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Birmingham

#156 in Best Cities to Retire in America
  • B-
    Overall Grade
  • City in Alabama
  • 338 reviews
    B-
    Overall Niche Grade
    How are grades calculated?
    1. Public Schools
      D
    2. Crime & Safety
      C-
    3. Housing
      C
    4. Nightlife
      B+
    5. Good for Families
      C
    6. Diversity
      A-
    7. Jobs
      C+
    8. Weather
      B
    9. Cost of Living
      A-
    10. Health & Fitness
      C+
    11. Outdoor Activities
      B+
    12. Commute
      A-
    View Full Report Card
    Birmingham is a city in Alabama with a population of 212,021. Birmingham is in Jefferson County. Living in Birmingham offers residents a dense suburban feel and most residents rent their homes. In Birmingham there are a lot of parks. Many families and young professionals live in Birmingham and residents tend to be liberal.
    About Birmingham...
    Population
    212,021

    Real Estate

    Median Home Value
    $89,200
    National
    $184,700
    Median Rent
    $797
    National
    $949
    Area Feel
    Dense Suburban
    Rent vs. Own
    • Rent
      54%
    • Own
      46%
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    Birmingham Rankings

    Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.

    Birmingham Neighborhood Map

    • Public Schools
    • Private Schools

      Crime & Safety

      Crime & Safety
      C-
      Based on violent and property crime rates.
      Violent Crimes
      • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
      National
      • Assault
        1,337.4
        282.7
      • Murder
        41.8
        6.1
      • Rape
        85.5
        40.7
      • Robbery
        446.9
        135.5
      Property Crimes
      • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
      National
      • Burglary
        1,213.4
        500.1
      • Theft
        4,268.5
        2,042.8
      • Motor Vehicle Theft
        832.1
        284

      Residents

      Diversity
      A-
      Based on ethnic and economic diversity.
      Age
      • <10 years
        12%
      • 10-17 years
        8%
      • 18-24 years
        11%
      • 25-34 years
        17%
      • 35-44 years
        12%
      • 45-54 years
        12%
      • 55-64 years
        14%
      • 65+ years
        14%
      Education Levels
      National
      • Master's degree or higher
        10%
        12%
      • Bachelor's degree
        16%
        19%
      • Some college or associate's degree
        32%
        29%
      • High school diploma or equivalent
        28%
        28%
      • Less than high school diploma
        14%
        13%

      Working in Birmingham

      Jobs
      C+
      Based on employment rates, job and business growth, and cost of living.
      Median Household Income
      $35,346
      National
      $55,322
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      Birmingham Reviews

      338 reviews
      All Categories
      If it weren't for the constant traffic on 280, I'd want to stay here forever! It's easy to get anywhere you need to go, especially with everything so close to the UAB campus. Five Points South is the only place you need to go for nightlife, but don't be afraid to keep exploring! There's cute little deli places and hole in the wall coffee shops that will keep you running all through the long workday. I do wish there were more accessible public libraries, but as a student, I'm blessed to be able to use UAB's library system (which has more than enough books to satisfy my bookish tendencies). Sometimes parking can be a hassle, though, so remember to always keep some spare change for the parking meters when traveling downtown.
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      Since moving to downtown Birmingham a year and a half ago this city has really grown on me! I love that I can bike to places like First Ave Rocks, Railroad Park, and my yoga studio. The community here is amazing as well. It has been exciting to watch the city grow in just the short time I have lived here. There is always an event happening or a new locally owned shop opening up. The one thing I would love to see Birmingham to better with is adding more bike lanes. I generally feel pretty safe biking around but there are some streets it would be a lot more comfortable for both me and the cars I share the road with.
      I love Birmingham,al I was born and raised here in the city.Birmingham has came a long ways from when i was growing up, there are more parks,family attractions, and more business. I would love to see our Birmingham Public School system improve! The children are the future and we need our education system to improve for the better.