Pell City receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Pell City
Birmingham
Opportunity
59 · Top 45%
vs35 · Bottom 11%
Growth
72 · Top 13%
vs45 · Bottom 40%
Climate
77 · Top 22%
vs74 · Top 32%
Physical resilience
41 · Bottom 32%
vs59 · Top 49%
Housing affordability
90 · Top 32%
vs70 · Bottom 34%
Access
85 · Bottom 30%
vs97 · Top 29%
Economic stability
37 · Bottom 14%
vs29 · Bottom 6%
Measured values
| Metric | Pell City | Birmingham | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,587 | 198,173 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $68,638 | $46,051 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,417 | $32,216 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 543/sq mi | 1,347/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $249,600 | $158,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,099 | $1,107 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 68.0% | 45.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 4.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.7% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.9% | 31.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 20.8% | 24.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 113 | 591 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 8.3 | 3.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 6.6% | 33.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 33°F | 35°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 52.2" | 56.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 28 mi | 4 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.9 min | 22.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.0 | 35.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 56 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.93 | 18.94 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 61.5% | 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
Pell City
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, inland flooding, earthquake.
Birmingham
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Pell City
66
Your Score
65
Area Score
Birmingham
58
Your Score
56
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Pell City, AL · Birmingham, AL · How this is calculated: methodology