Residential comparison · 13 facts
Birmingham, AL vs Montgomery, AL
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Birmingham needs about $79,000 in Montgomery to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Montgomery, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $91,000 in Birmingham.
A few differences
- Montgomery is lower on property tax rate (0.4% vs 0.75%).
- Montgomery is lower on sales tax (9.3% vs 10%).
- Montgomery is higher on median household income ($56,811 vs $42,000).
Birmingham vs Montgomery · facet by facet
| Facet | Birmingham, AL | Montgomery, AL |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $130,000 | $161,900 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,350/mo | $1,031/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.75% | 0.4% |
| State & local income tax | 5.41% | 4.41% |
| Sales tax | 10% | 9.3% |
| Cost of living index | 88 | 78 |
| Groceries index | 97 | 97 |
| Utilities | $175/mo | $190/mo |
| Median household income | $42,000 | $56,811 |
| Unemployment rate | 4% | 2.9% |
| Crime index | 68/100 | 55/100 |
| School rating | 4.5/10 | 4.3/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 205 days | 215 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Birmingham, AL · Montgomery, AL
Questions & answers
- Is Birmingham cheaper than Montgomery?
- Montgomery has the lower day-to-day cost index (78 vs 88 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Montgomery equals $85,000 in Birmingham?
- A household earning $85,000 in Birmingham needs about $79,000 in Montgomery to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Montgomery lifestyle costs about $91,000 in Birmingham.