Can you afford to live in Birmingham?
Median household income, home values and rent in Birmingham, AL — how they've changed since 2015 and how much of a typical paycheck housing takes compared with the rest of the country.
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
This story was assembled using AI and public data sources.
What it costs to live in Birmingham.
Median household income: $44,376 — +42.9% since 2015 (not adjusted for inflation)
Median gross rent: $1,047/mo — +43.8% since 2015
Median home value, 2015 to 2023
- 2015: 86800
- 2023: 138600
Median household income
- Birmingham: 44376
- Jefferson County: 64589
- AL: 62027
- U.S.: 78538
Median gross rent
- Birmingham: 1047
- Jefferson County: 1132
- AL: 963
- U.S.: 1348
Share of income a typical renter spends on rent: 33.4% — U.S.: 30.2%
What it means
The typical household here earns $44,376 — far lower than the national figure of $78,538.
The typical renter here spends 33.4% of household income on rent, above the 30% level housing agencies use to define cost burden.
Since 2015, rent has risen faster than income here (+43.8% versus +42.9%), before adjusting for inflation.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates — Population, income, housing, education, commuting and poverty figures
- Census Bureau API — ACS Detailed Tables — The endpoint these pages are generated from
- data.census.gov — Look up the same tables for any place yourself
- ACS accuracy statement — Estimates carry margins of error; small places vary the most
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