Birmingham, AL vs Huntsville, AL
Side-by-side comparison · Updated Jun 2026
Report card
| Category | BirminghamBirmingham, AL | HuntsvilleHuntsville, AL | Same grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| ReloScoreOverall grade | |||
| Affluence | Soft | Average | |
| Cost of Living | |||
| Crime | High Risk | Elevated | |
| Education | |||
| Quality of Life | Great | Great | Same |
| Sovereignty | Self-Reliant | Self-Reliant | Same |
| Strategic | Exposed | Exposed | Same |
Grades rate each place against all US places. How grades work →
Comparison summary
At $31,616 per capita income, Birmingham, AL and Huntsville, AL differ by 41%, with Huntsville's $44,733 placing it in the 68th percentile versus Birmingham's 27th. The 2023 Census figures show median household income follows the same pattern: Huntsville's $70,778 runs 59% higher than Birmingham's $44,376, which sits in the 7th percentile. Median home values also diverge sharply—$263,100 in Huntsville versus $138,600 in Birmingham, a 90% gap—while median rents stay close at $1,078 and $1,047.
The comfortable income figures for 2024 reflect the same divide. For a single person, Huntsville requires $51,116 versus Birmingham's $27,812, an 84% difference, and for a family of 4 the gap is identical at $75,140 versus $40,884. Both comfortable income rows place Huntsville in the 46th percentile and Birmingham in the 11th. Per-capita income shows Huntsville in the 68th percentile, while Birmingham's 27th percentile is lower. Unemployment is similar at 2.5% in Huntsville and 3.0% in Birmingham, with job growth of +2.2% versus +1.2%.
Traffic deaths per 100,000 people are 11 in Huntsville versus 26 in Birmingham, a 2.3× difference, with Birmingham in the 71st percentile and Huntsville in the 30th. The air quality index (AQI) reads 44 in Huntsville and 57 in Birmingham, a 30% difference, placing Birmingham in the 95th percentile and Huntsville in the 59th. Violent crime per 100,000 people is 395 in Huntsville versus 1,234 in Birmingham, a 3.1× gap, and property crime runs 4,430 versus 2,274, a 95% difference.
AI-generated and may contain mistakes. Verify any details that matter before acting on them. Generated Oct 2026.
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Where they differ most
Cost of living
| Metric | Birmingham, AL | Huntsville, AL | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| COL indexCost of living index (100 = US) | 7422nd pctl | 9342nd pctl | Cost of living index (100 = US): Birmingham, AL 74; Huntsville, AL 93; Huntsville is 26% higher. |
| Home valueMedian home value | $138,60010th pctl | $263,10046th pctl | Median home value: Birmingham, AL $138,600; Huntsville, AL $263,100; Huntsville is 90% higher. |
| Median rent | $1,04736th pctl | $1,07839th pctl | About the same |
| Household incomeMedian household income | $44,3766th pctl | $70,77847th pctl | Median household income: Birmingham, AL $44,376; Huntsville, AL $70,778; Huntsville is 59% higher. |
| Comfortable (single)Comfortable income (single) | $27,81211th pctl | $51,11646th pctl | Comfortable income (single): Birmingham, AL $27,812; Huntsville, AL $51,116; Huntsville is 84% higher. |
| Comfortable (family)Comfortable income (family of 4) | $40,88411th pctl | $75,14046th pctl | Comfortable income (family of 4): Birmingham, AL $40,884; Huntsville, AL $75,140; Huntsville is 84% higher. |
| AffordabilityHousing affordability | Affordable | Affordable | About the same |
Housing-adjusted salary
the same housing budget in Huntsville needs about
$94,300
Based only on local housing costs and incomes (cost-of-living index 74 vs 93). Leaves out taxes, groceries and transport. How it works →
Data: U.S. Census ACS 5-year, ReloMaps cost-of-living index (2023–2024).
Jobs & income
| Metric | Birmingham, AL | Huntsville, AL | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment | 3.0%21st pctl | 2.5%8th pctl | About the same |
| Job growthJob growth (YoY) | +1.2%55th pctl | +2.2%80th pctl | Job growth (YoY): Birmingham, AL +1.2%; Huntsville, AL +2.2%; Huntsville is 1.0 points higher. |
| Per-capita income | $31,61626th pctl | $44,73368th pctl | Per-capita income: Birmingham, AL $31,616; Huntsville, AL $44,733; Huntsville is 41% higher. |
| Poverty rate | 25.2%92nd pctl | 13.8%61st pctl | Poverty rate: Birmingham, AL 25.2%; Huntsville, AL 13.8%; Birmingham is 11.4 points higher. |
| CommuteAverage commute | 21.5 min36th pctl | 19.3 min23rd pctl | Average commute: Birmingham, AL 21.5 min; Huntsville, AL 19.3 min; Birmingham is 2 minutes longer. |
| Work from home | 8.5%37th pctl | 13.1%63rd pctl | Work from home: Birmingham, AL 8.5%; Huntsville, AL 13.1%; Huntsville is 4.6 points higher. |
| OpportunityEconomic opportunity | Weak | Stable | Economic opportunity: Birmingham, AL D; Huntsville, AL C; Huntsville is graded higher. |
| Job market | Strong | Strong | Job market: Birmingham, AL A-; Huntsville, AL A+; Huntsville is graded higher. |
Data: U.S. Census ACS 5-year, BLS (2023).
Safety
| Metric | Birmingham, AL | Huntsville, AL | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimeViolent crime per 100k | 1,23499th pctl | 39577th pctl | Violent crime per 100k: Birmingham, AL 1,234; Huntsville, AL 395; Birmingham is 3.1 times higher. |
| Property crimeProperty crime per 100k | 4,43098th pctl | 2,27483rd pctl | Property crime per 100k: Birmingham, AL 4,430; Huntsville, AL 2,274; Birmingham is 95% higher. |
| 5-yr trendViolent crime, 5-yr trend | Falling | Rising | |
| Crime & safety | Dangerous | Fair | Crime & safety: Birmingham, AL F; Huntsville, AL C-; Huntsville is graded higher. |
| Traffic safety | FairCounty figure. County-level figure: measured for the surrounding county. | Very SafeCounty figure. County-level figure: measured for the surrounding county. | Traffic safety: Birmingham, AL C-; Huntsville, AL A-; Huntsville is graded higher. |
Data: FBI Crime Data, NHTSA FARS (2025).
Quality of life
| Metric | Birmingham, AL | Huntsville, AL | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air quality | GreatCounty figure. County-level figure: measured for the surrounding county. | GreatCounty figure. County-level figure: measured for the surrounding county. | About the same |
| ClimateClimate comfort | Humid | Humid | About the same |
| HealthcareHealthcare access | ExcellentCounty figure. County-level figure: measured for the surrounding county. | ExcellentCounty figure. County-level figure: measured for the surrounding county. | About the same |
| Tap water | Clean | Clean | About the same |
| Power grid | ReliableState figure. State-level figure: the local figure isn't published. | ReliableState figure. State-level figure: the local figure isn't published. | About the same |
| HomesteadingHomesteading potential | Prime | Prime | About the same |
| Disaster riskNational disaster risk | High-Risk | High-Risk | About the same |
3 rows not shown: broadband, walkability and local food access aren't available for either place.
Data: EPA AirData, NOAA NCEI, County Health Rankings, FCC, Geoapify POIs, EPA SDWIS, EIA, OpenStreetMap, FEMA National Risk Index (2022–2024).
Taxes & laws
Both are in Alabama, so state taxes and state laws (homeschooling, firearms, property rights) are the same. See Alabama →
Strategic location
How exposed each place is to large-scale disruption, based on distance from big cities, likely targets and natural hazards.
| Metric | Birmingham, AL | Huntsville, AL | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large cityNearest large city | 861 mi84th pctl | 805 mi83rd pctl | Nearest large city: Birmingham, AL 861 mi; Huntsville, AL 805 mi; Birmingham is 7% higher. |
| Target proximity | Poor | Weak | Target proximity: Birmingham, AL D-; Huntsville, AL C+; Huntsville is graded higher. |
| To borderDistance to international border | 699 mi91st pctl | 619 mi84th pctl | Distance to international border: Birmingham, AL 699 mi; Huntsville, AL 619 mi; Birmingham is 13% higher. |
| To coastDistance to coastline | 208 mi44th pctl | 287 mi55th pctl | Distance to coastline: Birmingham, AL 208 mi; Huntsville, AL 287 mi; Huntsville is 38% higher. |
| StrategicStrategic location | Exposed | Exposed | About the same |
Data: ReloMaps strategic assessment.
People
| Metric | Birmingham, AL | Huntsville, AL | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 199,32295th pctl | 218,81496th pctl | Population: Birmingham, AL 199,322; Huntsville, AL 218,814; Huntsville is 10% larger. |
| DensityPopulation density (per sq mi) | 1,35641st pctl | 96826th pctl | Population density (per sq mi): Birmingham, AL 1,356; Huntsville, AL 968; Birmingham is 40% higher. |
| Median age | 35.932nd pctl | 36.436th pctl | About the same |
| Bachelor's+Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.7%46th pctl | 46.2%75th pctl | Bachelor's degree or higher: Birmingham, AL 30.7%; Huntsville, AL 46.2%; Huntsville is 15.5 points higher. |
| Household sizeAverage household size | 2.113th pctl | 2.220th pctl | About the same |
More about Birmingham's residents · Huntsville's residents
Data: U.S. Census ACS 5-year (2023).
Politics
Information only. Not part of any grade, difference or summary on this page.
| Measure | BirminghamBirmingham, AL | HuntsvilleHuntsville, AL |
|---|---|---|
| Cook PVI | D+13 | R+15 |
Full politics data: Birmingham · Huntsville
Moving between Birmingham and Huntsville
- Median rent: $1,047 in Birmingham, $1,078 in Huntsville
- Median home value: $138,600 in Birmingham, $263,100 in Huntsville
- Cost of living index (100 = US): 74 in Birmingham, 93 in Huntsville
- Median household income: $44,376 in Birmingham, $70,778 in Huntsville
- Comfortable income (family of 4): $40,884 in Birmingham, $75,140 in Huntsville
- Unemployment: 3.0% in Birmingham, 2.5% in Huntsville
- Average commute: 21.5 min in Birmingham, 19.3 min in Huntsville
- Violent crime per 100k: 1,234 in Birmingham, 395 in Huntsville
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Compare a different pair
More places like Birmingham and Huntsville
- Data: Cost of living: U.S. Census ACS 5-year, ReloMaps cost-of-living index (2023–2024).
- Data: Jobs & income: U.S. Census ACS 5-year, BLS (2023).
- Data: Safety: FBI Crime Data, NHTSA FARS (2025).
- Data: Quality of life: EPA AirData, NOAA NCEI, County Health Rankings, FCC, Geoapify POIs, EPA SDWIS, EIA, OpenStreetMap, FEMA National Risk Index (2022–2024).
- Data: Strategic location: ReloMaps strategic assessment.
- Data: People: U.S. Census ACS 5-year (2023).
* Values derived from national, state, county, city and local statistics and may differ in a specific area.
Narrative content on this page is AI-generated and may contain mistakes. Verify any details that matter before acting on them.
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