Housing Value★★★★★★★★★★3.6 / 5Home values compared with local household income.
Living in Birmingham, AL
Explore Birmingham and see how it fits the life you want to build.
198,173
Population
Jefferson & Shelby Counties
Counties
City
Place Type
Alabama
State
OrdinancesLocal Rules
Overall Match6.5 / 10
Baseline match from currently available location scores. Choose priorities to personalize it.
Birmingham at a Glance
Key facts and current data
Population198,173
Median Household Income$46,051
Median Home Value$158,800
Median Gross Rent$1,107
Median Age35.6
Average Household Size2.1
Unemployment5.8%
Work From Home9.9%
Homeownership45.5%
Housing Vacancy18.8%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year.
Birmingham is large enough to contain meaningfully different residential, commercial and employment areas rather than functioning as one uniform market.
Experience the Area
Experience Life in Birmingham Before You Move
Explore Short-Term Stays in Birmingham →Stay options powered by Stay22 · affiliate
NarrowTheList highly recommends you spend a week or two in Birmingham and experience everyday life before deciding whether it is the right place to call home. Use that time to explore neighborhoods, drive your normal routes, shop where residents shop, and get a feel for the area at different times of day.
NarrowTheList Ratings
Data-driven starter ratings. More categories appear automatically as new datasets are added.
Housing & Cost of Living in Birmingham
Current housing indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau
Median Home Value$158,800
Median Gross Rent$1,107
Homeownership45.5%
Housing Vacancy18.8%
Home values are comparatively balanced against local household income, although individual neighborhoods can still vary substantially. Renters make up a substantial share of the local housing market.
Jobs, Income & Remote Work
Employment and household-income context for Birmingham, AL
Median Household Income$46,051
Unemployment5.8%
Work From Home9.9%
The reported unemployment rate is in a middle range. A meaningful share of employed residents work from home.
Population & Household Profile
Who lives in Birmingham and how households are structured
Population198,173
Median Age35.6
Average Household Size2.1
Birmingham is a mid-sized community where neighborhood and nearby-employment patterns can materially affect a relocation decision.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year. NarrowTheList presents these values as relocation context; conditions can vary within a community.
Climate & Weather in Birmingham
Long-term NOAA climate normals and practical seasonal context
NOAA climate normals for Birmingham point to hot summers, cool winters, substantial annual rainfall and occasional snowfall.
Average Summer High91.0°F
Average Winter Low34.9°F
Annual Rainfall58.2 in.
Annual Snowfall1.4 in.
Seasonal Life in Birmingham
What the long-term climate pattern may mean for everyday living.
Spring
Spring is a good time to see how wetter conditions affect drainage, yards, commuting and the usability of outdoor spaces.
Summer
Summer heat is a meaningful part of daily life. During a trial stay, pay attention to afternoon comfort, cooling use, vehicle heat and how much outdoor activity shifts toward mornings and evenings.
Fall
Fall marks a substantial seasonal transition here. It is a useful time to judge how quickly temperatures change and whether that seasonal swing fits the lifestyle you want.
Winter
Winter is generally cool with limited snowfall. Heating needs still matter, but snow-related disruption should be less central than in colder markets.
Source: NOAA/NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020. Seasonal descriptions are relocation context derived from the available long-term normals, not a forecast.
County Intelligence
Birmingham & Its Counties
Medium
Foreclosure Activity
Birmingham spans Jefferson and Shelby counties.
Living in a community that crosses county lines can make location within Birmingham especially important. Property taxes, housing characteristics, public services and other county-level factors may vary depending on which part of the community you call home.
Current NarrowTheList data for Birmingham shows a population of about 198,173. These local figures become more useful when read together with county-level tax, housing, foreclosure and demographic conditions rather than treated as isolated city statistics.
Foreclosure Activity: Medium. Current signal uses NarrowTheList foreclosure-opportunity data until direct county delinquency and foreclosure datasets are connected.
For someone comparing homes, county boundaries can matter because taxes, public services, court and recording systems, assessment practices and housing-market conditions are often administered or reported at the county level. NarrowTheList keeps that county relationship attached to the community so future tax, foreclosure, housing and demographic data can be interpreted in the correct geographic context.
County relationship
Jefferson County and Shelby County
How NarrowTheList uses it
NarrowTheList connects Birmingham with all 2 of its counties rather than assigning the community to only one. As additional county data becomes available, those differences can be compared alongside city-level information to help identify which parts of the area may better fit your priorities.
Nearby Cities & Communities
Nearby incorporated cities, towns, villages and other municipalities shown by straight-line distance.