Hoover, AL — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

Jefferson County · Birmingham-Hoover · population 93,013

Hoover, AL
Image: Wikipedia · Hoover, Alabama
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63
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Hoover stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $439,044
1-year +2.5%
5-yr CAGR +4.6%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +0.1%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$439k$253k$321k$389k$457k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
40/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
30/100
Minimal transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
76/100
Strong remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,368/mo$995$1,233$1,471202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent125129100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 26.8
Rent

At a 26.8 price-to-rent ratio, renting beats buying in Hoover for most shorter holds. The premium you pay to own would take many years of rent savings to recoup, and that's before maintenance, taxes, and opportunity cost on the down payment.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
63 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
63 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
47 · w16%
Rent YoY
48 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
60 · w10%
Long thesis

Hoover has held up across the cycle: home values at $439,044 with +4.6% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Hoover's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Hoover

Hoover is a city in Jefferson County, Alabama, with an estimated population of 93,013. It anchors the Birmingham-Hoover metro area. The median home value in Hoover is $439,044 as of 2026-04, up 2.5% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +4.6% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Hoover average $1,368 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+0.5%). The composite momentum score is 63 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

Bull case

Quiet strength: +2.5% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

Bear case

Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Hoover (Wikipedia)

Hoover is a city in Jefferson and Shelby counties in north central Alabama, United States. Hoover is the largest suburban city in Alabama and the sixth largest city in Alabama. The population was 92,606 at the 2020 census. Hoover is part of the Birmingham, AL Metropolitan Statistical Area and is also included in the Birmingham-Cullman-Talladega, AL Combined Statistical Area. Hoover's territory is along the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

Area50.326 sq mi
Elevation495 ft
Settled1853
Density1874/sq mi
Named forWilliam H. Hoover

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Jefferson County right now.

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Jefferson County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Hoover

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
56° / 36°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
91° / 71°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
215
~59% of year
Annual precip
58″ rain
1″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Moderate
Tornado
Very high
Wildfire
Low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
High

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Hoover listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Birmingham-Hoover area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
73%
Humid climate
Median household income
$56,900
Alabama state median
Top industries (state-level)
ManufacturingHealthcareRetail

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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