Homewood vs Vestavia Hills
Homewood, 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.
Homewood and Vestavia Hills score about the same overall (54 vs 53 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Homewood | Vestavia Hills |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $97k | $128k |
| Cost of Living | $49k | $56k |
| Home Value | $464k | $468k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.62% | 0.78% |
| Income Tax | 5.00% | 5.00% |
| Sales Tax | 9.29% | 9.29% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 11.00% | 10.92% |
| Unemployment | 2.0% | 1.5% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 45°F | 45°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 81°F | 81°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 58.9 in | 55.9 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 1.4 in | 1.4 in |
| Sunny Days | 264 days | 254 days |
| Summer Humidity | 71°F | 70°F |
| Comfortable Days | 85 days | 85 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 47.3 | 44.0 |
| Air Quality | 56 AQI | 54 AQI |
| School Quality | 51.9 | 51.6 |
| Violent Crime | 714/100k | 304/100k |
| Property Crime | 1528/100k | 743/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 27,557 | 38,600 |
| Median Age | 29.8 | 40.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.37 | 0.25 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.78 | 0.92 |
| Political Leaning | D+13 | R+41 |
| White (%) | 74.4% | 85.5% |
| Black (%) | 13.7% | 5.4% |
| Hispanic (%) | 5.6% | 2.3% |
| Asian (%) | 2.8% | 4.9% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.5% | 1.8% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 17 min | 20 min |
| Walkability | 11.2/20 | 8.5/20 |
| Airport Distance | 8 mi | 7 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 93.2% | 93.1% |
| Amenities Nearby | 126.65 | 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 Homewood or Vestavia Hills more affordable?
- Homewood has the lower cost of living: its index is $49k, compared with Homewood's $49k and Vestavia Hills's $56k. Median rent is $1k in Homewood versus $1k in Vestavia Hills.
- Is Homewood or Vestavia Hills safer?
- Vestavia Hills has the lower violent crime rate. Homewood reports 714/100k and Vestavia Hills reports 304/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Homewood or Vestavia Hills?
- The median home value is $464k in Homewood and $468k in Vestavia Hills, so homes are more affordable in Homewood.