Population
Bessemer
25,655
Indianola
9,360
Median Income
Bessemer
$37,844
Indianola
$39,275
Home Value
Bessemer
$129,800
Indianola
$119,100
Rent
Bessemer
$922
Indianola
$763
Crime Rate
Bessemer
17.44
Indianola
N/A
Cost of Living
Bessemer
79.5
Indianola
72.0
Avg Temp
Bessemer
N/A
Indianola
N/A
Unemployment
Bessemer
8.8%
Indianola
13.7%
How Similar Are Bessemer & Indianola?
Indianola is Bessemer's #24 most similar city
4 of 8 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Bessemer
25,655
Indianola
9,360
Bessemer (25,655) is about 2.7x larger than Indianola (9,360).
Political Leaning
Bessemer
44.2%
Indianola
31.9%
Both cities lean Democratic, but Bessemer has a stronger Democratic lean (28% difference).
Unemployment
Bessemer
8.8%
Indianola
13.7%
Indianola has a 36% higher unemployment than Bessemer.
Median Income
Bessemer
$37,844
Indianola
$39,275
Both cities have similar median income — just a 4% difference.
Home Values
Bessemer
$129,800
Indianola
$119,100
Both cities have similar home values — just a 8% difference.
Education
Bessemer
10.1%
Indianola
15.5%
Indianola has a 35% higher education than Bessemer.
Demographics
Bessemer
19.8%
Indianola
17.9%
Both cities have similar demographics — just a 10% difference.
Cost of Living
Bessemer
79.5
Indianola
72.0
Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 9% difference.
4 out of 8 key metrics match within 10%. Bessemer and Indianola share several key characteristics.
At a Glance
0
Bessemer
0
Indianola
Bessemer leads in 3 of 8 categories
Cost of Living & Affordability — Indianola leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDIndianola has a fair market rent (1br) of $642 vs $1,155 in Bessemer (80% lower). Indianola has a fair market rent (2br) of $842 vs $1,266 in Bessemer (50% lower). Indianola scores 60.0 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 85.6 in Bessemer.
Overall Cost Index
Housing Index
Food Index
Transportation Index
Healthcare Index
Utilities Index
Living Wage (1 Adult)
Living Wage (Family of 4)
Fair Market Rent (1BR)
Fair Market Rent (2BR)
Housing Market
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSIndianola has a vacancy rate of 12.9% compared to 16.0% in Bessemer. Indianola has a median rent of $763 vs $922 in Bessemer (21% lower). Bessemer has a median home value of $129,800 vs $119,100 in Indianola (9% higher).
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy — Bessemer leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSBessemer: 10,375 vs Indianola: 4,004 for labor force. Bessemer has a work from home of 9.6% compared to 4.2% in Indianola. Bessemer has a unemployment rate of 8.8% compared to 13.7% in Indianola.
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety
Source: FBI UCRViolent Crime Rate (per 1K)
Property Crime Rate (per 1K)
Murder Rate (per 1K)
Robbery Rate (per 1K)
Assault Rate (per 1K)
Burglary Rate (per 1K)
Larceny Rate (per 1K)
Violent Crime Clearance
Property Crime Clearance
Weather & Climate
Source: NOAA / Open-MeteoAvg Annual Temperature
Avg Annual High
Avg Annual Low
Sunny Days per Year
Annual Rainfall
Annual Snowfall
Avg Humidity
Schools & Education
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauIndianola has a bachelor's degree or higher of 15.5% compared to 10.1% in Bessemer. Bessemer has a high school diploma or higher of 38.2% compared to 34.3% in Indianola.
Public Schools
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio
Colleges & Universities
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
High School Diploma or Higher
Demographics & Community
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSBessemer has a population of 25,655, about 2.7x the size of Indianola (9,360). Indianola skews younger with a median age of 35.4 vs 42.8.
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Bessemer
Indianola
Healthcare — Bessemer leads
Source: CMS Hospital CompareBessemer: 2.8 vs Indianola: 1.0 for avg cms rating (out of 5). Bessemer: 5 vs Indianola: 4 for with emergency services.
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — Bessemer leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSBessemer has a work from home of 9.6% compared to 4.2% in Indianola. Indianola has a drive alone of 84.9% compared to 76.5% in Bessemer.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
Cities Similar to Bessemer, AL
Compare Bessemer against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.
City Comparison
8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.