Alabaster vs Vestavia Hills
Alabaster, Alabama versus Vestavia Hills, Alabama: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Vestavia Hills edges out Alabaster on overall objective livability (53 vs 49 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Alabaster | Vestavia Hills |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $89k | $128k |
| Cost of Living | $56k | $56k |
| Home Value | $227k | $468k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.45% | 0.78% |
| Income Tax | 5.00% | 5.00% |
| Sales Tax | 9.29% | 9.29% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.21% | 10.92% |
| Unemployment | 3.0% | 1.5% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 44°F | 45°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 80°F | 81°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 58.7 in | 55.9 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 1.2 in | 1.4 in |
| Sunny Days | 264 days | 254 days |
| Summer Humidity | 71°F | 70°F |
| Comfortable Days | 80 days | 85 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 61.1 | 44.0 |
| Air Quality | 38 AQI | 54 AQI |
| School Quality | 49.6 | 51.6 |
| Violent Crime | 845/100k | 304/100k |
| Property Crime | 2102/100k | 743/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 33,417 | 38,600 |
| Median Age | 39.9 | 40.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.45 | 0.25 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.96 | 0.92 |
| Political Leaning | R+41 | R+41 |
| White (%) | 69.4% | 85.5% |
| Black (%) | 17.6% | 5.4% |
| Hispanic (%) | 8.8% | 2.3% |
| Asian (%) | 1.3% | 4.9% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 2.9% | 1.8% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 32 min | 20 min |
| Walkability | 6.3/20 | 8.5/20 |
| Airport Distance | 24 mi | 7 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 93.9% | 93.1% |
| Amenities Nearby | 13.77 | 76.94 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Excellent |
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 Vestavia Hills more affordable?
- Vestavia Hills has the lower cost of living: its index is $56k, compared with Alabaster's $56k and Vestavia Hills's $56k. Median rent is $1k in Alabaster versus $1k in Vestavia Hills.
- Is Alabaster or Vestavia Hills safer?
- Vestavia Hills has the lower violent crime rate. Alabaster reports 845/100k and Vestavia Hills reports 304/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Alabaster or Vestavia Hills?
- The median home value is $227k in Alabaster and $468k in Vestavia Hills, so homes are more affordable in Alabaster.