Niche has released its annual list of best places to live in 2026 and three Alabama counties are leading the way for the state.

Specifically, the three counties were listed among Niche’s best counties to live across the country. Our trio to make the cut included:

No. 14 Madison County
No. 23 Shelby County
No. 38 Lee County

All three counties earned an A+ grade from Niche.

But that was just the start of Alabama spots recognized in the rankings this year. Keep reading to learn more about each of those counties + see what other areas made the Best Places to Live list.

Madison County

It’s no surprise to see Madison County at the top of the list once again. This is where it ranked in several different categories among Alabama counties:

Best for young professionals: #1
Best for families: #2
Healthiest: #2
Best to buy a house: #2
Best for outdoor activities: #4
Most diverse: #7
Best public schools: #8

The county is also home of the best zip code in the state (35758), the second best suburb in the state (Madison) and the third best city in the state (Huntsville).

Shelby County

Peavine Falls Rd in Oak Mountain State Park. (The Bama Buzz)

Shelby County actually led Madison in several categories, helping it earn a top 25 spot on Niche’s national rankings.

The home of Alabama’s largest state park continues to grow and ranks at the top of Niche’s Alabama list for:

Best county for families (30th nationally)
Best county public schools (135th)
Healthiest county (175th)

Shelby County also ranked in the top three statewide for best county to buy a house and best county for outdoor activities.

Meadowbrook helped the county stand out, ranking as the No. 1 place to live in Alabama and the No. 5 best suburb in the country to buy a house.

The county is also home to the 35244 zip code, ranked the second best in Alabama by Niche.

Lee County

While Lee County may not top any of Niche’s categories, it is consistently near the top of the list for things like:

Best for young professionals: #2
Best for families: #3
Healthiest: #4
Best for outdoor activities: #5
Best for public schools: #5

The city of Auburn ranks as the No. 3 place to live in the state and No. 712 nationally.

Lee County received at least A-minus grades in nightlife, jobs, housing, health + fitness and public schools.

2026 Niche Best Places to Live

These annual rankings are created by Niche’s unique formula that relies on real online reviews from residents of cities across the country.

“From cost of living and crime to public schools, job opportunities, and local amenities, we evaluate the factors that shape everyday life—so you can find the place that fits you best. Unlike rankings built solely on statistics or opinion, Niche blends rigorous data analysis with firsthand feedback from people who actually live there.”
Niche

Here are some of the places across Alabama that led the statewide rankings + how they ranked nationally: