Why I work in Russellville
Russellville is where I had one of my first listings, and one of my biggest. It’s a bigger market than a lot of people expect, with plenty of homes to choose from at any given time.
Where Russellville sits
Russellville is the county seat of Franklin County, just south of Colbert County. U.S. Highway 43 runs through town and connects it north to Tuscumbia and the rest of the Shoals. About 9,800 people lived here at the 2020 census, which makes it one of the larger towns in the area.
Sources: Encyclopedia of Alabama, Russellville. Checked September 24, 2026.
An old town with deep roots
Russellville goes back to 1815, when Maj. William Russell settled what was then called Russell’s Valley, and the town was incorporated in 1819. Downtown still has the historic Roxy Theatre, and every August the Franklin County Watermelon Festival brings the whole county to town.
Sources: Encyclopedia of Alabama, Russellville. Checked September 24, 2026.
Work, schools and parks
Manufacturing is the biggest employer category in town, followed by education, health care and construction. Pilgrim’s, one of Franklin County’s largest manufacturers, runs a plant here. In October 2025 the county commission approved a tax abatement for Pilgrim’s to renovate its Russellville buildings, a project expected to add 260 jobs. In October 2026 the commission tabled a second request tied to a planned $118 million plant the company says would add 65 jobs. G&G Steel in Russellville is building lock gates under an $18.2 million Army Corps of Engineers contract that runs through September 2029.
Russellville City Schools runs its own system, with two elementary schools, a middle school and Russellville High School. Homes outside the city limits may be zoned for Franklin County Schools instead, so we check each address.
For getting outside, the city has City Lake Park, Sloss Lake Park and Hal Kirby Junior Park.
Sources: Encyclopedia of Alabama, Russellville; NAIDA, Franklin County (employer list, August 2022 data); Franklin Free Press, October 21, 2025 and October 7, 2026 (Pilgrim’s); Defense Daily, September 19, 2024 (G&G Steel). Checked October 16, 2026.
City hall, utilities and downtown
David Grissom was sworn in for his fourth term as mayor in November 2025, and has been mayor since 2012. City Hall is at 304 N. Jackson Avenue, 256-332-6060.
One thing buyers like here: Russellville Utilities handles electric (TVA power), gas, water and sewer in one place, at 721 S. Jackson Avenue, 256-332-3850, with a drive thru. Some addresses outside the city get electric from Franklin Electric Co-op instead, so we check each home. For internet, providers in town include Spectrum, AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon and FreedomFIBER, depending on the address. Freedom Fiber is owned by Tombigbee Electric Cooperative, and in October 2025 it finished a 4,200 mile fiber build across eight counties, Franklin County included. If you work from home, we check what’s actually available at the address before you write an offer.
Downtown Russellville was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2019 and became a Main Street Alabama community in 2023. A new 7,520 square foot Norris Public Library is going up behind City Hall. The city broke ground in July 2025, and in June 2026 the council awarded the $2.85 million construction contract, with a year to finish. In July 2026 the city also signed a deal for a developer to tear down the condemned building at 104 South Jackson Avenue and put up a new one.
Sources: Franklin County Times, November 5, 2025; City of Russellville; Russellville Utilities; Franklin County Chamber; Franklin County Times, July 30, 2025; Franklin Free Press, June 17, 2026 (library contract) and July 6, 2026 (downtown building); Franklin Free Press, October 21, 2025 (Freedom Fiber). Checked September 29, 2026; additions checked October 16, 2026.
Newer homes, and what’s being built
I looked for new subdivisions approved inside the city in the last three years and didn’t find any from a source I’d put my name on. Here’s what I did find.
- Sewer capacity. The Russellville Water and Sewer Board has been restoring its treatment plant so it can handle growth from industry and new housing. The final phase, helped by a $500,000 Appalachian Regional Commission grant the governor announced in November 2025, is meant to bring the plant back to its full 11 million gallons a day.
- Apartments on Guard Street. In June 2026 the council rezoned land on Guard Street, south of Gandy Street and west of Highway 43, for a planned 24 unit apartment complex.
If new construction is what you want, ask me what’s active the week you start looking. That changes faster than this page does.
Sources: Franklin Free Press, November 9, 2025 and ADECA, November 3, 2025 (sewer); Franklin Free Press, June 8, 2026 (Guard Street). Checked October 16, 2026.
Property taxes in Russellville
Alabama assesses an owner occupied home at 10 percent of its appraised value, then applies the local millage. Inside Russellville city limits, the state’s October 2025 table adds up to 56.6 mills: 6.5 state, 16.5 county, 10 school and 23.6 city, with 7.8 of the city’s mills going to education. Outside the city you drop the city mills, for 33 mills total, and some county fire districts add a monthly fire fee. The homestead exemption can lower the bill on the home you live in. The county commission also put renewal of a 10 mill education tax on the November 2026 ballot.
My Shoals property tax guide explains how the bill is figured and compares Russellville with the Shoals towns.
Sources: Alabama Department of Revenue, property tax assessment; Alabama Department of Revenue, millage rates, October 2025; Franklin Free Press, August 24, 2026 (ballot). Checked October 16, 2026.
Roads, the lake and the festival
ALDOT resurfaced 5.5 miles of State Route 24 through Russellville starting in fall 2025, and a second 5.3 mile section in eastern Franklin County is due to wrap up in fall 2026. The city also repaved about 42 of its 102 miles of streets in a roughly $4 million project.
About 10 miles west of town, Cedar Creek Reservoir covers about 4,200 acres. It’s a TVA lake run by the Bear Creek Development Authority, so boaters and anglers need a BCDA permit along with a state license. The Watermelon Festival fills downtown every August; in 2026 it ran August 14 and 15.
Sources: ALDOT, September 26, 2025; ALDOT, August 27, 2026; Franklin County Times, October 1, 2025; Outdoor Alabama, Cedar Creek; Franklin County Chamber, Watermelon Festival. Checked September 29, 2026.
Getting around
Approximate drives with no traffic: Muscle Shoals about 24 minutes, Florence about 31, Decatur about an hour, and Huntsville about an hour and a half. Russellville Hospital is in town at 15155 Highway 43.
Hadrian’s new plant in Barton, in Colbert County, started hiring in September 2026. If that’s the job bringing you here, read my guide to moving here for a Hadrian job before you pick a town.
Sources: drive times estimated with OSRM on OpenStreetMap data, September 29, 2026; Alabama Hospital Association; 256 Today, September 9, 2026 (Hadrian). Checked September 29, 2026; Hadrian checked October 16, 2026.
Where locals eat in Russellville
A few locally owned spots in Russellville, open as of September 2026. Hours change, so check before you go.
- Pilgrim’s Place, 1314 N Jackson Ave: barbecue in a converted gas station, with ribs, pulled pork and pies
- The Farmhouse Table, 116 N Jackson Ave: a downtown cafe and bakery for breakfast and lunch
- The Grind Cafe and Coffee Shop, 13760 Hwy 43: coffee, breakfast and sandwiches
- Daily Bread Barbecue, 305 Jackson Ave S: barbecue
What to ask before you buy here
Homes around Russellville range from older houses near downtown to newer builds and acreage out in the county. A few questions change the math:
- In the city or out in the county? It affects your school system, your services, and who you call for them. We check each address.
- City water and sewer, or septic? Out in the county, septic is common. If there’s a septic system, it belongs on the inspection list.
- What’s the drive? If you work in the Shoals, time the commute up U.S. 43 at the hour you’d actually leave.
Buying your first home here
You don’t need a finished wish list to call me. Start with a lender so you know your number. It takes about a day, and sellers generally won’t look seriously at an offer without it. You’re free to use any lender you want, and I can give you several local names.
A lot of the area around Russellville may qualify for USDA financing, which often needs no down payment. Eligibility depends on the exact address and your income, so we check each home against the USDA map and your lender confirms. Alabama’s AHFA programs can also help with a down payment. The full step by step is in my first time buyer guide.
When you’re ready
Send me the Russellville addresses you’re curious about and the questions you haven’t been able to get answered. That’s usually a better first conversation than a list of must-haves.
I’m Corey Bonds, a licensed Alabama real estate salesperson with MarMac Real Estate - The Shoals. I text back the same day, and there’s no pressure from me either way.