While living in downtown
Birmingham can get a bit pricy, there are plenty of options outside the city that have a much lower price tag. After reading this list, heading to the suburbs might not seem like a bad idea.
Here are the 10 most affordable Birmingham suburbs.
Key Stats:
- Median household income: $40,335
- Median home value: $76,400
Graysville might be tiny with only around 2,000 residents, but its affordability is worth writing home about. Not only does it have the one of the lowest costs of living on our list, it also has some of the cheapest homes in the Birmingham area.
The local entertainment seems to be geared towards young families, but with Graysville’s close proximity to downtown, it’s perfect for any demographic looking to have access to the big city without paying the high prices.
Key Stats:
- Median household income: $45,488
- Median home value: $99,400
Don’t let its small size fool you because Adamsville is on the rise. The population and the local economy have been growing during recent years.
Plus, it’s often noted for it’s vibrant local community, known for hosting events like an annual Christmas parade and the City-Wide Yard Sale. Adamsville is one affordable Birmingham suburb that’s definitely worth considering if you’re looking to save a few bucks.
Key Stats:
- Median home value: $150,400
- Median household income: $62,908
Pleasant Grove’s nickname is “the Good Neighbor City,” but friendliness isn’t the only thing you’ll find here. It’s also got space for several parks and a recreational complex that most residents here take full advantage of on a regular basis.
Only a 25-minute drive from downtown, Pleasant Grove puts you close to the city, without any of the congestion.
Key Stats:
- Income spent on rent: 46.1 percent
- Median home value: $62,100
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Median household incomes are a bit lower in Brighton, making renting hard to budget.
However, owning a home is cheaper here than anywhere else on our list. Plus, its conveniently close location to Birmingham means that buying a home here instead of renting in the city could be a very smart financial move.
Key Stats:
- Income spent on rent: 24.9 percent
- Median home value: $128,000
For many years, Fultondale struggled to grow thanks to the local topography. However, recent technological developments have made building developments easier, which brought in tons of new stores and restaurants to the area on land that was previously unoccupied.
A city that’s definitely on the up and up, rent here is cheap and the cost of living is low. Checking Fultondale out if you’re looking to make a move is a no-brainer.
Key Stats:
- Income spent on rent: 24.7 percent
- Median household income: $50,157
Irondale is known around the state for its annual “Whistle-Stop Festival,” where thousands flock to check out a mix of music, food, and art every year. It’s also home to Alabama’s newest aerial park featuring zip-lines, rope courses, and mini-golf.
In addition, Irondale has a great school system. Jefferson County International Baccalaureate is regularly ranked as the best high school and Alabama.
Key Stats:
- Median household income: $80,075
- Median home value: $187,000
Springville is the perfect place for a family to live on a budget. There are several recreational centers that host sports leagues throughout the year. Big Springs Park is complete with a small lake, picnic tables, and a very popular walking track.
If you’re looking for a small town feel with less hustle and bustle, check out Springville.
Key Stats:
- Median home value: $135,300
- Median household income: $64,063
If you’re from Alabama, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of Pinson already, thanks to its annual Alabama Butterbean Festival. That’s not the only exciting thing that’s going on in this town though.
Pinson is home to the Turkey Creek Nature Preserve, has plans to be part of the I-459 Northern Beltway, and has one of the most favorable income-to-home-cost ratios in the Birmingham area.
Key Stats:
- Median home value: $93,100
- Income spent on rent: 34.5 percent
Only 10 minutes from Birmingham, Fairfield is one suburb that delivers the best of both worlds to its residents. While it’s a small town of only 11,000, its close proximity to the Magic City makes all of the amenities there easily accessible.
However, you don’t have to leave Fairfield to find everything you need, as this suburb has its own mall and several major local employers.
Key Stats:
- Median home value: $164,800
- Median household income: $71,110
Pelham is the largest place on our list of affordable Birmingham suburbs, with over 20,000 people calling Pelham home. Its close proximity and efficient infrastructure make it easy to live here while you’re commuting downtown for work.
Pelham is also a great place for recreation since it’s home to a scuba diving center called Dive Alabama and a local golf course that hosts over 76,000 rounds every year.
Our Methodology
To create this list of affordable Birmingham suburbs, we considered the following criteria:
- Cost of living
- Median home value
- Percentage of income spent on rent
- Affordability ratio (median home value divided by median household income)
We then averaged those scores into one overall score and the places with the 10 lowest scores made up our list of the 10 most affordable Birmingham suburbs.
For this list, we sourced data from AreaVibes, business listings, and the 2013 U.S. Census American Community Survey.
Want to see how all 24 Birmingham suburbs stacked up? Take a look at the table below:
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