Birmingham, AL, known as 'The Magic City,' offers a unique blend of historic charm and modern urban amenities. Located in the north-central part of Alabama, Birmingham is a large city that serves as a major cultural and economic hub. Major nearby cities like Hoover and Tuscaloosa enhance its status as a central point in the region. Birmingham's blend of historic landmarks, cultural festivals, and urban amenities creates a distinctive living experience.
Birmingham is home to several iconic landmarks, including the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, the historic Vulcan Park and Museum, and the scenic Birmingham Botanical Gardens. The city offers a variety of attractions, from the beautiful Railroad Park to the bustling The Summit, known for its shopping and dining. Birmingham's dining scene is diverse, offering everything from Southern cuisine to international dishes.
Annual events such as the Sidewalk Film Festival and the Magic City Art Connection highlight the city's vibrant cultural scene and provide unique entertainment opportunities for residents and visitors. These events celebrate Birmingham's rich cultural heritage and community spirit. Prestigious institutions like the University of Alabama at Birmingham contribute to the city's academic and cultural vibrancy, fostering a thriving intellectual community.
The arts and culture scene in Birmingham is dynamic and diverse, with numerous theaters, music venues, and art galleries. The Alabama Theatre and the Birmingham Museum of Art are just a few of the cultural landmarks that showcase the city's commitment to the arts. Living in Birmingham provides ample opportunities to engage with art, music, and history, making it an exciting place to call home.
Birmingham’s community is welcoming and diverse, creating a friendly environment for newcomers. The city is home to professional sports teams like the Birmingham Barons (MiLB) and the Birmingham Legion FC (USL), providing plenty of excitement for sports fans. Major industries in Birmingham include healthcare, education, and finance, with significant employers such as UAB Health System and Regions Financial Corporation driving economic growth. The city has extensive public transit options, including buses and bike-sharing programs, making commuting convenient.
Commute
High commute scores indicates that public transit should be easily accessible in this area and the average commute time to work is less than average.
Cost Of Living
The overall cost of living in this area is much lower than average. This includes everyday goods and services, as well as housing, utilities and health care.
Housing
This area has received high scores in the housing category. This could be due to a positive home affordability ratio, high appreciation rates or elevated home values.
Crime
This area is reporting high crime rates per 100,000 people and could signify that it is a dangerous place to live. Crime rates include both violent and property crimes.
Employment
A low score in the employment category could indicate that this area struggles with high unemployment rates and low household income and income per capita levels.
Health & Safety
Poor air quality and the inaccessibility of certain health related facilities like hospitals, clinics, doctors and pharmacies could have all contributed to the low score in this category.
Schools
Lower than average education levels, poor reading and math scores, as well as the inaccessibility of local elementary and high schools could all be factors in the low schools score.
Birmingham is a large city located in the state of Alabama. The city has a population of 210,928 inhabitants. According to Census, the majority (68%) of Birmingham residents identify as Black or African American followed by 27% White and 1% Asian. Birmingham is not known to have a high population (over 15 years old) of married people. At only 39% married, this city falls well below the national average.
Living in Birmingham can be a fulfilling experience for anyone relocating to the town. Having said that, in the state of Alabama, there are many desirable places to live, so choose wisely! When searching for a new neighborhood, several factors play a vital role in determining its suitability. Safety should be a top priority, ensuring a secure environment with low crime rates. Proximity to your workplace or school helps minimize commuting time and allows for a better work-life balance. Availability of essential amenities such as parks, coffee shops, restaurants, grocery stores, and healthcare facilities contributes to convenience and well-being. Access to reliable public transportation options facilitates easy commuting and connectivity. Additionally, considering the sense of community and the overall atmosphere that resonates with your lifestyle and preferences fosters a harmonious living experience. To help you find the best places to live in and around Birmingham, AreaVibes has created a livability score using key metrics like crime, commute, education, employment, housing and more.
Birmingham has a livability score of 65/100 and is ranked #67 in Alabama and #10,962 in the USA. If we dig a little deeper into each category within the livability score, we see that Birmingham has higher than average grades for the following: cost of living (A+) and housing (B+). The bad news for Birmingham, there are some categories for which it does not score well, this includes: education (D-) and employment (F).
Finding affordable real estate and housing in Birmingham can be tricky. Having said that, this area might be the place to get the best of both worlds. Based on factors like home/rental affordability and appreciation rates, this area has received an above average score in the housing category. A healthy real estate market can lead to wealth appreciation for property owners, as rising property values can contribute to homeowners' equity, financial stability and the ability to build long-term wealth.
Being close to public transit, grocery stores, parks and other conveniences are all important when weighing your options for a new home in Birmingham. Before you determine if any of these amenities are available in the area, you will also want to know if the real estate prices in Birmingham are affordable. The median home price for Birmingham homes is $97,500, which is 24.1% lower than the Alabama average. If we take a closer look at the affordability of homes in Birmingham, we’ll see that the home price to income ratio is 2.5, which is 13.8% lower than the Alabama average.
| Statistic | Birmingham | Alabama | National |
| Average one way commute | 22min | 25min | 26min |
| Workers who drive to work | 77.9% | 85.7% | 76.4% |
| Workers who carpool | 10.9% | 8.8% | 9.3% |
| Workers who take public transit | 1.9% | 0.4% | 5.1% |
| Workers who bicycle | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.6% |
| Workers who walk | 3.0% | 1.1% | 2.8% |
| Working from home | 4.4% | 2.9% | 4.6% |
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