Living in Birmingham, AL

"Dangerous" is too broad a label for any city, but Birmingham does sit above national averages on crime. The violent crime index is 119 and property crime hits 136 — both past the 100-point U.S. baseline. Plenty of residents live comfortably and safely, but they've usually chosen their neighborhoods carefully. If you're considering a move, visit first, drive around at night, and look up crime stats block by block. Data: FBI Uniform Crime Report.

It depends on your income, but the city-wide numbers are starting to feel tight. Median rent is $1,047/month against $44,376/year in household income — a 28.3% rent-to-income ratio. That's right at the line where financial advisors start raising eyebrows. You can make it work, especially with a roommate or dual income, but single earners at the median may feel squeezed. Some neighborhoods are cheaper than others, so shop around. Census ACS 2023.

The average worker in Birmingham spends about 20 minutes getting to the office. Driving solo is the default (74.4%), with 8.5% working remotely and 1.3% on public transit. It's a fairly typical commute — not a selling point, not a dealbreaker.

Not particularly. The climate risk score is 35/100, which puts Birmingham in the low-risk tier. Tornado, Heat Wave, and Flood are the most relevant hazards, but none of them are frequent concerns. Standard insurance should have you covered. It's one less thing to worry about if you're comparing this city to higher-risk metros along the coast or in tornado alley. Data from FEMA disaster declarations and NOAA.

The numbers suggest some caution. Birmingham's graduation rate is 76.0% with a 17:1 student-teacher ratio — both below where most parents would feel comfortable. That said, there are standout public schools, active magnet programs, and charter options that families swear by. If education is a priority, you'll want to target specific schools and be willing to live in their attendance zones. Don't write off the whole city based on averages.

Good, overall. The median AQI sits at 48, which falls within the EPA's "Good" category, and Birmingham logs 245 clean-air days annually. PM2.5 is the main pollutant. Occasional spikes happen — wildfire smoke, temperature inversions, or high-ozone days — but they're the exception, not the rule. Check AirNow.gov during allergy season or summer heat waves.

Higher than average, yes. The total effective tax rate lands around 14.4% when you add up income, property, and sales taxes. Sales tax is 10.0%. High-tax areas often come with better public schools, infrastructure, and services — but that's not guaranteed, and it's cold comfort on payday. If you're moving from a low-tax state like Texas or Florida, brace for a noticeable dip in take-home pay.

Mostly, yes. The system scores 76/100, with 0 health-based violations on record and a "medium" lead risk rating. That's a solid track record. Most residents drink tap water without issues. If you're in an older building with pre-1986 plumbing, a basic filter is a cheap precaution. For detailed contaminant info, check EWG's Tap Water Database.

Everything on this page is built from public government sources: rent and income figures from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023); commute and transportation data from Census ACS tables B08303 and B08006; crime rates from the FBI Uniform Crime Report; climate risk assessments using FEMA disaster declarations and NOAA storm records; air quality measurements from the EPA's Air Quality System database; water quality compliance data from EPA records and the EWG Tap Water Database; school data from the National Center for Education Statistics. We refresh each dataset monthly through an automated pipeline and cross-check for anomalies. No surveys, no user-submitted guesses — just official federal data presented in a way that's actually useful for people researching a move.