Birmingham vs Huntsville
Birmingham, Alabama versus Huntsville, Alabama: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Birmingham and Huntsville score about the same overall (44 vs 45 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Birmingham | Huntsville |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $42k | $68k |
| Cost of Living | $49k | $50k |
| Home Value | $123k | $236k |
| Monthly Rent | $995 | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.70% | 0.50% |
| Income Tax | 6.00% | 5.00% |
| Sales Tax | 9.29% | 9.29% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 11.10% | 9.81% |
| Unemployment | 7.5% | 4.6% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 44°F | 42°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 81°F | 80°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 58.3 in | 59.3 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 1.4 in | 2.4 in |
| Sunny Days | 264 days | 229 days |
| Summer Humidity | 71°F | 70°F |
| Comfortable Days | 85 days | 72 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 72.4 | 53.3 |
| Air Quality | 56 AQI | 30 AQI |
| School Quality | 54.3 | 40.2 |
| Violent Crime | 3419/100k | 1819/100k |
| Property Crime | 4245/100k | 1946/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 200,431 | 215,025 |
| Median Age | 35.9 | 36.5 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.47 | 0.56 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.89 | 0.96 |
| Political Leaning | D+13 | Even |
| White (%) | 23.4% | 56.9% |
| Black (%) | 68.4% | 30.2% |
| Hispanic (%) | 4.0% | 6.4% |
| Asian (%) | 1.5% | 2.1% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 2.7% | 4.4% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 22 min | 19 min |
| Walkability | 13.7/20 | 10.3/20 |
| Airport Distance | 6 mi | 79 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 81.4% | 89.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 11.97 | 12.14 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Moderate |
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 Birmingham or Huntsville more affordable?
- Birmingham has the lower cost of living: its index is $49k, compared with Birmingham's $49k and Huntsville's $50k. Median rent is $995 in Birmingham versus $1k in Huntsville.
- Is Birmingham or Huntsville safer?
- Huntsville has the lower violent crime rate. Birmingham reports 3419/100k and Huntsville reports 1819/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Birmingham or Huntsville?
- The median home value is $123k in Birmingham and $236k in Huntsville, so homes are more affordable in Birmingham.