Montgomery vs Pike Road

Which is the better fit for you?

Montgomery, AL
52
Area Score
Bottom 28% nationally
Pike Road, AL
65
Area Score
Top 30% nationally

Want a third or fourth place beside these? Open them in the shortlist and add more.

Pike Road receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Montgomery to Pike Road

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Everyday prices
About the same
Regional price level 89.9 against 89.9 (US = 100). Both places sit in the same price region, so the index cannot tell them apart.
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
+$116 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $1,300 in Pike Road against $1,184 in Montgomery.
The median home
136% more
$381,600 in Pike Road against $161,900 in Montgomery.
The weather you would swap
Similar winters
Normal January lows are 37°F in Pike Road against 37°F in Montgomery; July highs are 94°F against 94°F (summers the same).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

Signals

Montgomery
Pike Road
Opportunity: Pike Road is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
45 · Bottom 26%
vs
59 · Top 43%
Growth: Pike Road is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
55 · Top 39%
vs
77 · Top 7%
Climate
71 · Top 48%
vs
71 · Top 48%
Physical resilience
57 · Top 50%
vs
57 · Top 50%
Housing affordability: Montgomery is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
68 · Top 45%
vs
66 · Bottom 49%
Schools: Pike Road is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
13 · Bottom 5%
vs
50 · Top 49%
Access: Montgomery is the more favorable of the two.
Access
97 · Top 31%
vs
93 · Top 48%
Economic stability: Pike Road is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
27 · Bottom 7%
vs
70 · Top 23%

Measured values

MetricMontgomeryPike RoadSource period
Population197,49410,5742024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$56,811$117,091 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$33,458$53,495 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Population density1,235/sq mi311/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$161,900$381,6002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$1,089 — more favorable$1,6532024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,184 — more favorable$1,300FY2026
Cost of living index89.989.92023
Homeownership rate54.4%85.4%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate4.1%4.0% — more favorableJuly 2026
Employment change (year over year)−2.4%−2.4%July 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher33.8%55.4% — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate20.6%4.1% — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)52322212 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents2.621.0 — more favorable12 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)+101.2%+2.8%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high94°F94°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low37°F37°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation51.2"51.2"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport8 mi — more favorable16 miNASR current cycle
Average commute22.1 min — more favorable27.9 min2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age36.635.92024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools5442024-25 school year
Students per teacher18.018.02024-25 school year
Math proficiency30.8%47.9% — more favorable2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency33.0%53.0% — more favorable2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility71.2%23.6%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.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison. The year-over-year change is not marked either: a percentage on fewer than 300 units swings on a handful of permits.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Montgomery
—
Montgomery: Your Score
52
Area Score
Pike Road
—
Pike Road: Your Score
65
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Montgomery, AL · Pike Road, AL · How this is calculated: methodology