35208 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
35020
35208
Opportunity
21 · Bottom 3%
vs30 · Bottom 8%
Growth
46 · Bottom 42%
vs43 · Bottom 38%
Climate
74 · Top 34%
vs74 · Top 34%
Physical resilience
59 · Top 49%
vs59 · Top 49%
Housing affordability
71 · Bottom 37%
vs69 · Bottom 34%
Access
94 · Top 44%
vs98 · Top 21%
Economic stability
17 · Bottom 2%
vs18 · Bottom 2%
Measured values
| Metric | 35020 | 35208 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 24,892 | 13,412 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $35,362 | $38,561 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $20,401 | $23,809 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,503/sq mi | 3,651/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $91,200 | $97,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $904 | $1,031 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 59.4% | 64.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 4.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.7% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 10.2% | 20.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 31.5% | 23.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 93 | 591 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.7 | 3.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 31.0% | 33.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 35°F | 35°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 56.6" | 56.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 16 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.5 min | 23.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.6 | 43.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 4 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.77 | 16.85 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 78.7% | 76.1% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
35020
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
35208
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Full profiles: 35020 — Bessemer, AL · 35208 — Birmingham, AL · How this is calculated: methodology