Residential comparison · 13 facts
Birmingham, AL vs Vestavia Hills, 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 $88,000 in Vestavia Hills to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Vestavia Hills, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $82,000 in Birmingham.
A few differences
- Vestavia Hills is lower on property tax rate (0.4% vs 0.75%).
- Vestavia Hills is lower on sales tax (9.3% vs 10%).
- Vestavia Hills is higher on median household income ($134,369 vs $42,000).
Birmingham vs Vestavia Hills · facet by facet
| Facet | Birmingham, AL | Vestavia Hills, AL |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $130,000 | $530,000 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,350/mo | $1,511/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 | 105 |
| Groceries index | 97 | 97 |
| Utilities | $175/mo | $190/mo |
| Median household income | $42,000 | $134,369 |
| 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 · Vestavia Hills, AL
Questions & answers
- Is Birmingham cheaper than Vestavia Hills?
- Birmingham has the lower day-to-day cost index (88 vs 105 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Vestavia Hills equals $85,000 in Birmingham?
- A household earning $85,000 in Birmingham needs about $88,000 in Vestavia Hills to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Vestavia Hills lifestyle costs about $82,000 in Birmingham.