If you’re looking for the perfect
Birmingham suburb to spend your golden years, look no further. We looked at a whole bunch of data to figure out the 10 best Birmingham suburbs for retirees.
These suburbs have plenty of senior amenities, beautiful green spaces, and close-knit communities, close to all the arts, culture, and dining in downtown Birmingham.
Let’s take a look at the 10 that made the cut.
1. Graysville
Key Stats:
- Cost of living: 86, compared to the Alabama average of 89
- Median home price: $74,600
The small town of Graysville kicks off our list of the best Birmingham suburbs to retire with plenty of housing options for retirees. Home buyers will find affordable cottage and ranch style homes on large lots.
Enjoy events and meet new neighbors at the Graysville Senior Center, or check out a new book at the Graysville Public Library. Active retirees will love the fitness equipment at the Graysville Community Center.
2. Bessemer
Key Stats:
- Number of doctors: 118
- Total senior amenities: 132
Bessemer earns the second place spot on our list with plenty of doctors and senior amenities. Home buyers will find affordable craftsman, bungalow, ranch, and cottage style homes.
Golf enthusiasts can hit the links at the Bent Brook Golf Club, while avid readers can check out a new book at the Bessemer Public Library. Local events like the new Jazz in the Park Concert Series are a great way to meet new neighbors and enjoy local talent.
3. Fultondale
Key Stats:
- Residents age 65 and up: 17.4 percent
- Total senior amenities: 30
Fultondale comes in third on our list of the best Birmingham suburbs for retirees, with plenty of peers age 65 and up. Home buyers will find affordable ranch, farmhouse, and craftsman style homes.
Attend a cookout and meet new neighbors at the Fultondale Senior Activity Center, or enjoy a picnic and a stroll in scenic Black Creek Park. Avid readers will flock to the Fultondale Public Library.
4. Brighton
Key Stats:
- Cost of living: 82, compared to the Alabama average of 89
- Median home price: $53,900
Home buyers looking for a close-knit community and low cost of living will love the small town of Brighton, where they will find affordable ranch style homes on spacious private lots.
It’s easy to get to know your neighbors in this town of just fewer than 3,000 residents. Enjoy a picnic at Dolomite Westfield Park or hit the links at the nearby Woodward Golf & Country Club. Brighton is also home to numerous churches of multiple denominations.
5. Springville
Key Stats:
- Number of doctors: 7
- Total senior amenities: 24
The small town of Springville earns the fifth place spot on our list of the best Birmingham suburbs to retire with plenty of affordable ranch and farmhouse style homes.
Fishing enthusiasts will love mornings spent sitting by the lake in Big Springs Park, while super shoppers check out unique antiques in the Springville Antique Mall. Cool off at the Springville Public Library, browse online resources, or check out a new book.
6. Pinson
Key Stats:
- Number of doctors: 20
- Total senior amenities: 24
The quiet suburb of Pinson has a variety of housing options for retirees, including affordable ranch style homes, or cozy craftsman style houses with plenty of curb appeal.
Active retirees will love strolling and wildlife watching at the scenic Turkey Creek Nature Preserve while golf enthusiasts can hit the links at the Cumberland Lake Golf Course.
7. Leeds
Key Stats:
- Residents age 65 and up: 14.9 percent
- Total senior amenities: 50
Retirees searching for the perfect home in Leeds have plenty of options to choose from. Lovely craftsman style homes, ranch style houses, and farmhouse style homes on large lots are common.
Stroll through historic downtown Leeds and stop in the art center, library, and numerous gift shops. Motorcycle and racecar lovers should stop in the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum.
8. Pelham
Key Stats:
- Number of doctors: 37
- Total senior amenities: 100
The lovely town of Pelham earns the eighth place spot on our list with plenty of housing options, including low maintenance townhomes, cottage style houses, and craftsman style homes.
Active retirees will love horseback riding, golfing, strolling, and swimming at the 9,940-acre Oak Mountain State Park. Residents can also check out a new book at the Pelham Public Library.
9. Gardendale
Key Stats:
- Residents age 65 and up: 20.3 percent
- Number of doctors: 17
The beautiful city of Gardendale earns the ninth place spot on our list of the best suburbs of Birmingham for retirees. Home buyers will find a range of options, including ranch style homes and craftsman houses on large lots.
Local events like the Magnolia Festival are a great way to meet new neighbors. Golf enthusiasts can hit the links at the Quail Ridge Country Club, while antique lovers stop in the Gardendale Flea Mall & Antique Center.
farmhouse.
10. Adamsville
Key Stats:
- Cost of living: 88, compared to the Alabama average of 89
- Median home price: $97,300
The small, affordable town of Adamsville rounds out our list with plenty of great housing options for retirees. Ranch, cottage, and farmhouse style homes on large lots are common.
Check out a new book or DVD at the Adamsville Public Library, or participate in arts and crafts events and exercise classes at the Adamsville Senior Center. The Adamsville Park gazebo is the perfect shady spot for a picnic.
Our Methodology
To create this list of the best Birmingham suburbs to retire, we took a look at the following retirement friendly criteria:
- Doctors per capita
- Senior amenities per capita (volunteer opportunities, recreation centers, golf courses, restaurants, libraries, arts and entertainment, and retirement homes)
- Cost of living (the lower the better)
- Median home price (the lower the better)
- Percent of residents 65 and up
- Total crimes per 100k
From there, we ranked each suburb in the above categories. Then, because some things are a little more important to retirees than others, we weighed the percent of residents 65 and up and total crimes per 100k so they made up 20 percent of our total score, while the rest of the categories made up 15 percent.
We averaged these weighted scores into one overall score, with the lowest 10 scores going toward our top 10 suburbs for retirement.
For this list, we used data from the U.S. Census, local business listings, and
AreaVibes.
To see how other Birmingham suburbs ranked, check out the table below:
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