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

All states·Alabama·Montgomery

Montgomery County · Montgomery · population 195,818

AffordabilityShrinking
Montgomery, AL
Image: Wikipedia · Montgomery, Alabama
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
64
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Montgomery stands

At or near all-time high. population shrinking 0.6% per year.

Median home $151,721
1-year +1.9%
5-yr CAGR +5.1%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population -0.6%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$152k$90k$113k$135k$158k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
30/100
Very 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
$1,306/mo$906$1,145$1,384202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent128136100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 9.7
Buy

At a 9.7 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Montgomery on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 9.7 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
59 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
66 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
36 · w16%
Rent YoY
72 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
58 · w10%
Long thesis

Montgomery offers a $151,721 median home with +5.1% annualized 5-year appreciation. Affordability + positive trend is one of the better risk/reward setups in US residential — small downside, room to compound.

Short thesis

Montgomery's population is shrinking 0.6% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — if people are leaving, the buyer pool is shrinking faster than the inventory. That eventually shows up in price.

About Montgomery

Montgomery is a city in Montgomery County, Alabama, with an estimated population of 195,818. The population has contracted 0.6% per year on average since 2020. The median home value in Montgomery is $151,721 as of 2026-04, up 1.9% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.1% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Montgomery average $1,306 per month, up 4.0% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 64 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +5.1% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
●Cheap entry point: $151,721 median home is well below the US median of $355k — room to grow without overpaying.

▼ Bear case

●Flat or shrinking population: -0.6% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — verify the source.
○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Montgomery (Wikipedia)

Montgomery is the capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama and the county seat of Montgomery County. It was named for Continental Army Major-General Richard Montgomery and stands beside the Alabama River on the Gulf Coastal Plain.

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

City facts

Area162.27 sq mi
Elevation240 ft
EstablishedDecember 3, 1819
Motto"Capital of Dreams"
Density1232/sq mi
Named forRichard Montgomery

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 Montgomery County right now.

NWS active alerts (AL)Alabama Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

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

Cities like Montgomery

Hoover, AL63 · RisingDothan, AL70 · RisingGadsden, AL58 · StableNorthport, AL66 · Rising

Run the numbers for Montgomery

ToolCan I afford Montgomery?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Montgomery rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Montgomery to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolMontgomery cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

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 Montgomery 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 Montgomery 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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