Population 23,488 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Mountain Brook: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Mountain Brook
Household size in Mountain Brook
| Period | Mountain Brook | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.67 | 2.56 | 2.55 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.64 | 2.59 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.73 | 2.59 | 2.58 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.62 | 2.57 | 2.56 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.05 | +0.01 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Mountain Brook average 2.62 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.67, mirroring the country. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the north.
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 Mountain Brook
| Period | Mountain Brook | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.8 | 37.9 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.3 | 39.1 | 39.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.8 | 39.9 | 40.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.6 | 40.0 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.8 | +2.1 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 44.6, Mountain Brook is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 40.8 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. The youngest areas are in the north, the oldest in the west.
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 Mountain Brook
| Period | Mountain Brook | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.5% | 12.1% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 3.4% | 12.0% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.2% | 11.2% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.4% | 12.0% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| Change | −3.2 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 2.4% of households in Mountain Brook, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 3.2 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Mountain Brook has the lowest share of single-parent households of any Alabama city with 5,000+ people.
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 Mountain Brook
Renters in Mountain Brook
| Period | Mountain Brook | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.4% | 27.9% | 28.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 18.5% | 30.4% | 30.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.7% | 30.6% | 31.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 14.8% | 29.2% | 29.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | +1.3 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 14.8% of households in Mountain Brook rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 40.6% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the southeast and least common in the center. Since 2006–10, the renter share has edged down 0.7 points, even as the national share rose.
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 Mountain Brook
| Period | Mountain Brook | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.1% | 12.5% | 14.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.4% | 12.8% | 14.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.3% | 13.6% | 15.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.9% | 11.6% | 13.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.8 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Mountain Brook is close to the national rate: 9.9% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. The rate is lower than in the Birmingham area as a whole (11.6%). Since 2006–10, vacancy has edged up 0.8 points, even as the national rate fell.
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 Mountain Brook
| Period | Mountain Brook | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1963 | 1979 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1962 | 1981 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1968 | 1982 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1966 | 1984 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +5 | +6 | +6 |
Mountain Brook is a place of older homes: half were built before 1966, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Newer construction is concentrated in the southeast, while the west has the oldest housing. Of the 186 Alabama cities with 5,000+ people, only six have older homes.
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 Mountain Brook
| Period | Mountain Brook | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,227 | $827 | $716 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,274 | $903 | $785 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,724 | $984 | $858 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,531 | $1,238 | $1,091 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$305 | +$412 | +$375 | +$606 |
Rent in Mountain Brook runs $1,531 a month at the median, utilities included, close to the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents here are higher than in the Birmingham area as a whole ($1,238). Rent has climbed $305 a month since 2006–10, up 25%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 27.6% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Mountain Brook
Bachelor's degrees in Mountain Brook
| Period | Mountain Brook | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 77.0% | 28.3% | 23.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 80.8% | 29.1% | 24.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 82.1% | 31.1% | 26.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 80.4% | 34.7% | 29.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.5 pts | +6.4 pts | +5.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Mountain Brook: 80.4% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. The share with a degree has risen 3.5 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. No other Alabama city with 5,000+ people has a higher share of college graduates.
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 Mountain Brook
| Period | Mountain Brook | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 98.4% | 85.7% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 98.6% | 86.8% | 84.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 99.0% | 88.9% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.5% | 90.5% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | +4.9 pts | +6.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Mountain Brook: 97.5% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is down 0.8 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate rose. Only one other Alabama city with 5,000+ people has a higher share of high school graduates.
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 Mountain Brook
| Period | Mountain Brook | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.8% | 8.0% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.1% | 9.2% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.0% | 5.9% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.5% | 4.4% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | −3.6 pts | −3.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Mountain Brook has been low: just 2.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Mountain Brook has lower unemployment than at least four in five Alabama cities. 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).
Mountain Brook compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Brook | 2.62 | 44.6 | 2.4% | 14.8% | 9.9% | 1966 | $1,531 | 80.4% | 97.5% | 2.5% |
| Birmingham area | 2.57 | 40.0 | 12.0% | 29.2% | 11.6% | 1984 | $1,238 | 34.7% | 90.5% | 4.4% |
| Vestavia Hills | 2.53 | 41.3 | 8.1% | 29.8% | 9.1% | 1983 | $1,518 | 68.7% | 96.0% | 2.2% |
| Homewood | 2.52 | 32.1 | 8.2% | 37.7% | 12.9% | 1966 | $1,597 | 68.5% | 95.0% | 2.0% |
| Irondale | 2.37 | 40.0 | 9.7% | 36.6% | 7.9% | 1981 | $1,246 | 40.1% | 91.4% | 4.1% |
| Tarrant | 2.23 | 39.7 | 15.2% | 60.5% | 10.9% | 1963 | $920 | 7.6% | 69.4% | 5.9% |
| Meadowbrook | 2.73 | 41.6 | 5.7% | 7.0% | 9.7% | 1988 | $1,419 | 72.9% | 98.9% | 1.2% |
| Hoover | 2.52 | 39.9 | 9.0% | 32.7% | 7.4% | 1992 | $1,535 | 60.9% | 96.7% | 3.1% |
| Indian Springs Village | 2.99 | 40.3 | 8.3% | 9.8% | 5.7% | 1985 | $1,636 | 63.8% | 95.0% | 2.8% |
| Simmsville | 1.96 | 56.7 | 7.1% | 9.5% | 4.3% | 2005 | $1,625 | 58.7% | 98.3% | 5.6% |
| Fairfield | 2.53 | 34.8 | 31.4% | 43.5% | 19.9% | 1961 | $1,041 | 20.5% | 91.9% | 4.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Portsmouth, OH · Kaukauna, WI · Keene, NH · Aberdeen, MD · Kennett Square, PA · King George, VA · Lemont, IL · Lincolnia, VA · Lynden, WA · Machesney Park, IL
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 Mountain Brook. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.