Pell City, AL — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Alabama·Pell City

St. Clair County · Birmingham-Hoover · population 14,094

First-time buyersGrowing fastSmall-town feel
View watchlist →
70
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Pell City stands

At or near all-time high. population growing 2.2% per year.

Median home $278,549
1-year +2.9%
5-yr CAGR +3.5%
vs 5-yr peak -0.4%
Population +2.2%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2022-07$279k$162k$205k$248k$291k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
25/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
15/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
68/100
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 vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 15.3
Lean buy

At a 15.3 price-to-rent ratio, Pell City is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
64 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
56 · w22%
Distance from peak
88 · w18%
Population growth
82 · w16%
Home 10-yr CAGR
60 · w10%
Long thesis

Pell City has held up across the cycle: home values at $278,549 with +3.5% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Pell City'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 Pell City

Pell City is a city in St. Clair County, Alabama, with an estimated population of 14,094. It anchors the Birmingham-Hoover metro area. The population has grown 2.2% per year on average between 2020 and 2024 — among the faster-growing communities in the state. The median home value in Pell City is $278,549 as of 2026-04, up 2.9% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +3.5% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Pell City average $1,516 per month. The composite momentum score is 70 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

Bull case

People are voting with their feet: population growing 2.2% per year since 2020 — that’s faster than ~80% of US cities.
Quiet strength: +2.9% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
Held the highs: currently -0.4% 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.

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 St. Clair County right now.

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

Neighborhoods of Pell City

1 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Cropwell$406,704+1.7%

Cities like Pell City

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 Pell City listings on the major real-estate sites.

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

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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