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

All states·Alabama·Phenix City

Russell County · Columbus · population 38,509

First-time buyers
Phenix City, AL
Image: Wikipedia · Phenix City, Alabama
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
69
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Phenix City stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 4.9% in the last year.

Median home $210,196
1-year +4.9%
5-yr CAGR +6.5%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population -0.2%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$210k$105k$143k$181k$219k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
82/100
Excellent for remote work
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
$1,349/mo$1,085$1,258$1,431202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent119116100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 13.0
Buy

At a 13.0 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Phenix City on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 13.0 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

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

Phenix City has held up across the cycle: home values at $210,196 with +6.5% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Phenix 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 Phenix City

Phenix City is a city in Russell County, Alabama, with an estimated population of 38,509. It anchors the Columbus metro area. The median home value in Phenix City is $210,196 as of 2026-04, up 4.9% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +6.5% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Phenix City average $1,349 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+2.1%). The composite momentum score is 69 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Affordable AND rising: median home $210,196 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.
●Healthy 5-year run: +6.5% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +4.9% 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 Phenix City (Wikipedia)

Phenix City is a city in Lee and Russell counties in the U.S. state of Alabama, and the county seat of Russell County with northern and western parts crossing over into neighboring Lee County. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 38,817.

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

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 Russell County right now.

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

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

Neighborhoods of Phenix City

1 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Ladonia$183,723+2.3%

Cities like Phenix City

Millbrook, AL75 · RisingJacksonville, AL72 · RisingChickasaw, AL69 · RisingMountain Brook, AL69 · Rising

Run the numbers for Phenix City

ToolCan I afford Phenix City?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Phenix City rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Phenix City to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolPhenix City 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 Phenix City 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 Columbus 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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