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2020 Best Places to Raise a Family in the Birmingham AreaAbout this List

Explore the best places to raise a family based on public schools, crime rates, cost of living, and family-friendly amenities. Ranking based on data from the U.S. Census, FBI, BLS, CDC, and other data sources. Read more on how this ranking was calculated.

Area type classifications are based on populations and proximity to major city centers.

City

City Neighborhood

Suburbs

Towns

Public Schools Grade

Based on data including state test scores, college readiness, graduation rates, SAT/ACT scores, teacher quality, as well as reviews from students and parents.

A

B

C

D

Based on cost of living factors for an area including housing costs, tax rates, and cost of essentials like food and fuel.

$

$$

$$$

$$$$

Who Lives Here

Families

Young Professionals

Retirees

Walkability

Don't Care

Care

Care A Lot

Crime & Safety Grade

Calculated based on crime rates for murder, assault, rape, burglary, and other crime statistics, as well as reviews from residents.

A

B

C

D

Homes In The Area

Single Family Homes

Large Apt. Buildings

Small Apt. Buildings

Townhomes

Homeownership

Most Own

Balanced

Most Rent

Based on 2012 and 2016 presidential election results compared to the national average.

Very Conservative

Conservative

Balanced

Liberal

Very Liberal

Things to do

Bars

Don't Care

Care

Care a Lot

Restaurants

Don't Care

Care

Care a Lot

Coffee Shops

Don't Care

Care

Care a Lot

Parks

Don't Care

Care

Care a Lot

1 – 25 of 158

Best for Families

Best Places to Live
Most Diverse
Best to Buy a House

158 results

Best Places to Live
Best for Families
Best Public Schools

Most Diverse
Best for Young Professionals
Best for Retirees

Economy

Cost of Living
Best to Buy a House

Health & Outdoors

Healthiest
Outdoor Activities

Homewood
Suburb of Birmingham, AL
62 reviews
#1 Best Places to Raise a Family in Birmingham Area
Former Resident: My experience at Homewood has been nothing but the best! I was raised in Homewood and went to Homewood City Schools for the majority of my life. The teachers at Homewood want nothing but the best for their students. They go the long mile to provide an environment of learning that enables students to be individuals of their own. Homewood is a family oriented community. They strive to do their best to keep the community going. The community has fundraisers, events, and foundations to give back to the city. As a senior in college finishing up my last semester, I appreciate the people who have raised and helped me achieve my overall success!
Read 62 Reviews
A+
Overall Niche Grade
A+
Public Schools
A+
Good for Families
25,595 Population
View Nearby Homes
Indian Springs Village
Suburb of Birmingham, AL
8 reviews
#2 Best Places to Raise a Family in Birmingham Area
Current Resident: It's country living in a sub-urban area. It is primarily residential, with some commercial areas at the periphery. It's quiet, minimum traffic, wooded. Indian Springs Village is right across the highway from Alabama's largest (10,000 acre) state park.
Read 8 Reviews
A+
Overall Niche Grade
A+
Public Schools
A+
Good for Families
2,590 Population
View Nearby Homes
Mountain Brook
Suburb of Birmingham, AL
22 reviews
#3 Best Places to Raise a Family in Birmingham Area
Current Resident: Everyone in Mountain Brook is very friendly and the education is amazing. There are so many opportunities to stay active in the community. My only complaints are that there is a lack of diversity and the lack of street lights. For all of the young drivers out there, it makes it difficult once it gets dark out. Other than that, Mountain Brook is amazing. I could not have asked for a better place to live!
Read 22 Reviews
A+
Overall Niche Grade
A+
Public Schools
A+
Good for Families
20,466 Population
View Nearby Homes
Hoover
Town in Alabama
196 reviews
#4 Best Places to Raise a Family in Birmingham Area
Current Resident: The city of Hoover is a nice place to live and raise a family. It’s a family-oriented place and has very good schools in the area. It’s especially convenient to live because of its location - you are minutes away from the big interstates and highways, and everything is easily accessible. There are endless dining and entertainment options, as well as a huge shopping mall (The Galleria) and many other popular stores. It’s a generally safe place to live and has many beautiful neighborhoods and standalone homes to choose from. There is something for everyone in Hoover.
Read 196 Reviews
A+
Overall Niche Grade
A+
Public Schools
A+
Good for Families
84,480 Population
View Nearby Homes
Vestavia Hills
Suburb of Birmingham, AL
41 reviews
#5 Best Places to Raise a Family in Birmingham Area
Current Resident: Big city, small town charm! Lots of small businesses and restaurants all over this many square mile city. Schools are excellent. Children are well behaved and seem to have been put through manners training-Well done Mothers! City services are top notch. Police and fire protection ranked high enough for a rate drop from my insurance carrier! Garbage pickup twice a week is pure luxury. Senior Center activities, transportation. Parks that will be the envy of all surrounding communities once they are completed. Ordinances that protect a peaceful way of life. Noise, fireworks, construction all have an ordinance that addresses their affect on tax payers quality of life.
Vestavia Hills is just a grand place to live! Some people are wealthy, some have a little money, so struggle and some are dirt poor, but they are all HARD working citizens! That is what makes this city unique. Everyone understands because everyone works for what they have. This is a dying trend in America. Well done VH!
Read 41 Reviews
A+
Overall Niche Grade
A+
Public Schools
A+
Good for Families
34,163 Population
View Nearby Homes
Meadowbrook
Suburb of Birmingham, AL
10 reviews
#6 Best Places to Raise a Family in Birmingham Area
Current Resident: Meadow Brook is a friendly neighborhood very convenient to shopping and restaurants. A beautiful neighborhood for taking a walk or run. All different age groups here from young children to senior citizens. School bus service to very good schools. Many residents making improvements and updates to the older homes.
Read 10 Reviews
A+
Overall Niche Grade
A+
Public Schools
A+
Good for Families
9,387 Population
View Nearby Homes
Helena
Suburb of Birmingham, AL
85 reviews
#7 Best Places to Raise a Family in Birmingham Area
Current Resident: Helena is a small suburban town outside of Birmingham, AL. It hosts a diversified group of families. One of the great things about Helena is the little town of Helena. It is a great gathering place for families and friends alike to come and enjoy food, festivities and local Mom and Pop shops. People just love the small town feel and the family atmosphere. It is a little off the beaten path but well worth the drive. It could use some better alternatives for night life though. The town shuts down after dark.
Read 85 Reviews
A+
Overall Niche Grade
A-
Public Schools
A+
Good for Families
17,861 Population
View Nearby Homes
Trussville
Suburb of Birmingham, AL
66 reviews
#8 Best Places to Raise a Family in Birmingham Area
Current Resident: Trussville is a wonderful place to live. Every convenience is a close drive. Lots of places to eat and shop. The biggest issue is traffic. The traffic is horrible! Trains parked on the tracks backs up traffic for hours.
Read 66 Reviews
A
Overall Niche Grade
A+
Public Schools
A+
Good for Families
21,721 Population
View Nearby Homes
Pelham
Suburb of Birmingham, AL
61 reviews
#9 Best Places to Raise a Family in Birmingham Area
Current Resident: Pelham is a small suburb town south of Birmingham, AL. I would like to see more opportunities dmfir diversity within communities and schools. This could be achieved by housing grants and programs that facilitate
education scholarships and programs to afford opportunities to students of other races and socioeconomic backgrounds to become Pelham residents and students.
Moreover, I would like to more homeschool cooperatives that allow students to work independently as we as attend school half-time.
These and other educational initiatives would empower more children of color or ethnicities to realize the quiet living in Pelham and to become assets to schools and the community as a whole.
Read 61 Reviews
A+
Overall Niche Grade
A+
Public Schools
A+
Good for Families
23,242 Population
View Nearby Homes
Chelsea
Suburb of Birmingham, AL
34 reviews
#10 Best Places to Raise a Family in Birmingham Area
Current Resident: Cheslea is a wonderful place for families. The school system is highly ranked, and there are many parks geared toward students and children. The restaurant scene has greatly improved in the last decade. There is not much to do at night, you would have to drive to Birmingham for events. Apart from retail, teaching, and food service jobs, most career opportunities are in Birmingham.
Read 34 Reviews
A
Overall Niche Grade
A-
Public Schools
A
Good for Families
12,643 Population
View Nearby Homes
Alabaster
Suburb of Birmingham, AL
104 reviews
#11 Best Places to Raise a Family in Birmingham Area
Current Resident: Alabaster is a suburb of Birmingham and is a family friendly area with parks, shopping, and great schools. The commute to Birmingham is not a bad one, especially since they are expanding the interstate to be conducive for travel. We have all the stores that your heart desires in town, and a short drive to more shopping centers. Fast food and sit down restaurants are abundant in our city, along with churches and grocery stores. There is nothing lacking in Alabaster, except maybe beaches, but they are a short drive away, as are mountains, and big cities. Alabaster is a very convenient location to raise a family.
Read 104 Reviews
A
Overall Niche Grade
A
Public Schools
A
Good for Families
32,878 Population
View Nearby Homes
Calera
Suburb of Birmingham, AL
34 reviews
#12 Best Places to Raise a Family in Birmingham Area
Current Resident: I live in south Calera, and I love it. There’s not much to do other than the railroad museum but it’s only about a 15 minute drive to Alabaster, and there’s a lot of stuff up there to do there. It’s quiet, safe, and very welcoming to new folks!
Read 34 Reviews
A
Overall Niche Grade
A-
Public Schools
A
Good for Families
13,557 Population
View Nearby Homes
Brook Highland
Suburb of Birmingham, AL
6 reviews
#13 Best Places to Raise a Family in Birmingham Area
A
Overall Niche Grade
A+
Public Schools
A
Good for Families
7,116 Population
View Nearby Homes
Springville
Town in Alabama
22 reviews
#14 Best Places to Raise a Family in Birmingham Area
Former Resident: I have lived here for my whole life and have seen a few changes along the way. They built a Walmart with shops connected including Dollar Tree, several restaurants, a gym, a soccer compound, Taco Bell, Zaxby's, two gas stations, a hair salon, Verizon store, and a KFC's. The expansion of the town has grown a lot and even made a town playground and summer pool park for the children to go to on a hot day. Everyone is usually sweet, however, the town is majority white and does not have a lot of diversity.
Read 22 Reviews
B+
Overall Niche Grade
B
Public Schools
A-
Good for Families
4,195 Population
View Nearby Homes
Irondale
Suburb of Birmingham, AL
32 reviews
#15 Best Places to Raise a Family in Birmingham Area
Current Resident: Very neighborly and people are friendly. It's a neighborhood kids can go outside and play in, under supervision of course! Lots of pet people also.
Read 32 Reviews
A-
Overall Niche Grade
B
Public Schools
B+
Good for Families
12,474 Population
View Nearby Homes
Lake View
Town in Alabama
18 reviews
#16 Best Places to Raise a Family in Birmingham Area
Current Resident: Neighbors are extremely friendly and the neighborhoods are nice! The elementary school is amazing, but the middle and high schools are not. Wish there was more development, but it's getting there.
Read 18 Reviews
B+
Overall Niche Grade
B
Public Schools
B+
Good for Families
3,028 Population
View Nearby Homes
Kimberly
Suburb of Birmingham, AL
5 reviews
#17 Best Places to Raise a Family in Birmingham Area
Current Resident: Nice neighborhoods, clean roads, very little abandoned buildings or run down places. The authority really does enforce the law and theres never been many serious news worthy crimes. One thing I would like to see change is maybe a couple more police cars mainly because theres only like two or three.
Read 5 Reviews
B
Overall Niche Grade
B+
Public Schools
B+
Good for Families
3,073 Population
View Nearby Homes
Leeds
Suburb of Birmingham, AL
14 reviews
#18 Best Places to Raise a Family in Birmingham Area
Current Resident: Leeds is a beautiful small town with an attractive, walk-able downtown area. There's a large park with a children's play area, a walking trail, ball parks and lots of grass space for picnics and playing. Leeds also has a world-class motorcycle museum and race track, a Bass Pro Shop, and a large outlet shopping mall. It's a good place to live with reasonable priced housing and nice neighbors.
Read 14 Reviews
B+
Overall Niche Grade
B-
Public Schools
B+
Good for Families
12,348 Population
View Nearby Homes
Montevallo
Suburb of Birmingham, AL
36 reviews
#19 Best Places to Raise a Family in Birmingham Area
Current Resident: Montevallo is a home away from home. It is a quaint and cunning small town. I adore the historic aspects of the college and the community as well as how it is old-fashioned with a modern twist. Montevallo is known as the most liberal town in Alabama because it is home to the only Liberal Arts college in Alabama. While maintaining an eco-friendly and diverse community, it also maintains the safety and health of its residents. I absolutely love Montevallo!
Read 36 Reviews
A-
Overall Niche Grade
A-
Public Schools
B+
Good for Families
6,654 Population
View Nearby Homes
Morris
Suburb of Birmingham, AL
7 reviews
#20 Best Places to Raise a Family in Birmingham Area
Current Resident: Morris is a very connected and welcoming community for all of its inhabitants. It's quiet and safe, and manages to provide an overall "cozy" feeling. It's not uncommon to go somewhere and meet friends, or even family, while out on a daily commute. Quiet means there isn't much traffic or crime to be concerned about, but that also means the nightlife doesn't have much of a presence either. Morris is a place for families to settle down and for those working to get into the routine of their jobs - it doesn't so much embody to the eventfulness and liveliness of big city areas.
Read 7 Reviews
B
Overall Niche Grade
B+
Public Schools
B+
Good for Families
1,831 Population
View Nearby Homes
Argo
Suburb of Birmingham, AL
7 reviews
#21 Best Places to Raise a Family in Birmingham Area
Current Resident: Argo has that small town feel!! There are a couple of convenience stores and a really good farmers market/nursery for local veggies and plants! Big stores and shopping,restaurants,and groceries are only a few miles away. Crime levels are one of the lowest in the state. Argo is very close to the interstate for convenience!!!
Read 7 Reviews
B
Overall Niche Grade
B
Public Schools
B+
Good for Families
4,235 Population
View Nearby Homes
Woodstock
Town in Alabama
1 review
#22 Best Places to Raise a Family in Birmingham Area
Current Resident: The town of Woodstock is very small, and everybody knows everybody. Its a cozy little town with the essential businesses needed without having to go to a city like, Birmingham or Tuscaloosa.
Read 1 Review
B
Overall Niche Grade
B-
Public Schools
B
Good for Families
2,371 Population
View Nearby Homes
Mount Olive
Suburb of Birmingham, AL
13 reviews
#23 Best Places to Raise a Family in Birmingham Area
Current Resident: Mount Olive is a small suburb of Birmingham located under the shadow of Gardendale. Having successfully warded off Gardendale's Annex attempts, we remain a free and quiet people. We don't have much in the way of anything and that's how we like it! Birmingham is just a few minutes away so why would we need all the noise right here? Besides, if we were a part of Gardendale the housing prices would go up along with the taxes! Come to Mount Olive and help us remain a free and not-so-prosperous suburb!
Read 13 Reviews
B
Overall Niche Grade
B
Public Schools
B
Good for Families
4,021 Population
View Nearby Homes
Clay
Suburb of Birmingham, AL
41 reviews
#24 Best Places to Raise a Family in Birmingham Area
Current Resident: I have lived in Clay, Alabama my whole life. It is a small, quiet town with a tight family-feel community. I have enjoyed living here, but I did move to Samford University where I live during the school year. If I could change anything, I would add more restaurants and things to do around here. I would also want more security in Clay because the crime rates have gone up in the last few years.
Read 41 Reviews
B+
Overall Niche Grade
C+
Public Schools
B
Good for Families
9,653 Population
View Nearby Homes
Gardendale
Suburb of Birmingham, AL
28 reviews
#25 Best Places to Raise a Family in Birmingham Area
Current Resident: Gardendale is very focused on community and having everyone being involved. There are plenty of places grab fast food and gas, but I think residents of Gdale, as we like to call it, would like to see nicer restaurants and more activities throughout the city.
Read 28 Reviews
B+
Overall Niche Grade
B
Public Schools
B
Good for Families
13,875 Population
View Nearby Homes
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About This List

Explore the best places to raise a family based on public schools, crime rates, cost of living, and family-friendly amenities. Ranking based on data from the U.S. Census, FBI, BLS, CDC, and other data sources. Read more on how this ranking was calculated.

Where Niche Grades come from and how Niche calculates rankings.

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