The Birmingham metro area: Bibb, Blount, Chilton, Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair and Walker counties · Population 1,184,613 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in the Birmingham area
Household size in the Birmingham area
| Period | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.56 | 2.55 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.59 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.59 | 2.58 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.57 | 2.56 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.01 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in the Birmingham area average 2.57 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). Households are largest in the northeast and smallest in the center.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in the Birmingham area
| Period | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.9 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.1 | 39.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.9 | 40.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.0 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.1 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
At 40.0, the median age in the Birmingham area is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The median age has climbed from 37.9 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. The youngest areas are in the center, the oldest in the southeast.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in the Birmingham area
| Period | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.1% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.0% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.2% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.0% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in eight households in the Birmingham area (12.0%), close to the national share of 11.6%. The Birmingham area has a higher share of single-parent households than most large metro areas.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in the Birmingham area
Renters in the Birmingham area
| Period | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.9% | 28.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.4% | 30.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 30.6% | 31.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 29.2% | 29.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.3 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
About three in ten households in the Birmingham area rent their homes (29.2%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Just over four in ten owners (41.9%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. The renter share has edged up 1.3 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Only eight of the 100 large U.S. metro areas have a lower share of renters.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in the Birmingham area
| Period | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.5% | 14.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.8% | 14.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.6% | 15.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.6% | 13.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | −0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs a little high in the Birmingham area: 11.6% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Even so, the rate is lower than in Alabama overall (13.5%).
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in the Birmingham area
| Period | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1979 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1981 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1982 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1984 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in the Birmingham area are a bit newer than the national norm: the median home was built in 1984, versus 1980 across the U.S. The median year built has moved up from 1979 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, the oldest in the center.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in the Birmingham area
| Period | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $827 | $716 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $903 | $785 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $984 | $858 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,238 | $1,091 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$412 | +$375 | +$606 |
Rent in the Birmingham area runs $1,238 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Still, rents here are higher than in Alabama overall ($1,091). Rent has climbed $412 a month since 2006–10, up 50%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 30.2% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in the Birmingham area
Bachelor's degrees in the Birmingham area
| Period | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.3% | 23.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 29.1% | 24.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.1% | 26.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 34.7% | 29.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.4 pts | +5.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in the Birmingham area as nationally: 34.7% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share is higher than in Alabama overall (29.0%). The share with a degree is up 6.4 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in the Birmingham area
| Period | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 85.7% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.8% | 84.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.9% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.5% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.9 pts | +6.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in the Birmingham area have finished high school as nationally: 90.5%, against 89.3%. The rate is higher than in Alabama overall (88.7%). The share with a diploma is up 4.9 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in the Birmingham area
| Period | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.0% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.2% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.9% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.4% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.6 pts | −3.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in the Birmingham area runs below the national rate: 4.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment is down 3.6 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Largest cities in the Birmingham area
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham area (all) | 2.57 | 40.0 | 12.0% | 29.2% | 11.6% | 1984 | $1,238 | 34.7% | 90.5% | 4.4% |
| Hoover | 2.52 | 39.9 | 9.0% | 32.7% | 7.4% | 1992 | $1,535 | 60.9% | 96.7% | 3.1% |
| Bessemer | 2.53 | 40.5 | 15.9% | 34.0% | 12.4% | 1978 | $1,226 | 24.3% | 87.9% | 5.3% |
| Vestavia Hills | 2.53 | 41.3 | 8.1% | 29.8% | 9.1% | 1983 | $1,518 | 68.7% | 96.0% | 2.2% |
| Jasper | 2.63 | 40.8 | 10.4% | 27.3% | 13.5% | 1984 | $817 | 22.4% | 87.4% | 4.7% |
| Alabaster | 2.72 | 38.1 | 11.2% | 16.2% | 6.1% | 1993 | $1,475 | 37.7% | 93.1% | 3.9% |
| Homewood | 2.52 | 32.1 | 8.2% | 37.7% | 12.9% | 1966 | $1,597 | 68.5% | 95.0% | 2.0% |
| Trussville | 2.83 | 41.2 | 8.5% | 9.9% | 5.5% | 1997 | $1,453 | 42.5% | 95.8% | 1.4% |
| Helena | 2.91 | 38.3 | 6.8% | 7.5% | 8.6% | 2003 | $1,920 | 54.8% | 97.5% | 2.3% |
| Mountain Brook | 2.62 | 44.6 | 2.4% | 14.8% | 9.9% | 1966 | $1,531 | 80.4% | 97.5% | 2.5% |
| Pelham | 2.58 | 40.9 | 11.2% | 17.7% | 4.8% | 1996 | $1,370 | 45.4% | 94.8% | 2.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Metro areas of similar size: Tucson area · Rochester area · Grand Rapids area · Fresno area · Buffalo area · Hartford area · Salt Lake City area · Richmond area · Memphis area · Louisville area
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up the Birmingham area. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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