What to know before you move: cost, market timing, who it fits.
If you're considering a move to Birmingham, AL, the most important variables are the local housing market, the cost structure (taxes, insurance, utilities), and how well the city fits your day-to-day life. This page summarizes the housing market read; pair it with the cost of living page for the full picture.
Birmingham is a city in Jefferson County, Alabama, with an estimated population of 196,357. It anchors the Birmingham-Hoover metro area. The population has contracted 0.5% per year on average since 2020. The median home value in Birmingham is $137,201 as of 2026-04, down 2.1% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +0.4% annual growth, and the market currently sits about 15% below its 5-year peak. Rents in Birmingham average $1,303 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+1.4%). The composite momentum score is 40 of 100 (Cooling). Buyers may find more room to negotiate; sellers should price realistically.
Prices have come off recent highs (-15.2% from peak). Buyers may have more room to negotiate; sellers should price realistically.
Reasons people move here
- Cheap entry point: $137,201 median home is well below the US median of $355k — room to grow without overpaying.
- The data is the data: Birmingham has at least 5 years of Zillow tracking, full Census identification, and is included in the 2-criteria momentum score on this page.
Things to know first
- Cooling: -2.1% over the trailing year — momentum has stalled.
- 15% off recent peak — buyers are getting through-the-cycle pricing, not the peak.
- Flat or shrinking population: -0.5% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — verify the source.
- Long-run gains, recently flat: 5-year CAGR is +0.4% but 10-year is +4.4%. The last few years have not been kind.
More about Birmingham
Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.