Alabaster vs Montgomery
Alabaster, Alabama versus Montgomery, Alabama: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Alabaster and Montgomery score about the same overall (49 vs 51 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Alabaster | Montgomery |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $89k | $54k |
| Cost of Living | $56k | $45k |
| Home Value | $227k | $142k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.45% | 0.38% |
| Income Tax | 5.00% | 5.00% |
| Sales Tax | 9.29% | 9.29% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.21% | 9.06% |
| Unemployment | 3.0% | 7.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 44°F | 48°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 80°F | 82°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 58.7 in | 54.6 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 1.2 in | 0.3 in |
| Sunny Days | 264 days | 249 days |
| Summer Humidity | 71°F | 71°F |
| Comfortable Days | 80 days | 82 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 61.1 | 57.1 |
| Air Quality | 38 AQI | 50 AQI |
| School Quality | 49.6 | 39.7 |
| Violent Crime | 845/100k | 12/100k |
| Property Crime | 2102/100k | 2/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 33,417 | 199,819 |
| Median Age | 39.9 | 36.1 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.45 | 0.52 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.96 | 0.88 |
| Political Leaning | R+41 | D+32 |
| White (%) | 69.4% | 27.8% |
| Black (%) | 17.6% | 62.5% |
| Hispanic (%) | 8.8% | 3.9% |
| Asian (%) | 1.3% | 3.5% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 2.9% | 2.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 32 min | 20 min |
| Walkability | 6.3/20 | 14.7/20 |
| Airport Distance | 24 mi | 89 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 93.9% | 87.0% |
| Amenities Nearby | 13.77 | 6.16 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Limited |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Alabaster or Montgomery more affordable?
- Montgomery has the lower cost of living: its index is $45k, compared with Alabaster's $56k and Montgomery's $45k. Median rent is $1k in Alabaster versus $1k in Montgomery.
- Is Alabaster or Montgomery safer?
- Montgomery has the lower violent crime rate. Alabaster reports 845/100k and Montgomery reports 12/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Alabaster or Montgomery?
- The median home value is $227k in Alabaster and $142k in Montgomery, so homes are more affordable in Montgomery.