powell, Alabama

Town in DeKalb County · population 901 (2020 Census)

Median home: $116,400
Household income: $61,786
Jan low / Jul high: 32° / 91°
Snow a year: 2 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 42
Median age: 36.9

Powell is a town of 901 people in DeKalb County, Alabama. The median home is worth $116,400, below the typical Alabama town ($161,250). It ranks easier by car than 99% of Alabama towns, better for first-time buyers than 74% of Alabama towns, more walkable than 72% of Alabama towns.

How Powell 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.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Powell is worth $116,400, below the typical Alabama town ($161,250). Homes cost about 1.9 times the median household income of $61,786, which is more affordable than 93% of Alabama towns. Median rent is $931 a month. 72.1% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Alabama towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Powell	Typical Alabama town
Median home value	$116,400	$161,250
Median rent	$931	$834
Median household income	$61,786	$56,250
Home value ÷ income	1.9×	2.8×
Homeownership	72.1%	71.3%
Median year built	1985	1981
Seasonal / vacation homes	3.8%	—

Who lives in Powell

People	Powell	Typical Alabama town
Median age	36.9	39.9
Age 65 and over	13.7%	18.1%
Under 18	19.8%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	8.4%	17.3%
Below the poverty line	30.8%	16.7%
Veterans	4.9%	—
Born outside the U.S.	0.3%	—
Work from home	1.7%	5.1%
Average commute	21.9 min	26.1 min
Homes with broadband	79.7%	86.7%

Weather in Powell

July highs average 90.8°F and January lows 31.5°F. About 58.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 2.3 inches of snow (typical Alabama town: 0.6 in). Expect about 60 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 57 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Ft Payne station (11.8 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 3 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

42 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Powell since 1950, compared with 30 for the typical Alabama town. 21 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF5, struck on April 27, 2011 about 3.7 miles from the town center and killed 25. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 35 deaths and 113 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on May 20, 2025.

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 36 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on April 10, 2009.

Severe weather in DeKalb County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, DeKalb County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 36 deaths recorded.

DeKalb County has been included in 34 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
September 26, 2024	Hurricane	EM-3618: Hurricane Helene
September 14, 2020	Hurricane	EM-3545: Hurricane Sally
July 10, 2020	Severe Storm	DR-4555: Severe Thunderstorms
March 29, 2020	Biological	DR-4503: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020	Biological	EM-3472: Covid-19

Jobs and pay in DeKalb County

DeKalb County had 23,367 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $50,391 a year. Unemployment was 2.3% in 2023; in Powell itself the ACS puts it at 5.5%.

BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.

Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Powell

Rainsville, AL
4.4 mi · 5,505 people · home $230,400
Sylvania, AL
5.7 mi · 1,790 people · home $161,500
Fyffe, AL
5.8 mi · 967 people · home $113,300
Section, AL
6.0 mi · 756 people · home $156,000
Pisgah, AL
10.9 mi · 681 people · home $134,400
Scottsboro, AL
11.5 mi · 15,578 people · home $190,400
Henagar, AL
11.7 mi · 2,292 people · home $144,700
Fort Payne, AL
12.9 mi · 14,877 people · home $157,000

Powell questions

Is Powell, Alabama a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Powell scores better for retirees than 5% of Alabama towns and quieter than 15%. 13.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 36.9).

How much does a house cost in Powell?

The median owner-occupied home in Powell is valued at $116,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $61,786, so homes cost about 1.9 times income. Median rent is $931 a month.

What is the weather like in Powell?

July highs average 90.8°F and January lows 31.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 58.0 inches of precipitation a year and 2.3 inches of snow.

Does Powell get tornadoes?

42 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Powell since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF5 on April 27, 2011. The typical Alabama town has had 30.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Powell's Census boundary (GEOID 0162075). 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.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)

Data snapshot 2026-11-13.