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.